Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note:

Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

The following variant spellings were found by readers and retained:

mits should possibly be mitts
Courtland and Cortlandt
ante-bellum and antebellum
practise and practice
McIlwane and McIlwaine
gray and grey
Bremer and Brémer

MY DAY

REMINISCENCES OF A LONG LIFE

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO
ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO

MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED
LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD.
TORONTO

MY DAY

REMINISCENCES OF A LONG
LIFE

BY
MRS. ROGER A. PRYOR

AUTHOR OF "REMINISCENCES OF PEACE AND WAR,"
"THE MOTHER OF WASHINGTON AND HER
TIMES," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

1909

_All rights reserved_

COPYRIGHT, 1909,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1909.

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

To the Memory of
My Son
Theodorick Bland Pryor

_I stood at dawn by a limitless sea
And watched the rose creep over the gray;
Till the heavens were a glowing canopy!
This was my day!_

_The pale stars stole away, one by one—
Like sensitive souls from the presence of Pride:
The moon hung low, looking back, as the sun
Rose over the tide._

_And he, like a King, came up from the Sea!
He opened my rose—unfettered my song—
And quickened a heart to be true to me
All the day long._

_The soul that was born of a song and flower
Of tender dawn-flush, and shadowy gray,
Was strengthened by Love for a bitter hour
That chilled my day._

_I had dwelt in the garden of the Lord!
I had gathered the sweets of a summer day:
I was called to stand where a flaming sword
Turned every way._

_It spared not the weak—nor the strong—nor the dear;
And following fast, like a phantom band,
Famine and Fever and shuddering Fear
Swept o'er the land._

_They whispered that Hope, the angel of light,
Would spread her white wings and speed her away;
But she folded me close in my longest night
And darkest day._

_As of old, when the fire and tempest had passed,
And an earthquake had riven the rocks, the Word
In a still small voice rose over the blast—
The Voice of the Lord._

_And the Voice said: "Take up your lives again!
Quit yourselves manfully! Stand in your lot!
Let the Famine, the Fever, the Peril, the Pain,
Be all forgot!_

_"Weep no more for the lovely, the brave,
The young head pillowed on a blood-stained sod;
The daisy that grows on the soldier's grave
Looks up to God!_

_"The soul of the patriot-soldier stands
With a mighty host in eternal calm,
And He who pressed the sword to his hands
Has given the Palm."_

* * * * *

_And now I stand with my face to the west,
Shading mine eyes, for my glorious sun
Is splendid again as he sinks to his rest—
His day is done._

_I have lost my rose, forgotten my song,
But the true heart that loved me is mine alway;
The stars are alight—the way not long—
I had my day!_

_November 8, 1908._

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Mrs. Roger A. Pryor. From a Photograph, 1900 _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

Residence of Dr. S. P. Hargrave 43

Mrs. Fanny Bland Randolph 71

University of Virginia 75

Stephen A. Douglas 85

William Walker 121

Washington in 1845 138

General Robert E. Lee in 1861 208

Theodorick Bland Pryor 344

William Rice Pryor 348

Charlotte Cushman 359

Helena Modjeska 362

General Hancock 371

General Sheridan 377

Mrs. Vincenzo Botta 403

Judge Roger A. Pryor in 1900 447

MY DAY