The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1918-02-11
WITH AUNT BECKY.

Wheat and Oats Injured By Cold
Delicious Bread From Corn
Meal-Civil War Memories
News of the Fork.
Correspondence of The Robesonian
Old Fork (Maxton, r. ~, FEB. S.
After an entire week of rainy, cloudy
weather, we are rejoiced this morn
ing to see the sunshine again. 1t IS
turning colder, and the wind is rls
ing, but people are no longer housed
in, and l note good many out and
stirring around. Owing to the delay
from bad weather, our farming foil,
will have to hustle, and make hay
while the sun shines" Very little
has been done along that line in this
section, and now the soil is too wet
to pillow, or even run a stalk-cutter.
The severe winters cold has ma
terially injured wheat and oats, which
will be serious loss, especially the
wheat crop.
l hear much discussion in regard
to the new flour law. Our country
people who have their own corn meal,
and home grown hominy, think it
rather "tough" to have to buy cereals
which they have at home, in order to
buy flour; but it will bring about the
very results designed by the Govern
ment, the greater use of corn meal,
and the lesser of flour. Corn mullins
are good and wholesome, Johnny
cake" is fine, waffles are delicious,
and even an lash cake" properly
cooked is sweet and palatable. In the
mountain sections of this State and
Virginia, they make what they call
egg bread" The ingredients are
plenty of eggs, sour milk, soda and
lard. Instead of batter similar to
the mullins and waffles, it is made
into a rather stiff dough, then formed
into thick pone and baked slowly
and thoroughly until quite brown. /
have eaten some of this mountain
bread, and found it most excellent.
/ hear of but little news current in
the Fork. Bad colds, and some throat
troubles have been prevalent among
the children, but nothing of a serious
nature. Roseola has struck the town
of Maxton and we have had one case
in this vicinity-Miss Cora McCor-
mick, a pupil of the Maxton graded
school. Hers was very mild case,
oliu a QuICh IcCOVCIy.
Miss Dora Wilkerson, who has been
teaching the Spring Hill school, we
regret to learn has an attack of
grippe, and has been unable to carry
on her work during the past two
weeks, Miss Kate Caddell acting as
substitute.
&. j: McColl, our Scotch boy, informs
us that he is we'll, and pleased with
ms situation up in Canada, where he |
Joined the colors some weeks ago. He
reports zero weather there, and FROST
bitten ears from being out on guard
duty in the snow and sleet, but saws
they have plenty of coal, and plenty
to eat.
A dear little boy friend in your
town writes me nice letter asking
that Aunt Becky" would write some
more war stories to the Robesonian,"
and l must try to crafty his request.
though / scarcely know what to write
this time, that would ikely.x,be of
most interest to him. .en
After the war was over, I entered |
Floral college as a student, and board
ed with sweet widow lady in the
town, who at the time of Sherman's
raid had no one with her except two
young lady daughters. Four of her
sons were in the confederate army,
and two young boys away at school.
The younger daughter, whose name
was Callie, then girl in her teens.
was hlgh-spirited and brave, and she
assumed 1t her duty to be the defend
er of the family So when it became
known that the>Yankees were really!
getting close by, she went over to the
home of an old neighbor gentleman
and borrowed long, old-fashionedI
pistol, which she dropped in her peck
ct, and went on her way rejoicing over
her weapon of defense On the fol-
lowing afternoon the enemy arrived
at her home, galloped into the yard,
and were soon chasing her pet ducks.
This was too much for Callie, so she
put her pistol in her pocket, and ran
out among the robbers. The poor
little ducks were scampering about
the horses feet, and all about the
yard, with the Yankees and Callie
IN not pursuit; but she only managed
to catch one out of the drove, which
she carried in to her mothers room,
put it in box, covered It mn and
showed it under the bed.
But a little old Yankee came in. he
gan to plumber, and pulled the box
out. Callie told him to leave her duck
or she would shoot him, and ran her
hand in her pocket for her pistol.
but 1t was gone. She had either drop
ped it out in the yard, or the Yankees
had stolen it from her, so he lust
grlnned at her, and took her last
duck. She cried about it, and told
him she hoped that our soldiers would
capture him and put him in prison
tie Jeered, and laughed at her. and
told her there was no danger of
that But he made a mistake
squad Of Wheeler's cavalry came on