The Portland daily press., 1883-11-29


put up at home or done without. Hence the
cellar OF a well built house was as important az
the kitchen above. 1t was built, usually, OF
rough, unhewn stone, with brick or earthen
floor, with view to its being cold in summer
and warm in winter Frequent whitewashing
took place, and the doors were constantly left
open in the summer time to keep the air pure
and sweet; no easy matter where great stores OF
turnips, onions, potatoes and apples, and all
garden and field produCe were gathered. with
barrels OF salt pork, smoked and dried hams,
etc. In the fall the windows aud gratiDgS
were closed up with hay, tightly packed, leav-
Ing only small spaces in the southern end for
the admittance OF the wiater sonsbine. Slop-
ing doors and red brick steps led from the
Kitchens to the cellars, and the one was the
complement OF the other.
What the great chimney smoked, and much
more, the cellar preserved. Hogsheads Of
sailed pork, hams In brine, homemade butter
in great tirkins and jars, pigs feet in vinegar,
supplemented the saussges that hung from the
rafters, and the cheeses that were piled mp high
upon swinging shelves made as q protection
from the mice. Heaps of apples OF every kind
tempted the schoolboys sorely in the winter
as the overlooking orchards did before they
were gathered IN, and the barrels OF cider were
tapped often enough for the taste to be Ia
miliar one.
Roasting in those old-fashioued kitchens
was not specially easy Of accomplishment, and
was undertaken comparatively rarely, the
oven answering all ordinary purposes; but
there were occasions that called for special
preparations, then it was that recourse was had
TO the crane or windlsss, and the primitive
method Of roasting with a spit was in vogue
Some of the contrivaDces remind rs OF me-
di@val times, aud recall the bsronial castle
with its arched fireplace, in which the wood
spuCtered and blazed, and the pot hung above
from an iron bar, while the roasting apparatus,
Of the most unwieldly char acter, was set In
motion BY windass, and kept rotating by the
action OF a dog imprisoned in the framework u
st,~x q fhea aor-
vices of the cook or under maid were required
TO keep the spit constantly moving, and 10
| haste the meat with loug handled spoon.
| The hastings spoons were considerably larger
and more unwieldiy than those used by our
cooks today. Beneath the roast was q huge
dripping pan, and upon rare roasting occasions
cakes and puddings, made OF -four and eggs,
not unlike she English Yorkshire or batter
pudding, were placed to brown in the fat as it
drlpp-d from the joint.
In the unprotected condition OF the fireplace
catastrOphes were frequent, especially when, as
was usual in those hospitable days, the house
or kitchen door stood open. Stray dogs, at
tracted by the delicious odors OF roast pig, or
the seductive vapors arising from a round OF
beef or quarter OF lamb would reconnoitre the
position, and seiziDg their opportunity, when
the housewife was busy with her vegetables or
what not, made q raid upon the dripping pan,
which usually ended less successfully than was
anticipated. Probably burnt dogs, like burnt
children, dread the fire, and the sufferer from
boiling dripping and the wrath OF the cook, alb
stained, in all likelihood, from future depreia-
lions, fact that may have had consultations
even for the outraged feelings OF the presiding
genius OF the kitchen, as, in moments OF exas-
peration, it is not unfrequeDtly vouchsated to
US TO foresee the prospective sndeTings OF our
enemies. But there were not wanting many
occasions upon which no disaster accompanied
the preparation of the feasts-bright aud SUI ny
days IN which the expected neighbors arrived
while the piece de resistance was still halting
before the flames, in the very moment when
the utmost energies of the cook were required
to keep the basting up satisfactorily, whom the
joint was within an ace OF "being done 20
turnl" Then it was that the good womang
anxiety and care, wrestling with hospitality,
would depute some maiden to refresh the
guests wi i.h cider, or even something stronger,
in anticipation of the coming feast, while she,
with anxious gaze and dripping spoon at hand,
watched the last browning Of the meat and en-
couraged the persistent boiling OF the pot.
The Knickerbocker kitchens, as al records
tell us, were often the scene of abundant jol-
lity aud gayety. The cellars were not stocked
with winter provender without much previous
labor and industry. To accomplish the needed
work the neighbors were often called in to
help, and hours Of INDUSTRY were followed BY
those of relaxation aud merriment. The i'd
dler was ON hand to do his part, accompanied
more often than not by his sable assistants;
and when the apple-paring and sausage max
ing were duly accomplished, the company"
they changed to more invigorating tunes, sug-
gestive of dancing and frolic. Then In a trice
the tables were cleared away, egg-Dogg and
cider were handed round, and the blazing IRE,
as il reared mp the great chimney, shed its fit-
ful light upon the merry couples who ''trode
the measure" and clipped and toe'd" 1t over
the floor, from which the sand for the moment
had been banished. How the rAtters rang
again to the sound of joyful voices; what COURT
shp and wnss n w9ones wSs LOOK Racs 70 me nsla
over wha, hearty wishes sped the jewellers on
| their wayl
The Origin of the Day.
/ The day wss originally intended by the Puri-
tan colonists, under Gov. Bradford, to express
publicly their gratitude for their seasons har
vest. 1t was eleven months since the little
band arrived in Plymouth bay. The Mayfow
er had returned that spring; they were alone in
the great continent, where Indian tribes were
powerful and unfriendly. The next two
years are recorded in history as unusually dis
astrous-disease, death aud privations working
serious disaster in the little band. Instead Of
annual thsnksgivings, day OF fasting and
prayer was vastly more appropriate. In 1873
| the abund ant harvest was spoken OF BY con-
| temporary colonists as heRven-sent deliver
| aDce from the dread of famine. We are told
| OF the day OF fasting and prayer appointed Tor
| the drought, and the joyful welcome OF the
rain during the service, changing the fast to
| thanksg wing. The custom thus founded was
| continued through the colonial days, and after
| the revolution the governors of the several
| New ENGLAND States continued to appoint an
| annual Thanksgiving day. Duriug the revolu-
| tion the national thanksgiving was annually
| appointed by Congress. After the adoption OF
the constitution Washington recommended q
national thanksgiving. After colonies were
| sent out into the western reserve, along the
Mississippi, and even further toward the set
| ting sun. from the New England States, the
custom of annual thanksgiving by appointment
| of the governors became engraftsd on the ter
ritorial off-shoots of New England, and, as the
| Young Stsres wheeled into line, the custom be-
came established. National thanksgiving
were appointed by the several presidents after
after some victory, military or naval. During
the rebellion President Lincoln frequently
recommended the observance Of the guberDa-
torial thanksgvings, and issued proclama'
ton for a national thanksgiving in 1858, since
which time each president in turn has issued Z
proclamation, and the New England custom II
adopted by all, or nearly all, the other States
and thanksgiving has been arranged to fal
upon the same day as the presidents appoint
ment-the last Thursday in November, IN The
majority Of cases.