g draped--my infant eyes first saw the Stars and Stripes floating
above portraits--alleged--of Filmore and Buchanan, in the campaign of
'56. That meant the barbecue was a joint affair--Whigs and Democrats
getting it up, and both eagerly ready to whoop it up for their own
speakers. Naturally in that latitude, Fremont was not even named. No
court costume with a tail three yards long, could to-day make me feel
one-half so fine as the white jaconet, and green sash then sported.

It was said there were a thousand at the barbecue. The cheering, at its
loudest, was heard two miles away. To me it seemed as though all the
folk in the world had gathered in that shady grove--I remember wondering
if there could possibly be so many watermelons, some would be left for
the children. Four big wagon loads lay bobbing in the coolth of the
spring branch. It was a very cold spring with mint growing beside it, as
is common with springs thereabout. Early settlers planted it thus hard
by the water--they built their houses high, and water got warm in
carrying it up hill. Lacking ice houses, to have cool juleps, they had
to be mixed right at the well-head. Sugar, spoons, goblets, and the jug,
were easily carried down there.

Juleps were not mixed openly that day--but the speakers had pitchers
full of something that seemed to refresh their eloquence, no less than
themselves. They hammered each other lustily, cheered to the echo by
uproarious partisans, from nine in the morning until six in the
afternoon. Luckily for them, there were four of them, thus they could
"spell" each other--and the audience. I did not mind them--not in the
least. How should I--when right in front of me sat a lady with the most
gorgeous flowers upon her white chip bonnet, and one beside me, who
insisted upon my wearing, until time to go home, her watch and chain?

The watermelons held out--we took two big ones home to Mother, also a
lot of splendid Indian peaches, and a fore-quarter of lamb. Mother
rarely went out, being an invalid--so folk vied with each other in
sending her things. I mention it, only by way of showing there were
things to be sent, even after feeding the multitude. The black people
went away full fed, and full handed--nobody who carried a basket had
much relish for taking home again any part of its contents.

Our countryside's cooking came to its full flower for the
bran-dances--which came into being, I think, because the pioneers liked
to shake limbe