Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-06-26
THE AVAILABLE SKILLET.
In the winter Of 1872, business led me

| L n
In the winter Of 1872, business led me TO
Journey in north western Missouri, then a
sparseiy settled and frontier country. Tav.
erns, they we're none, and their substitutes
Stands, in the phrase Of the country, poor
and far between. urged my weary horse
forward, over the broad prairie. covered with
snow and mud, during several tedious hours,
headng toward distant grove, and musing
all the time. The timber once reached, |
may find lodging for the night, thought L.
| soon did reach the grove, and in it found
single log cabin, surrounded by low fence
rails, worm laid. The cabin was tenanted
by a young married woman and her two
children. The husband was from home.
As rode up to the door The woman ca me
unhestatingly forward, and, TO my inquiry,
Can | be accommodated with entertain
menl for the nighl' answered, Il reckon so.
We never turns any body away, whether
friends or foes They are all made comfort.
able at our house. The stranger traveller
would find cold lodging on this road, if we
didn't keep hm-il's so far between stands.
lie is gone forty miles to mill, but will be
home tomorrow. will Try TO do my best,
so you may as we'll come in.' ! thanked
the kind-hearted lady and accepted her invi-
tation.
The truth prompts me to say, that. not
withstanding the settlers we're generally very
poor, and very literate, and possessed Of
only few comforts or even conveniences,
more open.hearted, generously disposed and
less suspec,ing people, never found. To
q. me-, Yankee-edncated, such welcome to the
fre-sldes of private families, as was every
where given to perfect stranger, was unac-
countablc.
This woman. to the eye, was rather at
traclive for the country ). and by her mein,
showed that she was, or felt herself to be
one of the upper ten thousand; fact Isoon
found corroborated. Her husband wasa can
didate for sheriff,
The rude, long pen, was the whole house,
parlor, bedroom, pantry, kitchen, all in one.
Having asked for supper, took my seat at
a respectable distance from the fire, with no.
thing to divert my attention from the cook
ing operations, and very curious to see how
a place of so llule promise could make COM
Portable
The first motion towards nv supper, was
the lady's bringing forth skillet which was
good enough of It's kind. Into this SIX ilct. a
handful of coffee was put and then the
parching; browning and smoking operation
was commenced. The skillet being placed
in the blaze of the fire, the process was soon
ovor, and 4 tho roaae failed in being wei
parched, the deficiency was made up-it was
well smoked.
The vesscl.wss now duly cleansed, filled
with water, placed over the. fire to boil
while my. hostess bsisky ground the coffee
, Soon, the boiling. water from the skillet SCI
to boil upon me Goals. By this time my Gu.
rosity had become excited by the double AND
single use Of the skillet ; and watched will
,, increased interest. Next the skillet wa,
! turned into an oven, and three bullet shaped
dodgers (oaves) Of corn meai.set baking
My hostess then took a seat 10 entertain me
by her conversation. On my remarking up.
on her few convenences, she answered:
yes. stranger, that's all truth but we
row do so mrch better than when We frs
! came here--it seems, really, quite like liv
! ing. Then we pounded our corn in hollow
i stump, and baked our bread upon chip -
but some folks like johnny cake best bu
when he bro't me this ere new skillet from
Fort Usage, felt my fortune was made -
4 and could almost use the skillet for thou
sand things besides baking. Yes, stranger
you may think it queer, but when he brough
. me this skillet, was gladden. than it he hac
brought me the hest silk gown in St. Loui
: and told him so for it does me NOR
, good than fifty dresses could
' | assented to all my hostess said but
/, after ALL it was tedious hour, this waiting
u for the bread to bake, while other suppe
4 operations were suspended. My hostess al
@ ter giving the dodgers three successiv,
;, lhumpings, pronounced them baked, to m,
e very grea, satisfaction, as the boiling coffee
4; sending Off its tempting fumes, was caus
II sufficient for hungry traveller to be some
e what impatient. But as all things must COM
y 10 an end, so the baking did and my h0pe
: revived, as saw the skie, receiving "A thor
d ougI fresh sblu,ion. Large slices Of bacoI
: were now placed in the skillet, and the Fry
: ing process commenced in good earnest -
i which, over hot fire. was soon ended, an
i my supper was pronounced ready.
II Never did hungry Spartan come to hi
d dish of soup with keener relish. Fatigu
dHu Hdu Si'C" Wv" oP"''~' SS's
IS soning and gave good evidence Of tn
s. skill of the cook, il par,sking largely Of eac
g of the three components ofmy supper (cof
20 fee, bread, and bacou) could prove it, eac
J; was good oflis kind. My hostess entertain
10 ed me- while eating, with panther stories
Is tales of the Indians, and with instances q
81 Western female heroism none of which
~ repeat on this occasion.
m Again seated by the fire after supper, IN
4 skillet, already become notorious, continue
a to attract my attention. Water was heated
and the dishes were washed in IT, And a
gain water was warmed, and the childre
washed in it--faces, hands and feet. Wa
s - ter was again warmed. and my hostess thol
ss oughy washed her own feet in the same YES
to sci, and all without any apology Ne,
rg morning, as you may well imagine, rod
away before breakfast.