ine-wood fire, which blazed up the chimney, sending a
ruddy glow of comfort and cheerfulness even through this disgusting den.
We were to wait here for the arrival of the cars from a branch railroad,
to continue our route; and in the mean time a so-called dinner was
provided for us, to which we were presently summoned. Of the horrible
dirt of everything at this meal, from the eatables themselves to the
table-cloth, and the clothes of the negroes who waited upon us, it would
be impossible to give any idea. The poultry, which formed here, as it
does all through the South, the chief animal part of the repast (except
the consumers, always understood), were so tough that I should think
they must have been alive when we came into the house, and certainly
died very hard. They were swimming in black grease, and stuffed with
some black ingredient that was doubt and dismay to us uninitiated; but,
however, knowledge would probably have been more terrible in this case
than ignorance. We had no bread but lumps of hot dough, which reminded
me forcibly of certain juvenile creations of my brothers, yclept dumps.
I should think they would have eaten very much alike.

I was amused to observe that while our tea was poured out, and handed to
us by a black girl of most disgustingly dirty appearance, no sooner did
the engine drivers, and persons connected with the railroads and
coaches, sit down to their meal, than the landlady herself, a portly
dame, with a most dignified carriage, took the head of the table, and
did the honors with all the grace of a most accomplished hostess. Our
male fellow-travelers no sooner had dispatched their dinner than they
withdrew in a body to the other end of the apartment, and large rattling
folding-doors being drawn across the room, the separation of men and
women, so rigidly observed by all traveling Americans, took place. This
is a most peculiar and amusing custom, though sometimes I have been not
a little inclined to quarrel with it, inasmuch as it effectually
deprives one of the assistance of the men under whose protection one is
traveling, as well as all the advantages or pleasure of their society.
Twice during this southward trip of ours my companion has been most
peremptorily ordered to withdraw from the apartment where he was
conversing with me, by colored cabin-girls, who told him it was against
the rules for any gentleman to come into the ladies' room. This making
rules by which ladies and gentlemen