The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-10-03
old-time Drinking Customs.
From Primes Memoir of DR.. Goodell


Among the "reminiscences of the years
when | was yet child in my fathers
house, there are some incidents con-
nected with the social habits OF that
period which in these days of temper
ance come up with a peculiar and some
what of ludicrous force to my mind.
More than three-score years ago, when
punch, egg-nog, and mixture OF mo-
tasses and rum, called black-strap,
flowed almost as freely through the sweet
wales OF New England as pure cold water
does now, / remember a good old man,
who, like my own orthodox parents, be-
lieved in the Assembly's catechism, to-
gether with "the reasons annexed" to
the whole ten commandments, and who
usually came once or twice year TO
confer with them on the prophecies in
general, and the millennium in particu-
lar: and to converse also about those
devoted missionaries who had recently
taken their lives in their hand, and gone
| to the desolate regions OF OHIO to preach
| to those benighted people. On those oc.
cGsions all service labor was suspended,
and we children sat down with eyes and
ears opened wide; yea, and mouths too,
for we hardly dared breathe in the usual
way, lest we should lose word.
At the close OF their long and inter.
esting session, my good father always
rose, with the greatest possible serious
ness in his whole demeanor, and made
the good man a glass OF toddy, ii it were
summer or a mug flip, in winter, the
sugar at the bottom being Invariably re-
served for the longing palates of us little
ones. Altogether, the old folks seemed
| to have a grand time; and we young
| ones were easily persuaded to believe
| that there was somehow, and in some
way "a good time coming" for us.
1t happened once we saw the good
mans horse (and we knew his horse.
with the white spot on the forehead, al
most as we'll as we knew The good man
himself) turning his head toward the
door of our house. Our parents were
| absent, and, as they would not be al
home till towards evening, felt that il
became me, as the oldest son Of the fam
lily, 10 be treating the servant of the
Lord with all due respect. And, indeed
| we all OF us hastened to put everything
lin readiness to give him such an honor
able reception that we need have nc
fears that the bears would come out oil
the wood, little to the east Of oul
house, to devour us, as they once came
out upon and tore in pieces the unman
nerly children in good Eiisha's degen-
crate days.
| At the proper time, therefore, retlreC
to make the good man a glass of toddy
On tasting it thoug ght it too strong, anC
put it in more water, with sugar tt
match. Tasting it again, l thought 1t toe
weak and too sweet; and, therefore
made another change, and still another
AS it did not suit my taste, and as there
was no room left In the glass for further
experiments, L poured the whole out
iuGo more capacious tumbler, and ther
went on changing and tasting, anC
tasting and changing, till
quite lost the idea how il
ought to ;aste. And, finally, beginning
to pour some Of it into a large bowl,
found must mix almost enough for q
'raising;" at least, quite enough for si1
men, stead OF one. With all due rev
erence, then carried a tumblerful anG
presented it to him. He took it ant
drank off a part OF it, and, patting my
head, said 1 had been too bountitul. He
then lifted up his hands and gave us al
his blessing, with plenty of good advice
and adding that l had better put the re
mainder aside till my father came home
| ha mon tied his nag and rode off