Okay ! That's a challenge. I'll have to see if I can locate it ! ! THANKS, Carole In a message dated 11/19/2012 11:16:24 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Carole, if you have a chance to read the book, hope you will get back to me. M. On Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 3:57 PM, Carole D. Bryant <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > "Hollow Folk" ! I reckon those folk were anything but "hollow" ! Such > living most often results in solid personal character -- the kind of > people > some of us would like to have for neighbors ! ! ! Kind and generous, > honest > and faithful, God-fearing and spiritually strong. > > I know my comment is a bit "off subject," but I couldn't resist. The term > just jumped out at me. There are exceptions, of course, but generally > our > "soft living" today is producing an unkind and greedy, deceitful and > incompetent, immoral and spiritually dead society ! Give me the old > "hollow > folk" ANY day ! > > Carole D. Bryant > > > > > In a message dated 11/18/2012 3:19:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > Carolyn, what a nice response. Many of my kin came to the Shenandoah > Valley in the 1730s. I can't imagine how tough the conditions were while > they tried to put up a cabin. I look at how spoiled I am (can't be too > warm or too cool) and wonder how, genetically, my line survived. > > Your comments reminded me of a book I read ...Hollow Folk by Mandel > Sherman > and Thomas R. Henry. It was written in 1933 and tells of life in the > hollows on the Blue Ridge Mountains. From the tone of your email....I > think you may enjoy it. > > Regards, > Madaline > > > > On Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 10:11 AM, Carolyn Bruce <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Quantities of blankets, quilts, and coverlids (a.k.a. counterpanes or > > "countypins") were necessary in homes in which there was no central > heat... > > and if the fire went out, no heat at all. Most homes were of wood and > had > > no insulating materials. In addition, kinfolks might come to stay > awhile, > > often around the holidays... maybe with numerous children, which would > > require providing pallets or some form of bedding to be able to sleep > > everyone comfortably. Straw or corn shucks would be stuffed into "straw > > ticks" which made rudimentary mattresses that were laid on the floor to > > accommodate visitors, especially young un's. > > > > My mother told of growing up in a house with all her brothers and > sisters > > (there were ten) at home at one time, sharing beds among them, two or > three > > in a bed. There were two upstairs bedrooms, one for the boys and one for > > the girls... but come fall of the year, teachers often boarded at their > > house, and the boys were pushed out into an attic space. Cold wouldn't > even > > come close to describing the conditions. At times it was truly freezing > in > > the bedrooms and they would have to break ice on top of the water in the > > wash bowl and ewer to wash their faces when they arose. > > > > In the time frame of your "wagoner", it was even colder than in the 20th > > century, at least in the U.S. and Europe. Around 1700, it was so cold in > > the area known as Alsace-Lorraine, it is said that birds froze in flight > > and fell from the sky. Heavy snows fell in most of Europe, and canals > and > > streams froze. Remember Hans Brinker, the poor boy (and his sister) who > > competed in the traditional speed-skating race from one town to the next > on > > the frozen canal? And all those snowy Currier and Ives prints from that > > period? That was during a centuries-long dip in temperatures that > started > > in the early 1300s and ended about the mid-1800s... called the "Little > Ice > > Age". So your wagoner would have been most appreciative of having a > large > > stockpile of warm blankets and other bedcovers, as would most of his > > neighbors. > > > > Thank goodness for central heat. > > > > Carolyn > > > > -- > > Carolyn HALE BRUCE > > Virginia Beach, VA > > > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions > > at > > > http://listlva.lib.va.us/**archives/va-roots.html< > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html> > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html