The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-12-23
Our Oliu.
CHRISTMAS BEFORE THE WAR
Some Incidents ON the OLD maryland
PIantatiOns.--TheH Holidays, anG
How They Were Enjoyed.

Among the things which the war de-
stroyed was the distinctively Maryland
Christmas for, up to the breaking out OF
the war, the Christmas holidays were OBJ
served on nearly every country-place In
this State with festivities which, for boun-
tiful hospitality and hearty enjoyment, had
probably no parallel anywhere in the coun-
try, except, perhaps, in Virginia. Further
South the estates were too wide apart to
admit of the same degree of social inter-
course between friends and relatives; but
in Maryland, particularly along the bay
shore and river courses, where the large es-
tates were more numerous, communication
was SO easy and the spirit of hospitality SO
thoroughly ingrained in the people, that all
occasions of festive character were eager
ly seized upon as pretext for social ENJOY
ment. Christmas was the occasion above
all others for merry making, and there are
few of us that can look back twenty-three
wears who cannot recall the peculiar attrac-
tiyeness of Christmas in the country. The
entire week was usually given over to jolli-
ication and everybody entered into the
spirit of the holiday with iusty enjoy
ment, which impaired to it a gaiety and
abandon which, in this busy, driving age,
one misses altogether. Nowadays we en-
ioy ourselves under protest, thinking always
of tomorrow and its cares. True, they
impoverished themselves in many cases /;
they fiddled and danced and we have to
pay the piper. But what life it was
A life of frank enjoyment of things for
their own sake, not because society pre-
scribed them a life of ease, of refinement,
of manly courtesy and healthful activity.
We could have no such Christmases as they
had. even if the material conditions were
the same. for we are not the men they
were. Vigorous, gay and generous to a
fault, they made their Christmas what it
was, stamping it with the sign manual OF
their own individuality.
The residence of country gentleman
was the scene of great activity for several
days before the holidays. The proclama-
ton of the glad times coming was written
plainly on every face, white and black.
The lady of the house did not hesitate to
descend to the kitchen and superintend the
manufacture of innumerable cakes, pies
jellies custards and puddings. 1t was, in
fact, considered to be part Of country
gentlewoman's education to know how to
cook, and more attention was paid by ou1
grandmothers to the selection Of joint oi
meat than is bestowed by housekeepers
nowadays on the selection Of worsteds fol
their afghans. Cooking has, it is true, be-
come fashionable with the ladies again in
recent years, but it is sort of artistic
cooking, which is of piece with decora
ton of guano bags and towels and seltzer
water jugs. A visit to the larder of .
well-appointed country house just before
Christmas was worth making, for it was, ir
fact, liberal education in the art Of house
keeping. In the pantry were to be found
huge tin boxes full Of fruit cake, spongt
cake, gingerbread, jumbles, sugar cakes il
the shape of birds, dogs and other animals
hearts and diamonds, great forms of jellie'
and pies and puddings innumerabie., Wha
an aromatic favor there was about tina
pantry In the cellar the meats and fruit
were to be found, and in the garret the Ok
wines and the preserves. The labor ant
care represented in the preparation Of thes'
stores can hardly be estimated in our day
when almost everything comes preparet
from the grocer, even the mince-meat
| which, in the form of pies, was an indis
pensable article of diet during the holidays
And then the plum pudding There wa
only one kind Of plum pudding which Ma
| rylanders of that day would eat, and tina