My luncheon was a female affair exclusively. Mrs. Davis came
early and found Annie and Tudie making the chocolate. Lawrence had gone South
with my husband; so we had only Molly for cook and parlor-maid. After the
company assembled we waited and waited. Those girls were making the final
arrangements. I made my way to the door, and as I leaned against it ready to
turn the knob, Mrs. Stanard held me like Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, and told
how she had been prevented by a violent attack of cramps from running the
blockade, and how providential it all was. All this floated by my ear, for I
heard Mary Preston's voice raised in high protest on the other side of the
door. “Stop!” said she. “Do you mean to take away the whole dish?” “If you eat
many more of those fried oysters they will be missed. Heavens! She is running
away with a plug, a palpable plug, out of that jelly cake!”
Later in the afternoon, when it was over and I was safe, for
all had gone well and Molly had not disgraced herself before the mistresses of
those wonderful Virginia cooks, Mrs. Davis and I went out for a walk. Barny
Heyward and Dr. Garnett joined us, the latter bringing the welcome news that “Muscoe
Russell's wife had come.”
SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin
and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 282-3
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