The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-05-20


of doing tehir own cooking, would
make them more Independent in that
particular than they had ever been be-
fore, and therefore they would not be
dependant on a wife to keep house
for them and do their cooking as they
would be able to cook for themselves.
The old lady, in relating the cir
cumstonce said that the girls hooted
at such an idea and said they knew
that the boys could never learn to
cook, that they would just like to see
d biscuit one of them had cooked.
This remark was more than aunt Sal
lie could quietly Standard so reach
ing down into a small bag with a
draw string to it, which old ladies at
that time were accustomed to carry
she drew forth a biscuit about the
size of your fist and said-"thus now,
ladies, 1 agree with this gentleman, as
I know that the soldier boys a cook
as good as any of you, for, thus now,
here's a biscuitmy Sol Jemes cooked
this morning before 7 left the camp,
and breaking it into several pieces
She gave each one of them a portion
to try. They all had to admit, she said,
that it was as good as any n OF
them could cook.
In mentioning old aunt Jeane Rob-
inson in connection with the clock
episode recalls the fact that she had
a daughter Of very considerable d.
mansions and was universally known
as Big Jane Robinson.
From the time that I was twelve
or thirteen years of age, I have always
had the most kindly feeling and the
greatest sense of obligations toward
Miss Jane. About that time it was GUS
tomary for the young girls of each
neighborhood to have what they call
ed quilting parties, at which all the
girls would assemble at the home OF
one of their number and spend the
day in sewing and cross-sewing two
layers of calico or some other mater1-
al between which was a thin layer OF
cotton, all framed up and swinging
from the ceiling.
In the evening the young men OF
the neighborhood would drop in and
il dancing were tolerated by the head
Of the establishment, all present
would join in the dance which was
generally kept up indefnitely-some-
times to the "peep-o-day."
If dancing were not allowed then
they would spend the time in various
amusements-suc has marching g.
round singing "Old Sister Feeby,'
here we go round the rosy bush;,
well all go Reaping," etc.
The first verse Of the last mentioned
song ran somewhat thus
It rains and it halls and its cold
stormy weather;
In comes the farmer drinking Of the
cider;
Well all go a reaping and who'll be
the binder?
I've lost my sweetheart and where
shall I find her.
Before entering upon this joyful
decentralization, each young man
excepting one, would provide himself
with a~young lady partner. The young
man who had no partner would take
his stand in the center Of the ring
and when tehy would reach that par1
of the song which says give lost my
sweetheart and where shall. I fine
her." each young nan was expected
to let loose his girl and catch the
one in advance Of him and it was the
business Of the fellow in the center Il
possible to jump in ahead Of some
slow motioned young fellow and cap
ture his girl-of course the fellow thai
lost his partner would have to take
his place in the center. It sometimes
happened that a BOBBY of a fellow
would be kept in the ring for quite
while, not being sufficiently on the
aui yiye to catch a partner.
Then there were other past times
engaged in which necessitated the
girls selecting their partners from
among the boys and young men pres
ent.
On one such occasion I was pres
ent, and while + would have liked the
best in the world to have Joined in the
entertainment I was entirely over
looked by the girls because Twas
nothing but "a little boy"-but to my
great JOY on this occasion, Miss Jane,
who weighed about three hundred
pounds, selected me as her partner,
and that fact broke the ice for me,
and ever afterwards I took as big a
hand in the amusements as any Of the
big boys and young men. This kindly
considerate action on the part Of Miss
Jane placed me under such an obliga-
ton to her as has never been forgot
ten. Miss Jane was not only Of a
kindly disposition but she was withal