The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O'Clock Lady

After the veterans came what everybody had been waiting for: the float featuring Miss Darling (AnnaBelle Claiborne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Junior Claiborne) and Little Miss Darling (Cupcake, the daughter of Violet Sims and Myra May Mosswell), pulled by county commissioner Amos Tombull’s oldest grandson driving a Ford tractor decorated with colorful streamers. The two Misses Darling, surrounded by pots of blooming flowers, were dressed in beautiful white ruffled dresses and twirled decorated parasols over their shoulders. They smiled and blew kisses at the crowd while the band played “Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?”


As it turned out, the Dahlias had faced a huge challenge when it came to decorating the float, since Saturday’s storm had shredded the summer flowers blooming in Darlings’ gardens. But the Dahlias, thinking ahead, had brought pots of marigolds, begonias, zinnias, petunias, and geraniums indoors, for protection from the storm, so on Wednesday, there were plenty of pretty potted plants for the float. Ophelia had contributed three large ruffled ferns, which made a nice display around Miss Darling’s throne (an ornate gold and red velvet antique chair borrowed from Mrs. Voleen Johnson), and Aunt Hetty’s parlor palm stood tall behind the throne. Everyone agreed that it was the most beautiful Miss Darling float they had ever seen.

And if that weren’t glory enough, the delightful Misses Darling were followed by the entire company of CCC camp boys, wearing neatly pressed uniforms and polished boots, and carrying shovels over their shoulders. The thunderous roar that greeted them almost drowned out the Academy band, which was playing “Happy Days Are Here Again”—as they were, thanks in large part to the economic boost Camp Briarwood had given the town. The company was led by Captain Campbell himself, looking proud and handsome in his Army uniform, and followed by the other camp officers. A careful observer, however, might have noticed that two men were missing. Corporal Raymond Andrews was in the Darling jail, while Sergeant Luther Webb was under guard at Camp Briarwood, awaiting a military hearing and likely court-martial on multiple counts of fraud and attempted fraud. It was reported that the higher-ups in Washington already knew of the situation and were planning an inquiry.

The parade continued with the children’s pet parade, the Darling Bicycle Club, the Ladies Guild Flag Twirling Team, the Darling Fire Brigade. Mr. Musgrove, the owner of Musgrove’s Hardware, dressed as Uncle Sam, in red-and-white-striped trousers, red waistcoat, and blue jacket, with a stovepipe hat decorated with stars and stripes. He was accompanied by Mrs. Musgrove, dressed like the Goddess of Liberty in a pale green toga and spiked crown, and carrying a flaming (well, smoking) torch in one hand and a copy of the Declaration of Independence in the other. When the Musgroves reached the courthouse steps, Eva Pearl Hennepin sang “God Bless America” and then the band played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” (Eva Pearl was meant to sing the anthem with the band, but she inhaled a wasp as she was reaching for a high note in “God Bless America” and had to be helped from the podium.)

After the parade, most of the crowd lingered to hear the speeches (of which there were many), and when the last one was finished, everyone trekked to the fairgrounds, where neighbors and families and extended families met for picnics, games, swimming, dancing, music, and the fireworks. It was going to be a long and happy day, in the very best Southern tradition.