 | |  |
Xmas Eve.
Company with us: Bob, Mr. Coffman, Miss Vallant, John and Sue besides our home circle. Do not feel at all satisfied with myself. Too many hard thoughts felt and expressed against our northern neighbors at a season when we ought to feel peace and good will to all mankind. Oh, what a want of Christian charity there is in us all! What hatred in our hearts towards our own country people and we dare to ask God to prosper our side? It is true we are not the aggressors in this case but there is too much bitter hatred churned up for us to hope for a blessing. Prejudice has taken away all of our patriotism. We have need of many prayers to ask our Friend of Friend to still the tempest in our hearts and give us the grace to see and act now as friends toward each other .
....[Visitors.] Panic Terrors two evening this week and we are all much frightened but it is all incredulous when we come to think it all over the next day. Mary Lewis takes the part of The tragic Muse and acts her part to perfection. We all dine at Dr. Leitch's on Saturday, the only visit I pay during Christmas [as we] had a houseful at home during the whole time. Enjoy Miss Vallant's company much. We have such a cozy time in the Lodge. John does not get up until Xmas Day so we have a good chance at Sue before he comes and it is well we do for after he comes all other persons sank into very secondary affairs in her eyes. It made me feel very badly at first but I tried hard to keep off the green eyed monsters and I can now think of it and see it with calmness. Miss Carrie [Morril] dines with us on Friday. I was very much pleased to see her but was sorry on account of some of the others that she came. The times are too troubled to have Yankee visitors.
North and South don't mix well. The day she is with me, I'm gladdened by a...letter from my own dear Emily. The letter is not more than two months old but the dear child does not mention her health. I cannot help feeling that it is intentional [and] that she is not as well as she would like us to think. A great change has come over her since she settled in her new home. She has been led to think more charitably of the Low Churchmen and included all denominations of Christians since she has been working among them. The thing has proved itself. Lou, she says, "I have not changed my stand point in the least for myself but the Low Church doctrine is the only one for converting the heathens." Oh, how rejoiced some of her friends will be. Says she is very happy. Frieds write her sorrowing letters and talk of the sacrifice she has made of herself when to give up the work would be the only sacrifice she would know. The Taylors to supper one night. Jeff [Jefferson Randolph Taylor] gets in very excited on politics. Don't I wish I could never hear anything more of them again. It seems to call up all the evils in my very evil nature. Finish such a very pretty hood. The color is lavender and it is made by Miss Vallant's directions. She does the fancy part for me. She also did one for Sue and another for Sam. He intends it for a friend. Ma thinks it will be very comfortable for him when he goes from here home after suppers these cold nights. Dave is beginning to come out of his shell. The boys, Bob and Sam, play off a Xmas trick on him which seemed to hurt much at first but did good in the end. All's well that end's well.
| | |