Fwd: "as if X had just come out from under a featherbed"

[James A. Landau]

One possibility is that "under a featherbed" simply means "in hiding."  Perhaps it is easier or more comfortable to hide under a featherbed than under some other type of mattress.

In that case the narrator (apparently a Northern soldier) is saying that some people came out of hiding and were so glad to be in the open that they talked cheerfully.

Or perhaps "under a featherbed" is the then equivalent of our "in the closet" but without the sexual meaning. In that case the meaning is that Northern sympathizers finally had a chance to speak their opinions (which they apparently did at great length).

    - Jim Landau

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