The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-19
chris rMAS WASSAIL
In old Virginia Before the war.
IWsIrFRN ron TIE APPRLL BIT MARIAN
hARLAED.I


HARLAHD.l
Copyrighted 1886 By S. s. Mcclure
In the days that are no more, the
legal Thanksgiving Day was not
known in Virginia. Nor yet New
Years Day, as kept by the Knicker
booker burghers. The I'D of Febru-
AIRY was celebrated by college ora
tions; the Fourth Of July given over
to political barbecues, Christmas time
was the reservoir into which de-
bouched the flush tide of family,
social and national rejoicing. With
lofty as with lowly, it was watch
tower set on a hill. the benign light
Of which, like the flaming sword
guarding Eden, flashed every way.
Backward rays from Christmas gone
met and mingled with the rays of
Christmas coming.
We began to count the days yet
>uniulfilled with the reddening of the
rock naples The opening of the
shinquapin burr, the apple harvest,
the fall Of the leaf, the change from
pucker to sugar in the pulp of the
persimmon-were way marks, impa~
tiently numbered, in The procession
Of months and weeks toward the cul-
minating glory of the year.
Housekeepers commenced prepare
tions for it in sober earnest by the
last week Of November, especially in
the country. The traditions of our
English ancestry told nightly in
modelling our habits Of life. Christ
mas in town" was deprecated with a
dash OF compassionate contempt 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 December
as for royal nupfials and court
banquets. Mince meat was al
ready made, moistened with peach
brandy il quantity and quality suf-
ficient to season it against must and
mould, then packed down in huge
jars and bladders tied over the
mouths. With the first hard frost
came hog killing providing hams,
spareribs, chimes and sausage of de-
liciousness inimitable, and to those
who never tasted them, unimagina-
bic, Pots Of lard dried out" into
snowy hardness, were ranged on the
store room shelves, destined to
furnish hot baths for the
broods of summer chickens,
eooped up and fattened on oats
and mush. Pens were built for
stately turkeys and pompous Mus
covy ducks, and the tenants fed as
regularly and beautifully as were the
children who hoped to eat them.
Later on came cake making, never
intrusted TO the hands of hirelings;
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 righteously
compounded; ginger cakes, war
ranted to keep for months; spice
and lemon cakes, and, in the
last days Of joyous activity,
sponge cake, moulded and frosted
into snowballs as big as the fist, and
owing. their buoyant being to eggs
aud elbow power, with not so much
as dust of baking powders. En-
glish plum pudding was not made in
every family. On the threshold Of
this emprise diffident housewives
and ease loving cooks paused, dread
ing and daunted Only veteran
divers, plunging into the depths of
ancestral recipes, brought up success
and established culinary reputa-
ton yaunted by children and chill
dren's children,
As December nights grew toward
their longest aud December days
neared the briefest of the calendar,
feather beds were beaten for ten
minutes each, by the fail like arms
OF colored housemaids, under the
eye OF her mistress or faotOrum, and
provision of blankets, sheets, etc.,
made for temporary sleeping places.
I'm rainy or snowy day, an armiul
Of straw, fastened to the end of
pole, was thrust up the throat of
every chimney 10 burn out the en-
u noNAhS oOOA' AICust lUCil6u 10 Iu6
full measure OF their duty by arts
peculiar to oolOred poultry keepers,
yielded eggs by the hundreds for
puddings and pies, with especial re-
serve for egg Dogg.
BY Christmas Eve every pantry
was packed to groaning; comets of
fame and galaxy OF sparks streamed
from the kitchen chimney; every
eligible nook held a bed; dozen
young girls with attendant gallants
surrounded the drawing room fire;
the play Of repartee and compliment,
and the ripple of legato laughter
rose and ebbed to the piano accom-
paniment responsive to the sweep of
white fingers. City guests were
always hidden and always came TO
the plantation Christmas frolic. |
Company was no trouble;
hospitality was as natural and |
easy as breathing. But the holiday |
reception was the cream of welcome |
to the visitor. If eight bachelors
slept and smoked in "the office" in
the yard, and as many girls occupied
the one spare chamber Of the home
stead. nobody ielt crowded. There
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