ed as absolutely necessary, before,
have we now been obliged to dispense with! Nine months of the year I
reveled in ice, thought it impossible to drink water without it. Since
last November, I have tasted it but once, and that once by accident.
And oh, yes! I caught some hail-stones one day at Linwood! Ice-cream,
lemonade, and sponge cake was my chief diet; it was a year last July
since I tasted the two first, and one since I have seen the last. Bread
I believed necessary to life; vegetables, senseless. The former I never
see, and I have been forced into cultivating at least a toleration of
the latter. Snap beans I can actually swallow, sweet potatoes I really
like, and one day at Dr. Nolan's I "bolted" a mouthful of tomatoes, and
afterwards kept my seat with the heroism of a martyr. These are the
minor trials of war. If that were all--if coarse, distasteful food were
the only inconvenience!

When I think of what Lavinia must suffer so far from us, and in such
ignorance of our condition, our trials seem nothing in comparison to
hers. And think how uneasy Brother must be, hearing of the battle, and
not knowing where we fled to! For he has not heard of us for almost two
months. In return we are uneasy about him and Sister. If New Orleans is
attacked, what will become of them with all those children?

Tuesday, September 16th.

Yesterday Miriam determined to go to Linwood, and consequently I had a
severe task of trunk-packing, one of my greatest delights, however. I
hate to see any one pack loosely or in a slovenly manner. Perhaps that
is the reason I never let any one do it if I am able to stand. This
morning was appointed as our day for leaving, but I persuaded her to
wait until to-morrow, in hope that either the General, or news from
Virginia, would arrive this evening. Bless this village! It is the
meanest place for news that I ever was in. Not a word can be gathered,
except what is false or unfounded; and they are even tired of that, in
the last few days.

Talk of Baton Rouge turning Yankee, as the report went here! Of the
three or four there who took the oath, not one can be compared to some
loyal citizens of this small burg. Why, I talked to two gentlemen
yesterday who, if it were not for the disgrace and danger incurred by
bearing the name, I should style Union men, and talked or rather
listened to them, until my spirits were reduced to the lowest ebb.
People were sho