Page 105

Oak Hill 4-2-1898
101
A holly tree might be moved now but as it is hard
to make them grow, had better have a good deal of earth mill it.
For a holly not growing well, try digging away some of the
hard soil and putting in pine leaves etc.
A long talk took place upon whether we want
to see war with Spain and whether we think it will come,
and as usual a variety of sentiments were uttered.
Some thinking it still may be averted, some wanting peace
under all circumstances, some knowing we will not have it,
some thinking the Spaniards may worry but not hurt us
much, others "scared to death of them."
Three or four were rather beligerent and one lady member even
wanted the Apaniards to get a good licking while some
of our brothers announced tht if the Spaiards land in
this country, he will go and fight himself, but we trust a [illegible]
of lecture on peace, delivered in the bosom of his family
may weaken his purpose.
At this print Dr. Thomas skillfully introduced
the subject of Nitrate of Soda upon [illegible]. As one had
tried to and thought Rich better but the talk upon soda
counterbalanced the acidity of topics and so sweetened
the atmosphere that we went on placidly in one usual routine.
The next query was to find the difference between a pudding
and a dumpling, which seemed a puzzling thing to all the housekeepers
tho they gave various opinions about difference in size, crust and
butter and finally one member said there was the same
difference as between a Repulican and a Democrat and which ever you
take you wish you had taken the other.
We did not know about dumplings or how to kill
red spiders or how to get rid of chickweed or whether it