_Jan. 21._ C. was gone all day tramping over the Pine Grove plantation
to see and map out the land so as to allot it for corn and cotton to
the people for this year's crop,--Flora's York for guide, who was much
amused at his maps. He brought me home as a present from Susan half a
dozen delicious sausages and a piece of fresh pork, which is very nice
here, as the pigs run wild and feed on the potatoes left in the field,
and other roots. Having had to wait for my washing for over a week, as
Judy went first to Beaufort to see "him niece," a man grown, who was
sick and died, and then was too sick herself, I hunted up some one
else and had our washing done. Housekeeping with such young things to
look after as Robert and Rose[99] only is not an easy or thoroughly
satisfactory proceeding, with so much else to see to in this great
house.
_Jan. 22._ Sam sent word that buckra and white lady were coming. I
went to the door. There stood Miss R., Mrs. Clark, and Mr. De la
Croix, and coming up the path were the rest of their party, Mrs.
Bundy, Mrs. Williams, Mr. R., and, still on the beach, Mr. Williams
and Dr. Bundy shooting. I flew down to Uncle Sam to give him
potatoes, white and sweet, and rice and hominy, telling him to have
the tea-kettle boiling so that I could give them a cup of coffee. We
had eaten our last loaf of bread that morning, so I mixed some
griddle-cakes, and Robert, who enjoyed the fun of so many people, set
the table and did very nicely, Rose running up and down stairs with
the hot flap-jacks. I don't wonder that country-people eat "griddles"
so much,--they are so much easier and more quickly prepared than
anything else. But nothing is done quickly in this region, and all
this was a work of time, during which I entertained my guests and they
entertained themselves in the "shop," and they became great
purchasers. Then the boatmen who had brought them came up for sugar
and tobacco, and Mr. De la Croix opened the new box for me, and they
were very much amused to see me diving into the depths of the
sugar-barrel and handling the tobacco at "eight cents a plug!" They
were very merry and jolly and seemed to enjoy themselves,--certainly
Mrs. Bundy did at our piano, and we in hearing her. Robert and Rose
could not put the things on the table--they were fixed, as soon as
they entered the room, with delight. It was funny work getting
together dishes enough, but I made out. My table was full and my
guests hungry, though they protested they only came for a call and did
not want any luncheon. We got up from table about three, I got Dr.
Bundy to take the stitches from Hester's arm and dress it, and then
they said they must be off,--they had stayed too long already. And so
it proved, for the tide had gone out and the boat was high and dry on
an oyster-bank! They did not seem much distressed, and all betook
themselves to a walk towards the quarters, which they visited in a
body, to the delight of the people. I was informed, "Miss Hayut,
buckra-man on hos-bahck," and Mr. Thorpe appeared on business with C.;
as it never rains but it pours, two officers from our blockading
vessel now landed, to see the pickets they were told were here. They
did not stay long, and then I went to find Dr. Bundy and see what time
they would get off. I found they could not get away till seven, so
began to make preparations for tea. I knew my table would not be large
enough, and was quietly taking all the books and papers off the big
round one in the corner, when the ladies discovered what I was about;
they rose in a body and protested they would not have any tea. But the
gentlemen equally protested I should do just as I chose, and set them
to work if I would, so they wheeled out the table and Mr. De la Croix
went with me to the milk-closet to take down the shelves, which were
the leaves. The table is a monstrous great round one, solid mahogany,
and with its leaves in made my table-cloth look like a towel on the
grass, so we took to the bare boards. We sat down twelve to a
repetition of the lunch, with the addition of Susan's pork and
sausages, as our boys had had no dinner. I could not persuade any of
them to stay all night, though I showed them that I had bed
accommodations for four, and sofas for more, to say nothing of a
floor! There was a little moon and they all got home safely--we had a
suspicion we might see them about midnight!
_Jan. 23._ In the midst of all the fun and frolic yesterday there came
a sudden pause, when Mrs. Williams drew down the corners of her mouth
and remarked, "And this is a band of Missionaries!"
I had the room in the basement cleaned to-day by Samson's Betty. She
is the woman whose old husband turned up and gave C. so much trouble.
This thing is happening a good deal now, and must. A man who was sold
six years ago to Georgia came up from St. Simon's with the troops not
long ago to find his wife here married again. He gave her leave to do
so, however, when he was sold off, so had nothing to say. To go back
to Betty. I gave her as careful directions as I could and left her to
her own devices. When I went to her once I found her in the middle of
the room with two great tubs of water, her skirts all tied up to her
knees, the floor swimming in water which she was flinging about with a
handful of shucks _i. e._, corn-husks! It would be easier to keep
house in a small country house at home and do my own work (minus the
washing) and live better than we do here. However, I am very
philosophical, and ignore dirt and irregularity.
_Jan. 24._ I had promised to go to the quarters and rode down, C.
walking by my side to take down the amount of cotton and corn land
each hand wished to work this year. He stood with his back against a
fence, the "gang" collected in front of him, book in hand, taking down
the number of tasks each agreed to work, talking to them about the
crop, laughing with them and at them. A not less unique picture
certainly was his sister riding his little horse, whose back her large
shawl nearly covered behind, in her ordinary dress and hoops, stopping
at door after door to look at this sick baby, talk to that old woman;
give a comb out of one pocket and put an egg into another; dismount to
show Amaritta how to make yeast and raise bread, examine some sore
throats, go to Louisa's house and repeat the yeast operation there,
then remount and proceed through the street in the same style, only
that now the flour and warm water are brought to the door and she
stirs on horseback! Sunday is the "Quarter meeting-day"--over a
hundred are to be baptized and they want some bread to carry, as they
will have to stay all day. I ride back through the overseer's yard,
stop at her door to speak to Judy, then have a talk with Abel, who
wants to know how I find Rose, says he knows character is better than
all the riches of this world, and that he was taught and teaches his
children not to lay hand on anything that does not belong to them. I
took her partly because I knew it was a good family. Demus[100]
attends me, and I ride home followed by half a dozen little boys who
are coming up to school and run races by my side. The wind has turned
east, and a thick fog is driving in visible clouds over the dreary
cotton-fields, raw, chilly, and disagreeable enough. I come out of
school wondering what I am going to have for dinner and what for
Sunday, knowing that Uncle Sam, whose daughter Katrine is "going in
the water," will probably be away all day and that the R.'s are coming
to spend Sunday. You know there was trouble last summer about the
superintendents who were not Baptists remaining to the Communion
Service--there has been more since, and the negro elders have become
so excited about it that they will not allow them to stay, so the R.'s
did not wish to go to church, and planned when we were there at New
Year's to come down here to spend that Sunday. They told me when they
were here Thursday that they were coming, so I ought to have been
ready, but except my three loaves of bread I had made no preparation,
and was expecting them momentarily. The Fates were propitious,
however, for Minda sent me a piece of fresh pork, and a note from Mr.
Philbrick said he would send us a piece of fresh beef for our rations
Sunday. I had just time to wash my hands when my guests arrived. That
is a process, by the way, which I have to go through with, at the
least, twice in an hour--sometimes oftener than that in fifteen
minutes--with sand-soap and brush!
There was a great church-going from this place, as fourteen people
were to be baptized, and Sam when he was rigged was a sight, with his
beaver over his head-hankercher. Carts were in requisition to bring
home the wet clothes--Louisa told C. that she couldn't wear hoops into
the water and should be so cold she should wear eight coats (they drop
the petti-) and she couldn't bring them all home. It was foggy and
chilly, though the sun came out at noon when the proceedings must have
been at their height, as the tide was high then. There were one
hundred and forty-nine dipped on this occasion.
The next two letters are largely occupied with the
beginnings of the new working year.