June, 1863 ~ Salina dangled her bare feet in the cool, clear water, thinking of everything and nothing at all at the same time. Beside her, a beautiful pitch-black Arabian horse stood drinking, and Salina rubbed his ears absently. "Oh, Major. When will this war be over? I want Father and Robert and Richard and Anna's father to come home safely," she spoke softly to the horse, who nickered and rubbed her shoulder with his velvety nose. Salina pulled out her gold pocket watch and glanced at it, jumping up when she noticed that it was already almost dinnertime. She briskly rubbed her feet with her petticoat then pulled on her shoes and stockings. "Come on, Major, we've got to go home now," she said, swinging gracefully up onto the saddle. She urged the horse into a trot as she traveled the well-worn trail towards home. At fifteen, Salina was a beautiful, slender young woman with a zest for life. Her eyes were a sparkling emerald green, the same color as her father's, and her pretty oval face was framed by a thick tangle of dark hair, hanging in ringlets down her back. That, and her lovely features she inherited from her mother, who had been quite the belle in her time, before she married Charles Gibson at the age of eighteen. Smiling happily at the beautiful day, Salina urged Major into a smooth canter along the path under the leafy canopy formed by the branches of the tall trees. She was wearing a full blue riding skirt and jacket trimmed with gold braid, the colors of the U.S. Cavalry. Bareheaded, with her hair flying in the wind, she rode as if one with the horse. Salina made quite a fetching picture as she rode swiftly through the woods, although no one was there to see her save a family of white-tailed deer, who looked at her curiously and without fear. As she neared the edge of the forest, she slowed Major to a walk so she could admire the view. "It is a beautiful place," she murmured, surveying with pleasure the handsome large house, fields of corn and wheat, blooming roses and other flowers scattered throughout the yard, and of course the large silk American flag. The Gibson's two big Collies, Prince and Lady, bounded out to greet her. Dismounting, Salina gave them each a scratch around the ears, then led Major to the barn to rub him down and feed him. Tom, Salina's oldest brother, who was eighteen, came out of the barn. "Hey, Sallie!" he said, taking the reins from her. "Let me do that for you. Ma wants you up at the house." "I know, I'm late for dinner," Salina said with a wry smile. "But I came home as fast as I could." "Oh, I don't think it's because of that," Tom said with a grin. ~~~ "I know I'm late, Ma. I'm really sorry, I just lost track of time," Salina began, walking into the kitchen. "Hello, Sallie. Did you have a nice ride?" Rosalee questioned, and when Salina nodded, she went on, "You're actually not late at all. Your watch must have stopped. There's still two and a half hours before dinner, and I was wondering if you would like to help me pick out a pattern for my new quilt." "Oh, yes, I'd love to!" Salina replied enthusiastically. "Can I start my own quilt, too?" "Well...all right," Rosalee consented. "Now go change out of your riding habit, then meet me in my room and we'll look at the patterns together." "Yes, Ma," Serena obediently ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, she removed her skirt and jacket. Then, clad only in her chemise, drawers and stays, she selected a simple rose-colored everyday dress from her armoire. Tossing the dress across her four-poster bed, she pulled on a cotton under-hoop petticoat. Then, she stepped into her smallest hoops, and tied the drawstring round her slim waist. Next she put on her ruffled over-hoop petticoat, and finally, she slipped the dress over her head and buttoned it up. "It sure takes a long time to get dressed," Salina muttered, tying back her hair with a white ribbon. When she was done, she walked away to look at the patterns with her mother. ~~~ When Salina entered her mother's room, she found not only her mother, but also Aunt Lucy, her widowed aunt, who now lived with the Gibsons, Joetta, her eleven year old sister, and Cora, her five year old sister. "Are all of you making quilts?" Salina teased "I am!" little Cora crowed. Cora was a cute little girl with golden curls and a snub nose. "No, Cora. You are not making a quilt. But you may help me with mine, would you like that?" Aunt Lucy asked, smiling. "Mama said I can make a quilt when I am twelve," Joetta confided. "I like the Double Irish Chain pattern best." Salina smiled at Joetta. "I like that one, too," she replied. Then, addressing her mother, said, "Have you and Aunt Lucy picked out your patterns yet?" "No, actually we were waiting for you," One hour and many patterns later, Salina, her mother, and Aunt Lucy had picked out their favorite designs. Salina liked them all, but finally decided on the Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern. Rosalee picked the Dove in the Window pattern, and Aunt Lucy, after much debating, picked the Log Cabin design. "Tomorrow can we go to pick out the fabric at Mr. Gordon's store?" Salina asked. "Why, yes, dear, but yours is a scrap quilt, so you'll have to go through my scrap box for your fabric." Salina couldn't wait to get started. She knew she was going to like watching her quilt come together. |
| A Promise to Keep A Civil war story by Abigail Nitkowski |
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