Abby Howland Woolsey to Georgeanna and Eliza.
November.
Bessie Wolcott’s wedding came off very brilliantly. Carry went out to Astoria the day before. Mother and Hatty drove out together. Mary is said to have looked very handsome in white silk trimmed with black lace and white silk ruches. Hatty wore her crimson silk with white valencienne spencer or waist, and mother was very resplendent in velvet and feathers, stone cameos and black lace shawl. . . Charley drove out and back with his pony as rapidly as possible, as they had to drill for evacuation day, Charley’s first appearance in a procession. We all stood on the curbstone and we winked, and he winked, and Captain Ben Butler and others twinkled and winked, not daring to do more, so precise and martial was their array. . . . Have you received a large brown bale that you didn’t know what to make of? It is black curled hair. Eliza said whole pillows were much needed—underscoring the words. I don’t know what she means, unless that mere empty tickings to be filled with straw don’t answer. I have thought that the best way was to send you the hair, as it can be packed far closer than any number of ready-made pillows would be. The tickings are all made and will be along in Washington soon.
