Legend of Abbi

This is the story about Abbigail, a southern woman who is our heroine.  She was born in 1842 on a farm not so far from Augusta.  The farm was named Furys Mill Farm.  She was raised by decent yet exceedingly poor folk.  In the years of her youth she practically raised her sixteen brothers and sisters, as her parents were generally sickly, and had taken to the various concoctions, potions, and  cure-what-ails-you that were in vogue from the traveling "medicine" men, though nothing "cured" them more than a cup of Abbi's homemade coffee. 

The farm that she grew up on was not large, although plenty for her to handle.  The income the farm generated was enough to survive, but permitted very few luxuries.  One such luxury that Abbi would allow herself was to visit the local train warehouses where various merchants would transport their goods.  She would buy a ten pound sack of green coffee for very little money.  This coffee she would roast over a hot hickory fire.  People would always know when she was roasting this coffee, because of the delicious aroma that would seep from the house. 

She would spend hours entertaining guests who just happened to drop by on a Sunday afternoon after she had freshly roasted and brewed the coffee.  Buttery fresh pastries would be served with the heavenly coffee.   At some point in time it was suggested to Abbi that she should open a place that served such fine coffee and pastries.  Alas, Abbi was to modest to heed such advice at first.  However, she eventually did give in and opened up such a unique establishment which was quite successful. 

When Abbi was in her twenties the Great War between the states was ongoing.  She would serve her freshly brewed coffee to the wounded and war weary men as they passed through the area.  Many men swore by the regenerative and therapeutic effect the coffee would instill upon them.  Though many would have been cured by Abbi's natural charm and grace if she were to serve none but cod liver oil.  For Abbi was a naturally attractive woman.  She had light brown hair and green eyes that always twinkled.  Her voice had the lifting and oft enchanting drawl of a person from the South. 

Abbi was by nature a very quiet person, but in times of peril or emergency her alter ego would take over and she commanded an intimidating appearance.  For once, during the Spring of 1872, the rains had gone on much longer than the swollen banks of the mighty Savannah could endure.  Abbi was responsible for saving many lives from a certain untimely demise.  She gave the orders to the multitude of people to use sacks of coffee to dike the entire city of Augusta from flooding.   Abbi was from then on recognized as a genuine heroine in the region. 

From during the war times many courters of her affection did from time-to-time return to the area just for the chance to visit with Abbi.  She would offer them her best coffee and would allow them to visit, but she did not relinquish her hand to any of them.  For she was inclined to remain a free spirit driven by the need to serve the best coffee known.

It was generally known that her coffee was so well liked by the gracious folks in the great southern town of Charleston, that they would have it delivered by horse carriage express (and there are those who say that is where espresso comes from), that carried the precious brew in makeshift warmers kept toasty by red hot embers to keep the brew at the proper temperature.  On more than one evening, low country farmers could see the hell-bent-for-leather drivers streaking across the country side with the tail ends of carriages engulfed in flames from the burning embers zealously fanned by the rushing night air.  So sought after was Abbi's coffee, that rogue highwaymen would stop the carriages for the pots of coffee elixir and not ask for a penny more from the poor carriage drivers. 

In the heyday of Abbi's roasting of her gourmet coffee, it was suggested by more than one government finance officer that the standard of commercial exchange should become Abbi's roasted coffee beans as no one could counterfeit such a product.