Around Melanie's tactful and self-effacing person,there rapidly grew up a clique of young and old who represented what there was left of the best of Atlanta's ante-bellum society,all poor in purse,all proud in family,diehards of the stoutest variety.It was as if Atlanta society,scattered and wrecked by war,depleted by death,bewildered by change,had found in her an unyielding nucleus about which it could re-form.
Melanie was young but she had in her all the qualities this embattled remnant prized,poverty and pride in poverty,uncomplaining courage,gaiety,hospitality,kindness and,above all,loyalty to all the old traditions.Melanie refused to change,refused even to admit that there was any reason to change in a changing world.Under her roof the old days seemed to come back again and people took heart and felt even more contemptuous of the tide of wild life and high living that was sweeping the Carpetbaggers and newly rich Republicans along.
When they looked into her young face and saw there the inflexible loyalty to the old days,they could forget,for a moment,the traitors within their own class who were causing fury,fear and heartbreak.And there were many such.There were men of good family,driven to desperation by poverty,who had gone over to the enemy,become Republicans and accepted positions from the conquerors,so their families would not be on charity.There were young ex-soldiers who lacked the courage to face the long years necessary to build up fortunes.These youngsters,following the lead of Rhett Butler,went hand in hand with the Carpetbaggers in moneymaking schemes of unsavory kinds.
Worst of all the traitors were the daughters of some of Atlanta's most prominent families.These girls who had come to maturity since the surrender had only childish memories of the war and lacked the bitterness that animated their elders.They had lost no husbands,no lovers.They had few recollections of past wealth and splendor—and the Yankee officers were so handsome and finely dressed and so carefree.And they gave such splendid balls and drove such fine horses and simply worshiped Southern girls!They treated them like queens and were so careful not to injure their touchy pride and,after all—why not associate with them?
They were so much more attractive than the town swains who dressed so shabbily and were so serious and worked so hard that they had little time for play.So there had been a number of elopements with Yankee officers which broke the hearts of Atlanta's families.There were brothers who passed sisters on the streets and did not speak and mothers and fathers who never mentioned daughters'names.Remembering these tragedies,a cold dread ran in the veins of those whose motto was “No surrender”—a dread which the very sight of Melanie's soft but unyielding face dispelled.She was,as the dowagers said,such an excellent and wholesome example to the young girls of the town.And,because she made no parade of her virtues the young girls did not resent her.
It never occurred to Melanie that she was becoming the leader of a new society.She only thought the people were nice to come to see her and to want her in their little sewing circles,cotillion clubs and musical societies.Atlanta had always been musical and loved good music,despite the sneering comments of sister cities of the South concerning the town's lack of culture,and there was now an enthusiastic resurrection of interest that grew stronger as the times grew harder and more tense.It was easier to forget the impudent black faces in the streets and the blue uniforms of the garrison while they were listening to music.
Melanie was a little embarrassed to find herself at the head of the newly formed Saturday Night Musical Circle.She could not account for her elevation to this position except by the fact that she could accompany anyone on the piano,even the Misses McLure who were tone deaf but who would sing duets.
The truth of the matter was that Melanie had diplomatically managed to amalgamate the Lady Harpists,the Gentlemen's Glee Club and the Young Ladies Mandolin and Guitar Society with the Saturday Night Musical Circle,so that now Atlanta had music worth listening to.In fact,the Circle's rendition of The Bohemian Girl was said by many to be far superior to professional performances heard in New York and New Orleans.It was after she had maneuvered the Lady Harpists into the fold that Mrs.Merriwether said to Mrs.Meade and Mrs.Whiting that they must have Melanie at the head of the Circle.If she could get on with the Harpists,she could get on with anyone,Mrs.Merriwether declared.That lady herself played the organ for the choir at the Methodist Church and,as an organist,had scant respect for harps or harpists.
Melanie had also been made secretary for both the Association for the Beautification of the Graves of Our Glorious Dead and the Sewing Circle for the Widows and Orphans of the Confederacy.This new honor came to her after an exciting joint meeting of those societies which threatened to end in violence and the severance of lifelong ties of friendship.The question had arisen at the meeting as to whether or not weeds should be removed from the graves of the Union soldiers near those of Confederate soldiers.The appearance of the scraggly Yankee mounds defeated all the efforts of the ladies to beautify those of their own dead.Immediately the fires which smoldered beneath tight basques flamed wildly and the two organizations split up and glared hostilely.The Sewing Circle was in favor of the removal of the weeds,the Ladies of the Beautification were violently opposed.
Mrs.Meade expressed the views of the latter group when she said:“Dig up the weeds off Yankee graves?For two cents,I'd dig up all the Yankees and throw them in the city dump!”
