News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-25
EARLY NEW ENGLAND CHEER.
How the Forefathers Enjoyed Life Around
the Cheerful Hearth.
TFrom the Hartford Conn. ) Times !

[From the Hartford (Conn, Times.1
Almost any of the old settlers can tell
you about those old fashioned fireplaces,
where huge logs were piled up in the
cold winter months, and about which,
in semi-circle, sat the family and visit
ors. Many of these fireplaces were of
such huge proportions that they would
accommodate a ten-foot log, coming
from the butt of big tree. Itwould al
most require yoke of oxen to draw it
into place. Still there was room for
the smaller cuts with which to make
the monster "back log" burn. And, in
those loosely built old houses, with their
many draughts of cold air, even fire of
these proportions was insufficient in the
coldest weather.
In extreme cold weather, however,
Z the unequal temperature was equalized,
and o comfortable arrangement secured
by the old-fashioned ''settle." This
roomy seat, with high, protecting
back to shield the occupant from the
cold draught, was drawn up in front of
the fire, and took the heat without the
chill. The "old folks" and the children
had that choice place. The old clay
pipe was there brought out by "grand.
father"
But those wide-mouthed fireplaces re-
quired chimneys OF such great size at
the base, that it necessitated houses of
correspondingly ample ground dimen-
sions. In the chimney places were ovens
of huge proportions in which nearly all
the baking was done. Under the oven
was an sash hole," into which all ashes
made during the winter were dumped,
aggregating several cart loads.
As Thanksgiving approaches, the good
housewife of to-day looks ahead with
careful serenity, relying with confidence
upon the improved appliances for warmth
and cooking purposes to make the COM
ing festal day one of pleasure and en-
joyment. The housewife of 100 years
ago, and even of so years ago, looked
forward to the approach of Thanksgiving
with pleasure, to be sure, but not un-
mixed with dread at the magnitude of
the work to be performed. To be sure,
her blooming and buxom daughters could
Ee relied upon to help her, and on the
principal that 'many hands make light
work" the day usually passed with no
drawbacks to affect the full enjoyment
of the occasion.
The big oven heated to the proper
degree was of course a necessary ad-
lunct to successful dinner. Here the
pies-mince, apple, squash and pump
kin-were baked. Here the old-fashioned
Indian meal pudding, sweet as sugar or
moIasses could make it, and often as
dark as the ways of a politician, was done
TO a turn, the top crisp and brown; here,
too, was baked the omnipresent chicken
pie, with the egthodox opening TO let out
the gases, which, if confined, would ex-
cite REsyplation in otherwise peaceably
ilsSlined stomachs- Then those huge
i1caves of bread with the crusts saffi-
6sently4browned to make them appear
tempting were slid out upon the table
rom the wide tblade Of long iron
handled " 'slicas' Sepietimes4 meats,
schiekens and takeys were roasted within
.. the walls of the ovea, but for lack Of
5asting conveniences meats were usually
coasted in front of the fire, suspended
sy wire fastened to the ceiling.
Pigs could be roasted in the oven
well enough, but even these little
duadrupeds could be handled to better
advantage in front of the blazing logs.
On Thanksgiving Day it was not an un-
common thing to see the Sultan of the
turkey roost, properly dressed and
stuffed with appetizing viands. hanging
in front of the fire with dripping pan
'on the hearth directly under him,
danked by chickens on one side aud a
roast pig on the other, all with their
ides browning under the influence of
he heat. Ever and anon the bustling
housewife could be heard telling Johnny
o turn the turkey, Or Ellen to give the
hickens whirl, and Billy to move the
ig, while the good lady herself would
me along with the basting spoon and
give them each gr avy bath from the
dripping pans.
An old gentleman-one of our olde 81
and most respectable citizens-says that
the fires in the old fireplaces were per-
petual-never going out from one years
end to another. By covering the live
embers with ashes upon retiring, good
fire was sure to be found in the morn.
ing. To be sure, the tinder box was o.
hand, but was seldom called into use
In the absence of the tinder box, how
ever, in case the fire went out, it was
customary to HE away to the nearest
neighbors to borrow little fire.
The schoolhouse also had to bt
warmed by treplaces and backlogs, and
the "big boys" had to take turns il
keeping the fires in trim. About th'
irst stoves seen in Connecticut wer,
called ''shoemakers' stoves" They wer,
oblong square in shape, being two o.
three times as long as they were broat
or high. When they came to be uset
ior heating church buildings, school
houses, and public halls, they wer
made long enough to take in four-foo