Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865Herndon, Sarah Raymond
History
Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865
Herndon, Sarah Raymond
Overland journeys to the Pacific; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
As we were provided with fresh bread, cake, cold chicken, boiled
ham, pickles, preserves, etc., supper was quickly prepared for our
small family of four, and we enjoyed it immensely. Then comes my time
to write, as I have promised friends that I will keep a journal on
this trip. Mr. Kerfoot thinks the Government is going to smash and
green-backs will not be worth one cent on the dollar, so he has turned
all his money into gold coin, and stowed it into a small leather
satchel--it seems quite heavy to lift or carry.
As Mrs. Kerfoot was sitting on a camp-chair near our wagons, Mr.
Kerfoot came toward her, saying, “Here, mother, I want you to take
care of this satchel, it is all we will ask you to do, the girls will
cook and wash dishes, the boys take care of the stock, and I will
oversee things generally, and we will do nicely.” She accepted the
responsibility without a word, and as he walked away she turned to me,
and said, “I wish it was in some good bank, I expect nothing else but
that it will be stolen, and then what will become of us?”
While I have been writing Neelie (Cornelia) and Sittie (Henrietta) have
been getting supper for a family of twelve, no small undertaking for
them, as they have been used to servants and know very little about
cooking.
When everything was ready, Neelie came to her mother exclaiming, “Come,
mamma, to supper, the first ever prepared by your own little girl, but
not the last I hope, see how nicely the table looks, Emma and Delia
picked those wild flowers for you, how brightly the new tinware shines,
let us imagine it is silver and it will answer the same purpose as if
it were.”
Her mother smiles cheerfully, as she takes her arm, Cash sneers at
Neelie’s nonsense--as she calls it. Mr. Kerfoot nods approval, as
Neelie escorts her mother to the table. When all are seated Mr. Kerfoot
bows his head and asks God’s blessing on the meal.
Every one seems to enjoy this picnic style of taking supper out of
doors, and linger so long at the table, that Neelie has to hint that
other work will have to be done before dark.
When at last the table is cleared, she says to Emma and Delia, “Don’t
you want to help me wash these nice, bright dishes and put them away?”
They are always ready to help Neelie, and the work is soon done. Amid
laughter and fun they hardly realize they have been at work. Mr.
Kerfoot insists that we women and the children must sleep in houses
as long as there are houses to sleep in. Mother and I would greatly
prefer sleeping in our spring-wagon, to making a bed on the floor in
a room with so many, but as he has hired the room we do not want to
seem contrary, so have offered no objection. The boys have carried the
mattresses and bedding into the house, and Neelie has come for me to go
with her to arrange our sleeping-room. So good-night.
THROUGH MEMPHIS.
May 2.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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