Dark Days Of The Confederacy

The subject of lighls was anotner wil, whicli it was found diffieult to conteqc Tallow was used ireely during the fa'fe years of the war; oíd candió molds weï hrought out from tbelr biding places anc put to nse, and tallow dips became as fa miliar to us as they liad beeu to our fcirefiithers. But the source of supply fo these "ligüts of other days" soon becam exhausted, and woman's ingenuity wa again put to the test. Lard a!so had been in frequent use, and a fuvorite light wa a saneer or can lilled with imo welu..c substance wherein floated a burning syc amore ball. It, too, was growiug scaroe however, and a new material must be evolved. Several things were tried, bu a mixture of beeswax and rosiu was found best of them all. Throttgh thi mixture, when melted, a long coil o candle wicking was drawn again ant again, until thorosghly coated, and in order to make this coating even seyera persons stood in a row holding the wiek ing at short intervals and shaping the wax npon it as it passed through thel hands. The position of greatest honor and difflculty in this undertaking was conceded to be the one next to the pan contaiuing the heated melted mixture. When cold, this waxen rope was wound, row after row, around a bottle with the free end put through a strip o tin with a hole in it in order to hold it upright. These candles gave forth ameager but a steady light. ' 'Candlemaking bees' were quite the style, and young ladies anc their military beaux "on leave" man aged to exact a great deal of memmen from them.. The refreshments were usu ally fruit eiud peanuts. - Jennie S. .Txid son.