nce heard a despondent word from one of
them. Most grateful they were for their good, abundant meals, but
often too modest to carry any away in their haversacks.

In times of peace, both before and after the war, the social life at
the table, with family and always welcome friends, was a source of
much pleasure. For a dinner of ten or twelve persons, including
ourselves, there would be a ham at the head, a large roast turkey at
the foot, a quarter of boiled mutton, a round of beef _a la mode_, and
a boiled turkey stuffed with oysters. In the middle of the table
would be celery in tall cut-glass stands, on the sides cranberries in
moulds and various kinds of pickles. With these would be served either
four or six dishes of vegetables and scalloped oysters, handed hot
from the plate-warmer. The dessert would be a plum pudding, clear
stewed apples with cream, with a waiter in the centre filled with
calf's-foot jelly, syllabub in glasses, and cocoanut or cheesecake
puddings at the corners. The first cloth was removed with the meats.
For a larger entertainment a roast pig would be added, ice-cream would
take the place of stewed apples. The dessert cloth would be removed
with the dessert, and the decanters and fruit set upon the bare
mahogany, with the decanters in coasters; cigars would follow, after
the ladies had left, of course.

At the time of the surrender, General Logan borrowed, or asked to
borrow, my tables and cut-glass tumblers and wine-glasses; as such a
request meant an order, I, of course, allowed them to be taken; to my
surprise all were returned. Generals Grant and Sherman were
entertained by Logan at this time, the tables being set before his
tent in the grove.

When my two little girls went to day school at St. Mary's, their
dinners were sent to them by a negro boy or man. He carried the basket
of hot dinner, while another carried the ice for their water, while
another often walked behind bearing a large watermelon. As the other
day-pupils dined in a similar way, the road at this time of day would
be full of negroes carrying dinners.

Since these bygone days, knowledge has increased, and men go to and
fro with ease between the far corners of the earth; but I do not think
that either virtue or happiness has kept pace with this increase of
knowledge, nor has there ever been or will there ever be again such a
country as the Old South, nor a people so good, so brave, or so
true-hearted as the dear, primitive