Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-12-04
Olden Times.

ate heavy suppers, and went to bed with
warming pans and nightcaps. and SLEPT
upon feather beds with curtains around
them, and dreaded fresh air in their
rooms as much as sensible folks nova
days dread to be without it. And il
they heard a noise in the night, they GOT
up and CROPPED about in the dark, and
procured light with much difficulty
with flint and steel, and finder box, and
unpleasant sulphur matches. And went
to the medicine chest and took calomel,
and blue pills, and salts, and SIENNA, and
jalap, and rhubarb.
In those days the fine gentlemen tip
pied old Jamaica and bitters in the NOR
ming, and lawyers took their clients to
TIE side board for dram, while the fine
ladies lounged on sofas, reading Byron,
Moore, and Scott.
In those days, long, leather fire buck
cts were hung in the entries, filed with
water, and when fire broke out every
citizen was fireman.
In those days, gentlemen chewed to-
bacco, Indifferent where they expectora-
ted, and ladies cleaned their dental pearls
with snuff, wore thin shoes and laced
themselves into feminine wasps and con-
sumption. Babies were put to sleep
with spanking and paregoric; and ur-
chins were flogged at school and subjec-
ted to all sorts of unheardof chastise
ments. Picture books and toys were
dear and poor. Big boys play ed "hoo
key" in the streets with crooked sticks
and hard wooden balls, policemen being
unknown, and went home to their moth
ers to have broken shins anointed with
opodeldoc.
Street fights occurred between schools,
and schoolmasters were prosecuted by
the biggest boys. Young ladies danced
nothing but formal and decorous cotill-
ions, or fast and furious Virginia reels,
in wide entry halls, by the light of the
candles that called for shutters every ten
minutes, to music by black fiddIers or
cracked and jingling pianos; while moth
ers sat darning Stockings, and fathers
played backgammon, or gambled, swigg-
ed brandy ana water, came home late
roaring bacchanaian songs and inquiring
of their sleepy wives in which brown
parcel the milk was wrapped up.
Boarding school misses, in calico gowns
practiced the BATTLE of Prague" "Ca
iiph of Bagdad," or "Clementini's Son
atlas" on instruments not much bigger
than modern young lady's travelling
trunk, strung with juggling wires that
were always swapping; and occasionally
chipping Tom Moore's " Melodies" or
such airs as g. Gaily the Troubadour,"
Pray, Papa, Stay a Little LongcfS' or
" The Banks of the Blue 5000 Mosche-
he helle."
Guests sat on hard wooden chairs,
sometimes with their feet up over roar
ing wood fires, "spittin' around and ma
kin 'emselves sociabIe with juleps, egg
nogg, apples and cider.
Every man shaved, wore Gell-crown-
ed haS swallow tailed coat, with q
horse collar, carried a turnip shaped time,
keeper IN his waistband, with a heavy
seal hanging out; had bis brooches pock-
cts full of silver half dollars; wore round
toed boots and linen shirts; cased his
throat with standing shirt collars; ate all
manner Of nauseous quack medicines
dined at l o'clock (some families eating
the pudding before the meal J took maps
in the afternoon-on Sundays preferring
the pews of the church for that purpose ;
smoked Z" long nines;' ate fried oysters
and lobster salad, and drank fiery Made
ria or punch at IL o'clock at night
Got his feet ct on slushy days, took aw-
fu, colds and rheumatisms, sent for DR..
Sangrado and was bed, blistered, and
leeched; had nightmare, headache, dys
pepsia, fever, delirium, death, and dar-
kened the room.-Erchdnge.