The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-04-05
Candy-PuIling.

1t is understood, of course, to be q !
custom supported by the young folks.
The old folks have passed that suscepti-
bic age when the manipulation of laffy
IN any form is considered necessary to !
their peace of mind, and are content TO
sit at home and wonder who "Jim" or
"Sal" is "sparkin' with Tonight Tho
entertainment is given by one Of tho
girls at tho home of her parents, and
she invites such OF her friends az she
pleases. Usually the coterio of YOUNG
people eligible for society purposes in n
New England country village is not so
largo but that all can be invited 10 each
social entertainment, aud thus is avoided
that bitterness of feeling and social
"clique. cry" which is apt to arise in q
large community where "the lines must
be drawn somewhere" The young
people assemble early in the evening,
and all sit down together to q generous,
homo-like supper, to fortify themselves
for the labor which is to come. There
is no mincing Of dainties with alternate
prongs of aesthetic forks, and slipping
from cut-glass thimbles, and dipping 6f
fingers in perfumed finger bowls, but
each sturdy lad and lass lays hold with
an honest appetite and cats what is set
before them with zeal which causes
the good housewives face to shine liko q
winter nights moon. After supper they
all go out into the big kitchen. Hc,o the
"hclp," with cheeks all a-fire, is stirring
great kettle of golden molasses which
stands on the stove. Already it has be.
come so thick and rich that the iron
spoon leaves slowly-closing furrow be-
hind it at every revolutions; and the
help aVows that her "arm is broke"
nd 1Nrn 4
turn and "ready for tho coolin'." OFF
comes the big kettle, and goes stcaminp
out the door for q bath in the snow.
Now, with much laughter on the part OF
the girls and bashful blushing on the
part Of the boys, an astounding number
OF antlquated aprons make their appear
ance, and presently every lad is trans
formed into an anomalous creature,
whose sex you are at perfect liberty to
question. Then the girls tic on their
own dainty little protectors, and pro
coed to roll up their sleeves.
There is one reason, at least, why the
fair sex in the country will be avcrso to
giving up candy pulls, and that is be-
cause the occasion affords the only op-
portunity they have to display "thc
dimpled roundness of their arms" Low
mock and short sleeves are taboocd in
the country. Being adjuncts only of the
most fashionable extreme in dress, they
are very properly considered out of
place anywhere except in large towns
and cities. So what would the girls do
but forever hide one of their principal
charms if it wasn't for the delightfully."-
unconventional candy pullp The boys
aWkwardly follow suit by pulling off
their cuffs and turning back their wrist
ho nd ole
the caldron Of sirup returns from ou!-nf-
doors in somewhat cooler condition.
Plates of melted lard and butter arc
then brought out, each person taking a
little of the unguent to smear his or her
hands so that the strands OF mOlasaes
will not stick to them. Now from vari-
Gus parts of the room may be heard tho
loW-Voiced query. "May pull with you,
Miss -P' "IiaS any one asked Won
to pull with him?" Gradually all pair
OFF, except here and there an over bash
ful lad and retiring maiden, who, after
many deprec&tlng glances, are finally
brought together and made inexprcSSi-
Dly happy in saccharine partnership
The ladle, deep plunged in the golden
mass, and broughtup with viscd stream
trickling slowly from point and sides.
furnishes each pair of candy-pullers with
''rope" to tie and unite between them
with all the curious figures Of the g0rdian
knot Of youthful fancy. To and fro
they go, drawing out the golden str. nj
and doubling it again, hand 10 hand,
oye to eye, drawing and doubling, twist
ing and folding, winding and breaking
until at last tho amber-cOlorcd rUpn
grows white and hard, mud takes their
united strength to draw it out. Then il
is carefully pulled into o long slender
rod and laid upon tho table, and chipped
into sticks Of the proper length. When
all the buttered plates have been flied
with. the crisp bits, the candy-pulcrs
wash their hands, resume their COM
pany gerb and demeanor, and return TO
the parlOr or sitting-IOOm, where they
rcgalc themselves with the fruit of their
labOrs till fairly surlci,ed with sweets.
Then como the games Of the evening
blind mans buff, drop the handkcr-
chief, throw the cushion, button, button,
who's got the button, forfot", quits, and
half dozen other extremely tran>par-
cnt methods of getting the opposite
poles of the human battery together au
eHcctlng All exchange OF electricity.
After this kind of thing has lasted till
nearly midnight, the sudden Appearance
OF the good lady of the house, with 2
certain mmistakablc restraint in her
manner, announces that the festivities
are or ought to be at an end. The game
grows very uninteresting all of sud-
den, and general leavo-taking begins.
In ten minutes the houge is deserted,
and nothing remains to tel of the re-
cent festivities, except some empty but
tered plates and five or six half melted
sticks of candy clingng to the table
spread and troGden into the carpet.
Fer7nont Cor. Troy (N. ~ 13mcs.