COLUMBIA, S. C. — At the Prestons’ Mary was laughing
at Mrs. Lyons's complaint — the person from whom we rented rooms in Richmond.
She spoke of Molly and Lawrence's deceitfulness. They went about the house
quiet as mice while we were at home; or Lawrence sat at the door and sprang to
his feet whenever we passed. But when we were out, they sang, laughed, shouted,
and danced. If any of the Lyons family passed him, Lawrence kept his seat, with
his hat on, too. Mrs. Chesnut had said: “Oh!” so meekly to the whole tirade,
and added, “I will see about it.”
Colonel Urquhart and Edmund Rhett dined here; charming men
both — no brag, no detraction. Talk is never pleasant where there is either.
Our noble Georgian dined here. He says Hampton was the hero of the Yankee rout
at Stony Creek.1 He claims that citizens, militia, and lame soldiers
kept the bridge at Staunton and gallantly repulsed Wilson's raiders.
At Mrs. S.'s last night. She came up, saying, “In New
Orleans four people never met together without dancing.” Edmund Rhett turned to
me: “You shall be pressed into service.” “No, I belong to the reserve corps — too
old to volunteer or to be drafted as a conscript.” But I had to go.
My partner in the dance showed his English descent; he took
his pleasure sadly. “Oh, Mr. Rhett, at his pleasure, can be a most agreeable
companion!” said someone. “I never happened to meet him,” said I, “when he
pleased to be otherwise.” With a hot, draggled, old alpaca dress, and those
clod-hopping shoes, to tumble slowly and gracefully through the mazes of a July
dance was too much for me. “What depresses you so?” he anxiously inquired. “Our
carnival of death.” What a blunder to bring us all together here! — a reunion
of consumptives to dance and sing until one can almost hear the death-rattle!
_______________
1 The battle of Stony Creek in Virginia was
fought on June 28-29, 1864.
SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin
and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 313-4
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