Унесенные ветром

           It’frumdefoun’ryan’derollin’mills.An’denoisedeymeksatnight!Kainnobodysleep.No’m,Ahkainstopferyouterlookaround.AhdonepromiseMissPittyAhbringyoustraighthome....MissScarlett,mekyo’cu’tsy.Dar’sMissMerriwetheran’MissElsinga-bowin’toyou."

           ScarlettvaguelyrememberedtwoladiesofthosenameswhocamefromAtlantatoTaratoattendherweddingandsherememberedthattheywereMissPittypat’sbestfriends.SosheturnedquicklywhereUnclePeterpointedandbowed.Thetwoweresittinginacarriageoutsideadrygoodsstore.Theproprietorandtwoclerksstoodonthesidewalkwitharmfulsofboltsofcottoncloththeyhadbeendisplaying.Mrs.Merriwetherwasatall,stoutwomanandsotightlycorsetedthatherbustjuttedforwardliketheprowofaship.Heriron-grayhairwasekedoutbyacurledfalsefringethatwasproudlybrownanddisdainedtomatchtherestofherhair.Shehadaround,highlycoloredfaceinwhichwascombinedgood-naturedshrewdnessandthehabitofcommand.Mrs.Elsingwasyounger,athinfrailwoman,whohadbeenabeauty,andabouthertherestillclungafadedfreshness,adaintyimperiousair.

           Thesetwoladieswithathird,Mrs.Whiting,werethepillarsofAtlanta.Theyranthethreechurchestowhichtheybelonged,theclergy,thechoirsandtheparishioners.Theyorganizedbazaarsandpresidedoversewingcircles,theychaperonedballsandpicnics,theyknewwhomadegoodmatchesandwhodidnot,whodranksecretly,whoweretohavebabiesandwhen.TheywereauthoritiesonthegenealogiesofeveryonewhowasanyoneinGeorgia,SouthCarolinaandVirginiaanddidnotbothertheirheadsabouttheotherstates,becausetheybelievedthatnoonewhowasanybodyevercamefromstatesotherthanthesethree.