Kate: Hi Anna! It’s great to meet you. Welcome to
the Deliverers blog and congratulations on becoming a member of the Character
Book Club. Hallo and I are really excited to find out more about you and your
story. We aren’t from your world, but our friend Eric is, and he told us a
little about the Civil War. What was it like to be living in a city under
siege?
Anna: Hi Kate!
Before I became part of the Character Book Club, I didn’t even know there was
another world, and now I am talking to someone from one. My brother, James,
will never believe this, and he is going to be so jealous. To answer your
question, living in a city under siege is very difficult. It was very hot during
those summer months, and the caves we had to live in weren’t exactly
underground—they were built in the sides of yellow clay hills. It was muggy,
and there were an awful lot of mosquitoes, too. But the worst part was that my
family was separated because of the war. Only three of us were together—myself
and my younger siblings, James and Sara.
Hallo: I heard tell you had t’ live underground for
a spell. I’m a dwarf, an’ m’ folk live in the
Dwarf Kingdom under the Iron
Mountains. What was it like livin’ in a cave an’ bein’ bombed an’ such?
Anna: I really
like the way you talk. To be honest, it was not very enjoyable to live in a
cave. We were very bored. We had to stay inside to be safe from the shells
flying overhead, so we played games like checkers and marbles. But James is a
cheater, and so it is not very fun to play with him. Mrs. Franklin, our mean
neighbor whom we lived with for a while, wanted us to do chores all day inside
the cave. She would make up things for us to do. It was not easy.
Kate: War is dreadful. What was your life like before
the war? What do you do for fun?
Anna:
Before the
war, my family lived all together in a house in Vicksburg, and we were very
close. My pa read to us all the time, and my mom and our servants made
delicious suppers. My older brother Michael helped me with my school work if I
had any trouble. He is one of the smartest people I know. My youngest sister,
Sara, who is only 6 played with her dolls a lot. My ma always wanted me to
learn to be a proper lady, but I was much more interested in the books my pa
was reading or writing my own stories.
Hallo: For a long time, I was kind of a loner, don’t
ya know. What’re your friends like?
Anna: My friends
are mostly at school. Once I came home, I had chores and played with my sister
and brother. I didn’t have much free time. But I have a crush on one boy named
Albert. I will tell you more about him later. I think Kate is more interested
in boys than you are, Hallo.
Kate: One of my favorite things about being part of
the Deliverers and going on Assignments to different worlds is that I get to
learn about how others live. What’s it like living in the 19th
century?
Anna: I thought
it was wonderful, but then I came here to talk to some other characters and saw
these machines called computers. But, you want to know about the 19th
century. We lived in a nice brick house, but it was hot in the summer. In the
winter, we had fires and wood stoves to keep us warm. We had a lot of chores to
do just to live, although in town we did have a general store where we could go
to get supplies. We travel around on a horse or in a wagon or buggy. Girls wear
dresses all the time, and church is very important in our lives. My pa often
reads to us from the Bible at night by a lantern. One thing kids always want to
know is where did I go to the bathroom? I did not have a bathroom in my house
or in the cave. We had to go in outhouses.
Hallo: M’ Pappy an’ I didn’t get along so well for a
while, but now we’re thick as thieves. What are your parents like?
Anna: It’s hard
for me to talk about my parents. I don’t really want to tell you why, but
during the Siege, they are not able to take care of us. But before the war,
they were wonderful, kind, and loving. My pa understood me better than my ma,
but I know she loved me just the same.
Kate: If you could travel anywhere in time, when
and where would you go?
Anna: Oh my gosh,
I don’t know. I think I would travel to when I’m 16 (that’s just three years
from now) because I want to know if Albert is going to marry me or not. I also heard that the war ends in 1865, and
so I want to leave the war behind.
Hallo: We’re comin’ up on the holidays. M’ folk like
t’ have a kinda wild time when it comes t’ celebratin’. How do your folk
celebrate Christmas an’ such?
Anna:
We always
have too much to eat, including a huge turkey that my brother Michael hunts for
us. He loves to hunt. Sometimes, we would go to my grandparents’ plantation a
few miles away from town, but it took a very long time to get there, since we
had to ride in a wagon. Sometimes, they came to our house. We always go to
church on Christmas Eve and thank God for giving us his son, Jesus. In the
morning when we wake up, we each have a few presents to open, and we sing
Christmas songs.
Kate: Okay, so I’ve been dying to talk about this,
but wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Eric and I have been on a few Assignments
together now. I really like him, but sometimes he drives me crazy. I think
we’re just friends, but there are times when I catch myself hoping it might be
something more. He seems to be totally clueless about that sort of thing. How
did you and Albert get together? How did you know that you liked each other?
Anna: Kate, I
have been waiting for you to tell me about Eric and to ask me about Albert. At
first, I couldn’t even talk in front of him. It was like bees were buzzing in
my stomach the entire time he was in the room. But then he helped me when my
parents weren’t able to during the Siege. We spent more and more time together,
and then one day, he kissed my hand, and I felt it all the way to my toes.
Hallo: Well that’s interestin’ an’ everything, but
can’t we talk about somethin’ else? Eric might just be readin’ this, don’t ya
know. Do ya have any soldiers in your town and what’re they like?
Anna:
Hallo,
unfortunately, the soldiers that bombed us for 47 days while we lived in caves
are the ones that won the Siege. Our army had to surrender, and now we have
Yankee soldiers in Vicksburg. Some of them are nice, but most of them take our
food and belongings. We have all started to bury items we want to keep away
from them. My brother Michael says things will go back to normal in a while
when these soldiers become busy with other people and other cities. I hope he’s
right.
Kate: Thanks Anna, it was great meeting you and finding out a little bit about yourself and life in the 1800's.
Hallo: Yeah, it was real illuminatin', don't ya know, 'cept maybe that girl stuff 'bout who likes who, but I guess that can't be helped.
To find out more about Margo L. Dill and her books, visit her
website.
You can also get a copy of
Finding My Place on Amazon.
.jpg)
