The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-05-19
Old Fashioned Comforts.

ing people, Injured TO haldsbips from the
cradle; they were content TO be almost
without the luxuries Of life, but they en-
joyed some OF its comforts, to which
many OF us are strangers, (old-fasbioned
comforts, we may say;) and among these
the old fire e-place, as il used TO be termed,
held no mean rank. How vividly the
picture Of one Of those spacious kitchens
Of the olden times comes TO our mind, with
its plain furniture and sanGed floor, inno-
cent OF paint, but as white as the neatest
OF house. wives could moke i'll In one
corner stood the clock, its very face
wesring an aspect of good cheer, and
seemed to smile benignaBty upon mini
a,ur moon over its head, which tradition
said had, at remote period followed the
rising and setting Of its great prototy pc
in the heavens, though its days Of active
service were long ago over.
But the crowning glory Of that kitchen
was not its white sanded floor; nor the
high desk with its pigeon holes. which
no yenturesome yo1ngster dared TO in.
wade: nor yet the old clock li-king SO
musically in the corner; but it was the
old fashioned fire place with its blazing
embcrs, huge back'logs. and iron FIRE.
dogs, that shed glory over the whole
room, gildcd the plain and homely fur
niture with its light, and rendered the
place a tyhe OF true New England in "ye
Olden times"
Never were there such apples as those
which swung around and around upon
strings belize ,he bright Ere of winters
evening, never such baked potatoes as
those buried deep in the ashes upon the
hearth; never such corn. cakes as those
which caught golden hue from the bla.
zing embers, or turkey like those turned
upon a spit, filling The room with savory
odors so suggestive OF dainty repast.-
Before the fire was a wooden seltee, ard
here the children were wont to sit in the
long evening, telling stories, cracking nuts
coming their lessons for the morrow, or
listening in silence TO tie words Of wis.
dom that fell from the lips of their supe.
riors. and anon gazing 10 silence into The
fire, and conjuring up all sorts Of gro.
,esaue, fanciul images from among the
burning Goals. No tabled geuii. wi n
magic lamp Of enchanlmeEt, could build
such gorgeous pa! aces. or create such
gems as the child could discern amid the
blazing embers Of the old fashioned fire.
place.
And we must not neglec: the chimney
corner, where sat our grandfather in his
accu stoned seat, his hair silvered by the
SHOWS Of many winters-a venerable man,
to whom aye had come "froslily but
kindly" and whose last days were like
those OF an Indian summer, serene and
beautiful, even ill the stars appeared in
heaven.
How pure was the air in those days!
The huge fire. zee with its brisk draught
carried off the Impurities of the atmos
ph,r". and left it pure, life giving, and
heal ,hful. Now. We crouch around ho,
cooking stoves, and think it strange that
we feel SO stupid and drowsy OF an even.
ing. or we huddle about air.light stoves
and wonder that the air seems burned
and impure; or we sit down in chilly
rooms heated by a furnace, ard marvel
that, with all our costly furniture. soft car.
pets, bright mirrors, and Gamask curtains,
they are cherries places--so unlike our
ideas OF New England home.
Alas! that, with all the 30 called i'm
provements of our advanced civilization.
the fire should be permitted 10 go out
forever in our old-fashioned fire. places,
thus burying in the ashes OF the past so
many means OF health, home comfort,
good cheer. snd happiness.-- Scientific
american.