Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-07-28
WEEKLY TRINITY JOURNAL N i
"Reminiscences OF the Past.

Mr.. EDITOR TO retrospect the reminiscen.
ces of the past is often attended with pleasure.
BILE emotion of mind and when detailed, be-
come interesting to others. Some years ago
resided in Saratoga, York State. Here formed
large circle Of friends, and intimate acquaint-
ances. Among the number was a gentleman by
the name of H. He belonged to one of the
first families of Boston a man of wealth, who had
been educated at Yale College, and from that in
stitution graduated. A Doctor by profession,
he was gentleman of great refinement. His
house, garden and flower walks exhibited no or
binary amount of good taste, and he was very
particular in regard to bis diet. Having been
confined to one locality for years, we concluded
we would take an excursion to Lake Pleasant
on fishing excursion. Lake Pleasant is situa-
ted in what was then called the North of Mont
gomery county, in the midst of the Forest, about
sixty miles from Saratoga. After we had made
little preparation took covered carriage
and good horse, and started, feeling as the
Sailor did who was perfectly Indifferent whether
he rode inside, or outside, or on the top of the
coach to ride was what he wanted. Whether
We were to have fine foul weather a rough
or smooth road, comfortable hotels or he COM
PEELED to camp out was all the same. 1t soon
began to rain the holes in the roads and by it's
side, were filed with dirty water. After driving
about 20 miles we began to leave the outskirts
of civilization, and enter the Mountain region
of timber. Our road led up one of the tributa-
ries of the Hudson, where nature presented her
self unadorned by art, or the industry or good
taste of the people. There were no splendid
brick mansions beautiful cottages painted
white with flowing curtains of red, white and
green, to please cultivated taste. The archi-
tect had not over taxed bis mind in making out
either Gothic Corinthian draft To econo-
mize labor, and afford protection to his stock,
appeared to be the only objects at which he aim
ed. Instead of building stables for horses, sheds
for cows, pounds for pigs or roosts for fowls, he
constructed his buildings so as to have them all
in the house, under one roof, and as most of the
men in this region were engaged in making shin
giles for market, the single factory was estab-
lshed in the parlor. Here he could see all his
effects, horses, cows, hogs and chickens, beside
his wife, and house full of dirty children at
single glance. And if he wanted to know the
state of the weather he had only to look up, and
without any difficulty he could see sun, moon.
stars and clouds through the roof of the house.
and If 1t rained he made sensible of that
fact by feeling it fall upon his head If the hor-
ses snickered, calves beloved, pigs squeeled or
ROSTERS crowed he could hear them, and see
them, without leaving his seat. No one could
CT fntvtc fJf,,f -
The wife too was benefited by this arrangement
for she had her pots, kittles, frying-pan, water
and swill pals and tubs in close proximity to the
fire place. 1t was not necessary for her to 90
from room to room after this and that. No, they
were all around the fireplace, "as handy as a
pocket in a shirt"
But we must proceed on our way. The Doc
tor began to feel as though good supper would
be no drug about this time. We made up our
minds to try every house we came to, for night
and stable accommodations. We came to a
house, tied our horse to the fence, and went in
lady presented herself without shoes, and with
the lower part of her dress about to leave the
upper and who evidently had been washing
She looked at us as though we monsters
We asked her if we could be accommodated for
the night were strangers. She looked at
and said she had husband, and she did not
know how he would like it, but after little
thinking replied that she guessed we could. We
put up our horse, and went into the house. In
our absence she had washed and dressed herself.
and looked better. She had made a large fire
and was engaged in mixing a milk-pan full of
buckwheat batter. Then she put the big griddle
the fire and her pan of batter down in front
of the fire, and commenced baking. Soon her
son Michael came in. Michael was a singular
looking genius. Nature had done but little for
Mike, and art less. To look at US in front, Mike
must turn his head on sHangle of forty-five de-
for both would look toward the rip
in spite of all his efforts to the contrary. Mike
hat was worse for having been new so soon the
crown was almost out; the rim was all gone &C
cept a small piece; his elbows were sticking
through the holes of his hrt and that he had
knees was evident, for we could see them through
the holes of his breeches. There stood Nike
without shoes. He had just come out of the
cow-yard and had brought no small amount of
its contents on his feet. Mike took his stand in
front of the fire, and every time he put his feet
down the mud spirited up between his toes
Mike jostled first on one side and then the 9TH
er with his back toward the fire and at last uu-
fortunately lost his balance and set one of his
dirty feet. spat in the batter pan. The old lady
screamed murder. Mike took ont his big. dirty
foot, and shook it WE'LL scattering batter and
mud all over the house. This raised an addi-
tional scream from the mother, and Mike beat a
hasty retreat out of the house. The old lady
quietly took a spoon and scraped out the bio
iuWPs VI inuu, iea'iuS enough DenlnQ to show
where Mikes dirty feet had been, and proceeded
to bake cakes out of what was now varirated
batter, pretty well compounded with cow-yard
sweetening. The Doctor winked at me and at
him, cogitating in minds how we should en-
joy our supper of cow-yard cakes, (rather a new
dish to u.s.
The lady baked up all the batter, and the cloth
being laid, they were placed on the table, to-
gether with some beautiful honey in the comb,
to be used with them. But Mikes dirty feet al
most spoiled the honey. All being seated, now
came q the tug of war" and to manage the sup
per was problem we were unable to solve
" Now, gentlemen, help yourselves, help your
selves" says the lady, laying hold of the cakes
with her fingers, and filling my plate little too
full still urging US to help ourselves, while she
laid hold of more cakes, and filled the Doctor 5
plate. 1t would have been god-send to have
had the privilege of doing We took no
small amount of honey, and our praise of it
seemed to please the old lady, and she gave us
more But the cakes were drug and not good
to take A thought struck the Doctors mind,
and he said Madam, perceive you have an
abundance of milk; am remarkably fond of it
VIII you have the kindness to give me some ?'-
VI course you can have some" replied the la
V. he IN