Including our family, there were thirty in all. Our home had
but two rooms on the first floor. A large parlor, hall and stairway
faced upon the main street, and the dining room led out from the hall
and was large enough to seat many guests. The kitchen was made of
canvas and led into the dining room. There were three fine windows in
the dining room, so it made a pleasant and cheerful place. Although
everything was of the plainest sort, the long table with the white
cloth and greens from the pine trees the boys had cut as they came
along, and the wild flowers we had gathered and placed in bowls to
grace the tables with the greens which were arranged tastefully in
wreaths and festoons, gave a homelike welcome to these men who for
months had not eaten a home dinner or enjoyed the society of women. As
the darkness came on, we lit up the room with candles, having no other
lights. We had not forgotten to bring our brass candlesticks among our
household effects. Mother could not part with them, so they were
carefully packed among our clothing in the trunks and served us
beautifully on this occasion. They got an extra polish of whiting from
sister and me, who were the decorators on this occasion, and we had to
attend to the tables while mother and the older sisters made the
cakes, pies and prepared the roasts and meat pies and other necessary
additions for a dinner of this kind. Father, mother and the older
sisters sat with the guests, and sister Sarah and I waited upon the
table.
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