Goodness Gracious, Miss Agnes: Patchwork of Country Living

398 Pages·2009·4.25 MB·English

by  Lera Knox

Goodness Gracious, Miss Agnes
But I didn’t. So I wouldn’t.
COVER: A Twenty-one Day Battle, by Joy Petty
Goodness Gracious, Miss Agnes
Patchwork of Country Living
By Lera Knox
Illustrated by Joy Petty
Edited by Margaret Knox Morgan
and Carol Knox Ball
Newfound Press
ThE UNiVERsiTy Of TENNEssEE LiBRARiEs, KNOxViLLE
Goodness Gracious, Miss Agnes: Patchwork of Country Living
© 2005 by Newfound Press, University of Tennessee Libraries
All rights reserved.
Newfound Press is a digital imprint of the University of Tennessee Libraries.
its publications are available for non-commercial and educational uses, such
as research, teaching and private study. The author has licensed the work
under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United
states License. To view a copy of this license, visit
<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/>.
for all other uses, contact:
Newfound Press
University of Tennessee Libraries
1015 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, TN 37996-1000
www.newfoundpress.utk.edu
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007934866
isBN-13: 978-0-9797292-0-1
isBN-10: 0-9797292-0-3
Knox, Lera, 1896-
Goodness gracious, Miss Agnes : patchwork of country living /
by Lera Knox ; illustrated by Joy Petty ; edited by Margaret Knox Morgan
and Carol Know Ball.
xiii, 380 p. : ill ; 23 cm.
1. Knox, Lera, 1896- 2. Women journalists—Tennessee, Middle—
history—20th century—Biography. 3. farmers’ spouses—Tennessee,
Middle—history—20th century—Biography. i. Petty, Joy. ii. Morgan,
Margaret Knox. iii. Ball, Carol Knox. iV. Title.
PN4874.K624 A3 2005
Book design by Martha Rudolph
Dedicated to the Grandchildren
Carol, Nancy, susy, John Jr.

Contents
List of illustrations ...................................................................................................viii
Cast of Characters .......................................................................................................ix
Map of “Knoxdale farm” .............................................................................................x
Preface ...........................................................................................................................xi
Acknowledgments .....................................................................................................xii
“Patchwork,” by Edna Jones Martin .......................................................................xiii
introduction..............................................................................................................1
chapter 1: My Quilting frame .................................................................................5
chapter 2: Dark Angel in a White Apron .............................................................35
chapter 3: Mama and Papa .....................................................................................51
chapter 4: family Album Glimpses ......................................................................67
chapter 5: Goin’ to Grandma’s ...............................................................................97
chapter 6: The Piano That Wasn’t ........................................................................123
chapter 7: Chalkdust .............................................................................................135
chapter 8: yellow Jasmine and a hope Chest .....................................................153
chapter 9: Matrimony and Mulality ....................................................................169
chapter 10: A Daughter and A son .....................................................................215
chapter 11: Morning and Evening Were a full Day ..........................................245
chapter 12: spring and June on Cow Path Lane ................................................269
chapter 13: October Days, November Nights ....................................................327
chapter 14: Chimneyside ......................................................................................369
Illustrations
A Twenty-one Day Battle ..................................................................................cover
But i didn’t. so i wouldn’t. ....................................................................frontispiece
Map of Knoxdale farm ................................................................................................x
Never Too Much Nor Too Bothersome ...................................................................10
And Candy in his Pockets .........................................................................................14
Meeting Niagara falls ................................................................................................17
Grandpa Wanted Curly Whiskers ............................................................................24
A Book Drunkard .......................................................................................................27
i sat on salmon Cans .................................................................................................30
The family Tree Grows On .......................................................................................34
A feather-Bed Lap And A Two-Pillow Bosom ......................................................37
Monday ........................................................................................................................42
They Called That A sister ..........................................................................................46
A Trap for Mr. Engine ................................................................................................49
Mama and Papa had a sunrise Wedding ................................................................51
My Prayers Were One-third Answered ...................................................................65
Album Glimpses .........................................................................................................67
Button! Button! ...........................................................................................................72
One of the Best Things in Life is to Plant a Tree ....................................................78
Almost as Good as the One in the Catalogue .........................................................94
On the Dear Old One-Eyed Nag ............................................................................103
she Put A White Linen suit on the Boy ................................................................107
The Biggest, Mellowest Apples ................................................................................124
All My Art, All My Afternoon’s Efforts ..................................................................134
But i didn’t. so i wouldn’t. .......................................................................................141
No “first Night.” No friday Afternoon. ................................................................146
he stood six-feet-two ..............................................................................................161
Out Driving With The same young Man ..............................................................167
so i Thought i’d show Them ...................................................................................174
A Twenty-one Day Battle ........................................................................................202
Almost human in her Poor Judgment .................................................................292
Out Driving With The same young Man ..............................................................381
viii