The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-09-25
Tim Bunker on Old Style Housekeeping.

It was rainy morning in August, had
FIVE tons Of hay down, and it was "moraily
certaii," as Mr.. Spooner said when he 10
putting thing strong, that shouldn't I have
any hay weather, there was nothing to do
but set in tho house and see things grow
There is great satisfaction in that. and bless
ed is that man who has his fields and mead
ows where he can see them from his window.
I have seen some pretty pictures dovn In
your city at the Academy, and other places,
but there are none to compare with the view
from my dining room window. There lies
spread out before me the Horse pond lot, oil
nicely moved, aud looking rs smooth as Mr..
Olmstead's lawns, in your Central Park that
you think 30 much of land just beyond .
four aero field Of corn! in full tassel and spin
die; and beyond that, side hill covered
with wood and rocks. and little to the
right glimpse Of the sea covered with sails.
There is q pasture dotted with cattle and
sheep, that beats anything l ever saw on can.
vas. Il don't cost half so much to build
house with the picture gallery outside as 1t
does to have 1t within, and then you are
never pinched for room, and II costs nothing
to have the pictures retouched, and the
frames rcgilded. 1t isa source ofendless en-
tertainment and instruction to study this
outdoor picture gallery, and rainy days give
us the leisure, and new light to see 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 overhauling bundleo of old yellow pa.
pers that looked as if they were hundred
years old. One of them was an old account
book of her grandfather made by doubling
sheet OF foolscap twice, and sewing It to-
gether. 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 an account
of my mothers setting out in lie, In the
handwriting OF my grandfather. Amos Do.
gett."
"When was that?" asked.
She read from the manuscript: "0ur old
est daughter sally was married to John Wal
ton Jan. ye Goth, 1884"
"That was just after the war OF lndepen.
dence."
She continued, "Things I let my daught-
er have was ono horse 10 pound, one new
side saddle and bride pound" 'Horsc
flesh was pretty cheap them" remarked
Reckoning the pound at three dollars and
d third, which was its value in the New
England States. 1t would make the horse
worth only thirty.threc dollars and third,
and the saddle and bride half rs much
which is only about one quarter OF the price
of good sound horses in Hookertown to-day.
Side saddles have not fallen of much. They
were good deal in demand then, and not
much now. You SEQ Mrs. John Walton,
bride, had no other way to get to her new
home but on horseback, and all other brides
and damsels in general had either to try the
saddle or 90 Oh foot Happy was tina: dam
sci who could boast OF o horse on her we'd
ding day."
Immediately following the saddle was the
entry Of "onc pot 8 shillings. ono small iron
kettle 9 shillings. one iron spider 4 shillings,
one pair OF flats" 1t would seem from this
that Mrs. Walton was expected to cook hcr
husbands dinner and iron his clothes
Mrs. Bunker says she was u capital cook
and laundress. I think it must run in tho
blood. have no doubt | ON indebted to
That pot and spider Tor all tho good dinners
have eaten under my own r,of.
Then follows, in the bridal outfit, "two
candlesticks, two shillings." These must
have been iron, such rs went out Of date
about the time was boy. Tho bottoms OF
the dilapidated sticks used to figure on butch.
ering day in scrapeing of the hair from
hogs, and nothing better has been discovered
since. Then follows "one case of knives,
one fire shovel. one largo iron kettle. one
teapot, one tea kettle, one tranel:" !" Then
for personal adornment the bride had zone
gauze handkerchief 3 shillings sixpence, one
pair Of gloves same price, one pair OF English
shoes shillings, one pound Of whalebone
and four yards and u halt Of moreen for a
skirt" which shows what the whnlebone
was intended for. Our grandmothers proba.
bly, split their own whalebone-and never
dreamed Of steel hoop shirts.
The fitting out Of the bridal chamber was
"one feather bed pound 10 shillings, two
under beds l pound ! shilling, four pairs Of
sheets. two covcrlids, two fulled blankets,
ono chest and lock, and one looking glass
and ono paper OF pins" There was no wasl,
stand wish bowl and pitcher. soap dish and
mugs, towel rack, and other Indispensable
articles In modern bcdchambcr. The morn
ing ablutions were probably made IN tho
kitchen, or ut tho back door. from stone
followed out for tho purpose. Possibly thoy
kept as clean as those who have better facili.
ties for washing. a.1 H.H
The table furniture was rathor mcagrcl;
ono set Of toacups, nine plates, four platters.
half dozen spoons, two teaspoons. two
basins. two porringers. Thoro is nothing
said of table linen, and probably Mrs. John
Walton was IN the hight Of fashion, not only
ut tea, but ut every meal, eating from bare
board. This. mistrust, was not mabogony,
or black walnut oiled, but plain pine or ma.
pie, which was scrubbed daily for the whole
term Of her natural life. 1g is..sl .r.,J
A significant entry was "onc little wheel
one pound" This was the linen wheel on
which all the sewing thread was spun, and
6ue lincn for shirts and sheets. and other ar
ticles for the bed and for the person. There
was also "one set Of loom irons 3 shlllingr."
John was expected to make tho loom him,
aalf. Fortunately II consisted mainly Of