Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-24
NO. 80.
Patchwork.

In lheSe centennial times every one al
most unconsciously revives all their rem
iniscences of the olden time. 1t always
did one good TO hear Aunt Biantha talk Of
the pioneer days, when the nearest store
might have been twenty miles away. 1t
was not uncommon TO have load OF COM
pany come numbering up in an ox-cart,
| prepared 10 spend the day, when the house,
keeping supplies were in very low con-
diton.
zone day." said Biantha, "the johnson
folks, from over the creek, came driving
up, and hadn't mite OF bread in the
house for tea. What was more. there
wasn't pinch of saleratus, or pearlash in
the cupboard. The nearest neighbor was
bali mile off, and 1 couldn't leave the ba-
by 10 go over there and borrow some. How
do you suppose made out2 You'd never
guess, girls, so 1 may as well tell you.
had plenty of milk aud eggs and maple su-
gar, so took basin of sour milk with
cup of sour cream in it, and then went 10
the fireplace and knocked off from a burnt
log some of the clear white ashes in tea
cup. 1 poured hot wafer over 1t and let it
stand until it was clear, and then stirred IL
into my sour milk and 1t foamed up as
nicely as If 1t had been baking soda. The
biscuit were moulded up quickly aud put
in the lin baker before the hot fire, and
came out nice and light and brown. No
body ever suspected my home made pearl
ash. We could not afford full spice-box,
like your mothers, but we had plenty of
| dried fennel, and dill, and caraway, and
coriander seeds 10 use instead, and very
nice old-fashioned spicery, it used to be.
| l wish could taste 1t again. That French
| vinegar, that your father bought for a dol
| lar bottle, tastes TO me as If il was only
cider vinegar with head of fenne stepped
in it,"
II saw Mrs. Allen spice cake once" said
May, "in way don't believe you ever
| thought of, Aunt Biantha. She had COM
pany for tea one time, and no spice for her
cake. She usually kept bitter almond ex-
tract for flavoring, and she knew the lady
visiting her was very fond of the flavor.
So she picked some fresh leaves from a
| peach tree and spread them out on a plate,
then slipped her hot cake from the tin aud
set it on the leaves. She covered It well,
| and when II came on the table no one knew
but 1t had been seasoned with the finest of
| almonds. But what else did you have for
| your supper that night the Johnsons came,
aunty?"
"I made cake sweetened with maple
sugar and favored with fennel, and then
Josiah came in with painful Of the incest
mushrooms, he had gathered out in the
woods. 1 looked them over carefully TO
see that all had nice, clear, pink color on
the under side. Then knew they were
not poison. peeled them carefully, broke
of the stems, and put them bottom side up
in frying pan, with little salt and pep
per and bit of butter in each. They cool
ed in a few minutes and were a very savo-
| ry dish. They answered for meat. If John
had been home he might have taken his
gun and shot me partridge for supper,
but we made out well enough with mush-
rooms. l had glass dish full of preserved
plums, and plate of crisp pickles, and a
teapotful of sassafras tea, as store lea was
not so common as it is now in everybody's
house. You would all have made out a
very good meal with me, girls, ir it was
not qnie in the sty le you are used TO, par
ticuahy If you came in with appetites
boys and girls used 10 have, when they had
old woods"
ut makes me hungry now, 10 think of
it, aunty," said Louisa. "I wish had
some of those mushrooms, and that maple
sugar cake for my supper"
ave used to get many meal out of the
waste places, which seemed as il they could
give us nothing. We knew everything
that was good for greens and made them
the principal dish for dinner very often.
A potful of cowslips, with good piece of
pork boiled in ii, made good, hearty din
ner for the men folks, and cost only the
trouble of stepping about in the swamp 10
pick them. Game was plenty and gave US
nice meat, and all the rivers and brooks
abounded in fish, If only anyone had time
to catch them. Many a string of fish have
l brought home to my mother to help piece
out scauty meal. I tell you, girls, it takes
half the spice out Of living 10 have every
thing brought easily 10 your hand as you
do"
"Ils nice 10 hear you tell Of those old
times, anntie, but guess after all it was
rather hard 10 live in them"
81 don't know but it was about as easy
as IT is for you TO get along with your ev-
cry day Affections, girls. 1 hear you COM
plain good DEAL" said aunty with a smile.
~ have always observed that it was easier
to get along with real difficulties and troub-
les than it is with imaginary ones"
Auntie had the last word, and the girls
exchanged laughing glsnces as they scud-
ded out of the room, for fear of further
"practcal observations NJ E. Far
nier.