The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-19
CHRISTMAS WASSAIL IN OLD VIRGINIA.

Written for the Journal by Marion Harland-Copy-
rghted.
In the DAYS that are no more, the legal
Thanksgiving Day was not known in Virginia.
Nor yet New Years Day, as kept by Knicker-
booker burghers. The 22d of February was cell
ebrated by college oratons; the Fourth of July
given over to political barbecues, Christmas
time the reservoir into which debouched the
flush tide of family social and national rejoic-
ings. With lofty as with lowIy, it was a watch
tower set on hill, the benign light of which,
like the flaming sword guarding Eden flashed
every way. Backward rays from Christmas
gone mot and mingled with the dawn of Christ
mas coming.
We began to count the days yet unfulilled
with the reddening of the rock naples The
opening of the chinq1apin burr the apple har-
vest; the fall OF the leaf; the change from pucker
to sugar in the pulp of the persimmon-were
waymarks, impatiently numbered, in the process
zion of mouths and weeks toward the cuminat-
ing glory of the year.
Housekeepers commenced preparations for it
in sober earnest by the last week of Noyem-
Der, especially in the country The traditions
of orr English ancestry told nightly in model
ing our habits of life. christmas in town" was
deprecated with dash of compassionate con-
tempt by planters and their families. They
kept open house at that season with heartiness
that looks TO us now like bootless extravaganza.
The premises were set in order early in De-
cember as for royal nuptials and court
banouets. Mince meat was already
made, mostened with peach brandy
in quantity and quality sufficient to season it
against must and mold, then packed down in
huge jars. and bladders tied over the mouths
With the first hard frost came 'hog killing"
providing hams, spare-rbs, chimes and sausages
~. -
never tasted them. unimaginable. Pots of lard
tried out" in snowy hardness ranged on
the store-room shelves, destined TO furnish not
baths for the broods of summer Chickens cooped
up, and fattened OF oats and mush. Pens were
built for stately turkeys and pompous Muscovy
ducks, and the tenants fed as regularly and
bountifully were the children who hoped to
eat them. Later on. came cake making, never
intrusted to the hand of hirelngs: fruit
cake with Just enough -four wrought into
it to hold together the fat and liberal soul;
pound cake, into whose manufacture sixteen
ounces of each ingredient was righteouslv COM
pounded; ginger cakes, warranted to keep for
months; spice and lemon cakes, and, in the last
davs of joyous activity, sponge cake, nodded
aud frosted into snow balls as big as the fist and
owing their buoyant being to eggs and elbow
power with not so much as dust of baking
powders. English plum pudding not made
in every family. On the threshold of this en-
prise diffident housewives and ease-loving cooks
paused, dreading and daunted Only veteran
divers plunged into the depths of ancestral
! recipes. brought IN success and established a
culinary reputation Wanted by children and
childrens children.
AS December nights grew toward their longest
and December days neared the briefest of the
calendar, feather beds were beaten for ten min
| utes each By the fail-like arms of colored
house maid, under the eye of the mistress or her
factotum, and provision of blankets, sheets, etc.
made for temporary sleeping places. On rainy
! or snowy day, an armful of straw, fastened to
| the end of pole, was thrust up tho throat of
| every chimney 70 burn out the encrustinc SCOT
| Hens, melted to the full measure of their duty
| by arts peculiar TO colored poultry keepers.
| yielded eggs by the hundreds for buildings and
| pies, with especial reserves for egg noee
BY Christmas eve every pantry was packed to
| groaning comets of flame and galaxy of sparks
| streamed from the kitchen chimney; everv elei-
| bio nook held bed; dozen young girls with at
| tendant gallants surrounded the drawing-room
| fire; the play of repartee and compliment and
the ripple of legato laughter rose and ebbed to
| the piano accompaniment responsive to the
sweep Of white fingers. City guests were always
| hidden, and always to the plantation
| Christmas froic. Company" was no trouble;
! hospitality was as natural and easy as breathing
| But the holiday reception was the cream of well
come TO the visitor. If eight bachelors slept and
smoked In "the Office" in the yard. and rs many
| girls occupied the one spare chamber of the
| homestead. nobody felt crowded. There were
plenty of feather beds and blankets. great stores
of linen her-looms that required the wear of two