Sometimes, life just goes on...

grace

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Joined
May 5, 2018
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Crossroads of America
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Regardless of the circumstances around different families and communities, something always goes on: Life.

From helping little ones get ready day in and day out, remembering someone who's passed on, getting the crops in for the winter...it's easy to forget that life honestly just went on.

Two vivid examples of how families "ignored" the war are in the very first Little House book and in the lesser-known Caddie Woodlawn. Both take place very close to the Civil War, yet the children go merrily about their day. The parents are a little less merry, but the cycle of living goes on. As it always does when you live close to the land.

Something to think about...
 
Interesting, thank you! Does seem so studiously ignored, could be purposeful. There's good foundation for your theory ( IMO ). Hale still gets accused of the same thing. She hadn't- especially early in the war Godey's got into it- there's a cover depicting notable women of compassion for instance. Topic does vanish late war. Seems maybe the same thing, had to be somewhere you could escape it.

Wait a minute. You know those long novelettes inside each issue? No war in those. Heroines engaged with plenty of princes, British lords, dashing ship's captains and the usual dastardly villains but they weren't in uniform. You may have something here. Kind of nice, isn't it?
 
Endeavors that the guardians of home were known to accomplish, besides household chores, tended to community efforts for sewing flags of presentation, uniforms, etc. Many here in the south had to resort to visiting the military commander of their city and beg for food, the times becoming so destitute. The army would hand out what they would, but look at the bread strike in Richmond. The ladies banded together, and I cannot believe any were left alone. The loneliness is attributable to the soldier being gone to war.
Lubliner.
 
Yes, the women left at home on a farm or to run the business sure had no time left over to think of socializing in any form. Quite a few had to find more work too. IMO we tend to hear of those who raised their hands to teach and nurse or had time to be part of the vast relief organizations.
 
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Regardless of the circumstances around different families and communities, something always goes on: Life.

From helping little ones get ready day in and day out, remembering someone who's passed on, getting the crops in for the winter...it's easy to forget that life honestly just went on.

Two vivid examples of how families "ignored" the war are in the very first Little House book and in the lesser-known Caddie Woodlawn. Both take place very close to the Civil War, yet the children go merrily about their day. The parents are a little less merry, but the cycle of living goes on. As it always does when you live close to the land.

Something to think about...

I’m confused about which “Little House” book ignored the Civil War. Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867, and “Little House in the Big Woods” took place in her early childhood in Wisconsin in the 1870’s.

Now, LIW’s future husband, Almonzo Wilder, was ten years older than than LIW. LIW wrote a book about Almonzo’s childhood in New York State, titled “Farmer Boy.” Is this the book that ignored The Civil War?

I’m a huge LIW fan, which is why I ask.

I also want to point out that LIW wrote the books about her early childhood at the comprehension level of a young child.

Her books about her young adulthood have more adult themes. I think she did mention in one of her later books that her uncle had been a Union soldier.
 
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Ha, ha, I'm starting to think that CWT should be renamed "6 degrees from U.S. Grant."

I just went to Wikipedia to look up something about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her "Little House" book series, related to the original post.

I just learned on Wikipedia that LIW was "a third cousin, once removed" of U.S. Grant.

(Also, I learned a few months ago that LIW was related to one of the Ingalls family members from Massachusetts who got accused during the Salem Witch Trials.)
 
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