Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-03-14
1ales aud Sketehes.
Fragments Of the Daily Feast.

u . "a
a bio covered wagon, heavily loaded.
drove slowly through the deep snow and
mud in Willett street last night. and pulled
I'D in front of a plain, old-fashioned little
house above Delaney street The children
| in that neighborhood are very numerous,
and yerv many of them were at play on
the sidewalks as the plain, unlettered wa
osn lurched and numbered over the I'M
even roadway. They shouted to one an
other. Here's the wagon, Cordelia,"
said one. Run Mary Ann. and tell your
mother and Here he is Here he is -
shouted others. The little ones scattered
in ali directions. The street from being
noisy became quiet The neighborhood
is near the East river. at the point where
the c,ty il widest Two-thirds of the
bouses are little oid-fashioned brick DWELL
inps. Scattered among these relics of the
time when each family had house to it.
self. are the tall bare tenements that. after
all. afford better accommodations for
! families crowded under one roof than do
the small houses.
bow came out of the little brick house
at which the wagon had halted and took
the horse from the shafts. The German
lifted out of the back of the vehicle heavy
barrels and big cylindrical tins. When
the bow came back he assisted the man In
lifting down two packing boxes and some
extra heavy barrels. All these were car
red into the basement. Then the chill
dren reappeared. one or two at time.
All ran down the area steps OF the little
dwelling, dived under the stones steps, and
took places in the front room. each with
basket in one hand and the other little INST
tightly clutching a silver coin. The floor
is bare. and where the plaster is not bro
ken so as to show the skeleton lathwork
OF the wall it Is grimv with dirt. Along
the front walls, passing under the little
area window. runs bare board bench.
A few women dropped in and seated them
selves on this bench with their baskets on
their knees Two were wan and pale,
with bony hands and sunken eyes. The
majority were robust, big-framed women
with comfortable, matronly figures. All
were very poorly dressed. The children
almost filled the room. They were nearly
all little girls, with short dresses and thin
legs They wore quilted hoods and capes,
or had faded shawls pinned over their
shoulders. Their eyes were extended. so
eagerly we're they watching what went on
in that tinv back room, the door to which
had been left open. so that they were able
to see within, whence variety of appe-
tizing odors made their way to the big
room. There were German. Irish and
nondescript faces in the throng.
There amt hardly anybody here vet"
said the German. The room was almost
filled. There must have been 80 children
and half dozen women there. There
sometimes come here men as big as you
are" the German said to the reporter.
The German was in the back room
emptying barrels upon big. bare pine
table Occasionally a box or barrel prov
ed too heavy. and his wife joined her
strength to her husbands. She is big.
Jolly German woman, rosy and neat. On
the table was constantly growing heap
of meat. Some was cold and some was
steaming. The heap was made up of frag-
ments of everything that is included under
the terms OF fish, flesh and fowl. 1t was
not pretty to look at, but moments
study of the heap showed that every fra 2
ment in the mound was of good origin. and
had been we'll cooked. Ribs OF beef with
clumps of meat attached to the bones !:
skeletons of turkeys. ducks, geese, chick
ems and game birds in the same condition !;
chops of veal. mutton and pork. whole and
cooked to turn slices of cold corn beef
cold roast mutton and beef cold ham and
tongue--all this and probably as many
other things besides were in the heap.
The woman began the construction of an
other hilIock on a side table. The little
ones in the impatient crowd had to crane
their necks around the door frame to see
the nature of this second heap.
II hat 10 80 har
cake" called out one from the back
ground.
Sarah eyes made the most eloquent re-
ply. They were staring and watering at
once.
plum cake. and Jelly cake. and some
what's got icing on it," said little Sarah,
land they's hot rolls. and-and they's
pudding ~
The padding was tapioca. in gallon
can filled to the top. The German showed
it to the reporter. and the little girl had
heard him say what it was. The man fill
ed the deep and broad sill of the window
with cans. Some were full of mashed
potatoes. some with potatoes and turnips
mixed. and some with cabbage. The wo-
man was heaping up slices of bread, ends
OF loaves. little cakes. tea. biscuit. rolls.
SLICES OF Costly CAKE, DOlleu ana Dake0
potatoes in their jackets. crullers, ginger
bread. doughnuts. Boston brown bread
and crackers. Her heap grew so tall that
an avalanche formed and food rolled on
the floor. She was obliged to leave some
barrels similarly stocked without empty
ing them. Suddenly she faced the troop
OF children, and they began to shout and
scramble for the doorway.
Please wait on me-" called out half a
dozen at once. "Missis, give me plenty
of mashed pertaters - please wait on
me-" Twenty fl cents worth and some
cake" Nothing only meat. please :"
Please wait on me, missis." were their
cries as the door way was filled with
baskets held forward by outstretched arms
| There were plates in some of the baskets
and tin pals in others The men tossed
in the meat and the women shoveled bread
rolls and cake in until the baskets were
/ loaded. Both used their hands The man
took can of mashed potatoes. and put
one hand In it to open cavity in the CEN
! ire of the mass and show the reporter how
/ fresh and warm it was. The woman split
roll in two to prove the same thing as
to that She tossed the fragments back
on her pile. Among thousands of odds
| L..