Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1821-01-30
From the Village Record.

Most OF the writers for the Record, !
| plainly see, are young and niii,;..e-sgea
people. One so old as am, hardly thinks
it worth while, once ina whole year, /
suppose, to write FIR newspaper but
was telling Margaret, the other day, that
little account Of old times would not come
sn,iss TO the young folks. We are prone
TO look back upon younger days with
pleasure, thinking their enjoy ments great
err, and their troubles fewer Indeed, |
am inclined 10 think SO myself, though
my grand father used 10 say so Of the days
OF bis oyhood and be cuufesses that bis
grandmother used TO say the same thing +:
SO il may only be notion But it is GER
taiuly the case, that there was, among
the people 10 my youth, more sincerity
10 friendship, add ardour in love. There
was less of dress-gew-gaw dress, mean /;
but we we're then asiidy and comfortable,
and great deal warmer, thannow Why
Margaret, when | cu,rted her, though a
young girl Of two and twenty, had dam
ask silk petticoat. lined with cotton battins
and quilted; and though a dress fit for A.
ny day, it was at least half an inch thick,
besides linsey petticoat under it. Your
grapes your leehorns your silk hose !;
your ten dollar broadcioth; Your kid
gloves why, they we're where they
Ought to be--whereas they are where
they ought not 10 be.
Then, at our elections, we had snch
times as are moi even kn, lSn in these days.
But few carriages were thea in use, but
we had feet horses and our young wo-
men, as we'll as mcn, were expert riders.
We all met, the whole county together.
There we all had chance, enee year
to meet our friends from all parts Of the
country. Such cordial +" how do you
do's,' such shaking Of hands-we often
took our wives and sweethearts, some or
separate horses, and some on billions, a.
long down to see their relations. What
profusions Of good things too. Alb
there is nowadays nothing---nothing e.
quail 10 it.
-sr7IIof' sJuisu d Young mat iiave some
times taken my girl over mile or two TO
neighbours. Our winter evenings then,
were wonderfully social; while the girls
warmed as miDce pies in the parlour, and
placed basket ofapples upon the hearth,
they still piled their wheels or their knit
ting--while the boys, with one or two
neighborins lads, besides myself, sat round
a merry fire in the large, comfortable, old.
fashioned kitchen fire place, Smelling coro.
The frying pan handle was fixed through
the handle Of tub, and fastened with
cob. MethinksI can hear it ring even tc
this time, when we sometimes sirove which
should shell busheI the soonest Some
Of the lads preferred to shell with the
spade or shovel, while the little ones sat
in the corner laying up the cobs 10 hous-
es. When the task was over, they would
repair into the room with the girls, chat
a while with the old folks; take glass Of
cider, and piece Of pie, and perhaps a
roasted potatoe and sausage OF it was
time ofpure comfort and enjoyment.
Bless me our girls too we're far more
blooming than they are nowadays. But
only intended to write few lines, and
here is sheet full. John is to copy them
off for me. Let them have place in the
paper, and crafty man Of SEVENTY.
-FOUR.