Sent C. and her delightful little Albert down to take the train yesterday. Their visit has been an unalloyed pleasure. Jim, being in Gregory, attended Bonaparte's wedding at 8 o'clock last evening. He says it was a most elegant and well-conducted affair, with an abundance of good cake and wine, and his respect for Daddy B. has risen immensely, which is a comfort and relief to me, for they are not very friendly. Bonaparte boasts, "Yes, Jim kin mak de crop, but Jim ain't got de key; I got de key," and of course that is aggravating.
I am very sensible of the thorns which accompany the roses of faithful service with both Chloe and Bonaparte, but all the same I thank the good Father for the thorns, because of the roses which sweeten my life.
December 13.
A good steady rain last night, thank God. There was a frightful danger of fire getting away in the woods. Every one was nervous about it. I am very tired, for I had to burn the chimneys, which always scares me terribly. I always have Bonaparte to help, and this morning he did not want to do it and said there was not rain enough and was rude to Chloe when she called him, so I determined to burn them myself.
I take a large newspaper, pour about a tablespoonful of kerosene on it, holding the end in the tongs, and as soon as it takes fire thrust it as far up the chimney as my arm will allow, which is not far; that is the reason I like to have Bonaparte do it. In an instant the whole chimney is ablaze, with a terrific roaring. Patty was stationed outside to see if any of the blazing soot lighted on the roof; I on my knees in front of the fireplace prayed with all my might; the terror that there may be a crack or flaw in the chimney is always with me. The great matter is to burn often and then there is no great accumulation of soot.
It has always been a thing I had to wind myself up for, and requires all my will to make me do it. Once I was so demoralized about it that I got a man to come with a regular little chimney-sweep from Gregory. The little fellow went up one chimney, but when he came down he wept and pleaded so not to go up again, saying the chimneys were so long, three stories, and the flues crossed so that he could not breathe, and I would not let the man send him up again. It was an expensive experiment, and I concluded the old time way of burning out was the best, and try to make myself do it once a month.
Cherokee, December 14.
A July day, rainy and hot. War in the kitchen zone. Goliah roused Chloe's ire and she fell upon him with fury. When I went down to remonstrate with Goliah he was in a great rage and I heard him mumbling, "Yes, if I only had my axe I wud 'a' settle 'em," and nothing I said could have any effect, so I had to tell him to leave the yard and not return.
It will be a loss to me, because I know all his faults and can generally meet them, and he is very competent for one of his size with the horses, and drives very well. I take him everywhere with me on the buckboard, but he has a morose, morbid temper and he has been very rude and impertinent to Chloe, so I cannot keep him.
December 15.