Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-09
Old Fashioned Comforts.

Our ancestors were iTugat, s,icenylug peO.
pie, Injured ~ harGshlps iron tho cradle they
Ner1 content W be almost without the lUAutics
OF lie, but they enjoyed SOME Of i,s comforts, 10
which many ol Us are strangers (Old fashioned
comforts, We may say anu among thee the
old fireplace, as II uscI ~ lc termed, held no
mean rank. How yNdiy tha picture OF one OF
tuOoe spacious kitchens Oi tll Olden TINE comes
W oug mind, wl.h lts piaIn furniture and sanded
hJ0g, InnOcent ol paint but As white as the neat
e,t vi housewives could make ii In one corner
stood the clOcS, its very ace wearing all .spect
Of so0l cheer, aud seeming u smile ueniguan.ly
upon d miniature moon over Its head, which,
,Ia..t.yu sAid, had, At a gaD9 period, followed
the rising and the setting Vi It's great pro type
IN the heavens, though its aAys vi aotlyo service
we're long ago over
Bu. the crownlng gioIJ Oi that kitehon WAS
not It's white sanded hUOI .ol tue high desk,
Win Is pigeon holes anu secret drawers, which
w y5nIuresOme youngstof ever dared 70 invade
nor yet the Odd clock ticking - lnuslcAlly IN the
corner but 1t Was the d-ashlJued hre- place
wi.h It's blazing embers, huge back-logs, and
non nrvuVss tuat shed giuly over the whole
room, gllded the plain an nua4ely furniture wnh
It's light, and rendered the ? ace "a " pc OF true
New England IN =" ye u.den umes.
Never were there SUCH app Is as those which
swung around and arOuu4 upon strings before
the Onght tire ol a Winter ,enlng, never such
baked potatoes as those OurIcd Dc, in the ashes
upon tue hearth, never sucn com. ks as those
which caught golden hue from the blazing eni-
bers, or turkey like thOse turned upon "a spit,
hlhng the room with saNUty odOts ~ suggestive
vi DAINTY lepast.
Before The hre was wooden settle, and here
tue children were wont 10 BIT IN Tie long even
nv, telling stories, cracking nuts, nning tuer
lessons ior the morrow, or fastening IN silence
to lha words OF wisdom thai lcll from the hps Of
ther Superors, aud anon gazing IN silence into
Tue hire, and cOGJurlng up All sorts OF grotesque,
aucllul Images from among the burnlng Goals.
No tabled gem, with magic lamp Of enchant-
meme, cOuld Oulld such gorgeous palaces, OF cre-
ate such gems us the child could discern amid
tue blazing embeIs vi the old-tashOned ire place,
And We must not neglect the chimney corner,
where sat our grandfather 10 his accustomed
set, his halr sliyered by the SHOWS of many
Muters--a venerable man, to whom age had
come tosty but kindly, and whose last days
were like those Ol an lnllan Summer, serene and
beautiful, even till the stars appeared in heaven.
How pure was the air In those Gays The
huge fireplace, with It's brisk draught, carried
OIL The impurities OF the atmosphere, and lett 1t
pure lle-gTIng aud healthlul. Now, we crouch
around hot cCOKlug-stoyes, aud think 1t strange
,hat we leol 50 stupid and drowsy OF an evening
or We huddle about alright stoves, and wonder
that tue aT seems burned aud impure or we
sit down in chilly rooms heated by furnace,
and marvel that wal all our costly furniture, soft
carpets, bright mirrors and damask cartains,
,ney are cheeIless places-so unlike our ideas ol
New England home.
Alas that with all the so-ealled improve.
ments OF our advanced civilization, the fire
should be permitted to go out forever IN our
od.lAshoned hre.places, thus burying IN the
ashes OF the past, So many means OF health, home
comfort, good cheer and happiness. - Scientific
American.