Litchfield enquirer., 1863-10-01
Alisfella11p.

HASN'A&A4SS1lD~
 From the American AgricuHwist Tim Bunker. on Old Style House
 Keeping.
 It was 9 rainy morning in August, had five tons of hay down, and it was morally cer- tain" as MT. Spooner says, when he is putting thing strong, that shouldn't have any hay weather, so there Was nothing to do but to set in the house and see things grow. There is great satisfaction in that, and blessed is that man who has his fields and meadows where he can see them from his window. I have seen some rather handsome pictures down in your city in the Academy, and other places,b there ming room window. There lies spread out be- fore me, the Horse-pond lot, all nicely moved, and looking as smooth as MT. Olmsteads g lawns in your Central Park that you think so much of i; and just beyond, a four acre field of corn, in full tassel and spindle and beyond that, side hill covered with wood and rocks, and a little to the right hand, a glimpse of the sea covered with sails. There is pasture dot ted with cattle and sheep,that beats anything I ever saw on canvass. It don't cost half so much to build house with the picture gallery outside as it does to have it within, and then you are never pnched for room, and it costs nothing to have your pictures retouched, and | kl- Ia [ ., oe1 entertainment and instruction to study this outdoor picture gallery, and rainy days gives us the leisure, and new ligEt to set them in.
 Mrs. Bunker had got her cheese in the press and the milk things washed up, and things put to rights generally, when I saw her overhaul. ing bundle of old yellow papers that looked as if they were hundred years old. One of them was an old account book of her grand fathers, made by doubling sheet of fooiscep twice and sewing it together. The thread is stout linen, such as her grandmother used to spin on the linen wheel.
 'Now," says she, '" Timothy I like to look over these things and see how differently folks live now, from what they used to when my mother was girl. Here is the account of my mothers setting out ir life when she was mar red, in the handwriting of my grandfather, Amos Dogett."
 When was that ?'' asked.
 She read from the manuscript: Our old est daughter Sally was married to John Wal ten Jan. ye ooth l7el"
 :. That was just after tue War Of I:s''elend- ence."
 She continued. Things that let my daughter have was one horse 10 pound, one new side saddle and bri,ile 5 pouEd.' ''Iorse flesh was pretty cheap then,' l remark cd " Reck oning the pound at three dollars and a third, which was its value in the New England States. it would make the horse worth only thirtv-,hree dollars and third, and the saddle and bridIe half as much-which is only about one quarter of the price of good sound horses in Hookertown to-day. Side saddles have not fallen off much. They were good deal in de- maHd then and not much now. You see Mrs. John Walton, bride, had no other way to get to her Eew> home but on horseback, and all other brides, and damselssin general, had either to try the saddle or go on foot. Happy was that damseI who could boast of horse on her wedding day"
 Immediately following the saddle was the entry of "one pot shillings. one small iron kettle shillings, one iron spider 4 shillings, that Mrs. Walton was expected to cook her husbands dinner, and to iron the clothes. Mrs. Bunker says she was capital cook and laun- dress. I think it must run in the blood. l have no doubt am indebted to that pot and spider for all the good dinners have eaton un- der my own roof
 Then follows in the bridal outfit, two can de sticks, two shllings.' These must have been iron, such as went out of date about the tina was boy. The bottoms of the dilapi- dated sticks used to figure on butchering day in scraping off the hair from hogs, and nothing better has been invented since. Then follows "one case of knives, one fire shovel, one large iron kettle, one teapot, one teakettle, one tram mel." Then for personal adornment the bride had one gauge handkerchief, 3 shillings six pence, one pair of gloves same price, one pair of English shoes shillings, one pound of whalebone, and four and half yards moreen for skirt," which shows what the whalebone was intended for. Our grandmothers probably split sheir own whalebone, and never dreamed of steel hoop skirts.
 The fitting out of the bridal chamber was ''one feather bed, pound 10 shillings, two un- der beds, pound l shilling, four pairs sf sheets, two coverlids, two fulled blankets, one chest and lock, and one looking glass, and one paper of pins." There was no wash-stand with bowl and pitcher, soap dish. and mugs, towel rack, and other indispensable articles in a modern bedchamber. The morning ablutions were probably~made in the kitchen, or at the back door from stone hollowed out for the purpose. Possibly they kept as clean as those