Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-21
rHE GOOD Old TIMES.
THE MEDIEVAL HOUSEWIFE AS SHE
LIVED AND LABOREO.
Literally the Head OF the HOusshOld-
The splinter of the Middle Ages
Table Furniture and Good Cheer
The Kitchen.

# ". Cony In rnad 'ph Pres
The housewife of the middle ages is
seen stepping out of EhauCers ~tdnter
bur, iacs as natural as life, ia that
May mOrnln of long ago. when tine
| merry com an, mled out Of the Tabard
| In 20 pursue its pilgrimage She Is
| dies ed in cape aud kirlIc OF blue stuff
he collar oil her COIcHardie and the tapes
| OF her white NOlupere are embroidered IN
| silk. as likewise. her girdie. aud her
apron or BARN cloth Is Us white as morn
IUg mi X. he wears a broad silkcn fiIIet
ar rund her head Gather purse alta he'd
| to her grd.c tasse,ed with silk and
peared with latouu - that Is. studded or
i'm led with little metal buttons, IN
her low collar she wears brooch As BIZ
Us the boss of bucklcr and her ~shUone" ="
shoes are aced high upon her ankles
The mediyal housewife was very in
dustrious woman. She was literally the
head of the household Everything in
the house was under her charge, she
clothed the whole house with tine work of
her own hands Spinning was one of the
most important labOrs taught young
women. The word "spinster. now the
| legal designation OF an unmarried woman.
had its origin in the fact that in the early
ages spinning was her special employ
ment In the ballad of the patient Girls
elda the maiden was engaged in spinning
when the Marquis first saw her All the
illuminated manuscr pts which have come
down TO us illustrating the domestic lie
of the middle ages show US the lady
spinning, the lady Carding wool the
lady u the loom. etc. Every household
had its looms and spinning wheels The
women Of tho medieval home often
sheared the sheep with their own hands
and carded ami cOmbed the wool and
beat the flax
The old time house keeper was also
physician and surgeon 10 the household
and all around Medical receipts in all
periods of the middle ages, wri ten by the
fingers of women are still preserved in
European libraries. 1t was the women
who set the knights broken bones by
ski.lful MAJ ipu ations aud heal ed grievous
wounds b., cunning plasters spread by
their Own fair hands. In that idylliC
novel of the thirteenth century, "Auoassin
and NiColette We see the heroine acting
the part Of Il surgeon when her lover had
dislOeated his shoulder, and in the 70,
nance of ii G de It, Giles" Ellie, who
has been wounded. is carried by the fair
RosamOnde into her chamber, where she
takes precious herbs from her Golfer and
applies them to his wounds
Neither the good wife of Bath nor
Grise da knew what it was 10 take up
and put down carpets. they spread rushes
and sweet herbs GU the floor instead when
they pected com any. They covered
the walls of their homes with tapestry
and sat at their meals on heavy wooden
benches and stOols The table was lit.
orally board of boards, set on trestles
and covered with cloth The good cheer"
of that old time would seem strange
enough to US Far ey and oaten bread.
bacon, boiled fish, capons. eggs man
chefs, with vast quantities Of home.
brewed ale or mead, and sOmetimas<
among the MOBILES. wines from the Levant
covered the medieval tabe Food was
not always plentiful in the homestead
The choicest articles of furniture in
the kitchen of the middle ages xas the
sideboard or court cupboard. Il was
usually richly carved and made with
little compartments, il which small art
icles of plate could he placed On the
top the good mothers arranged for display
the beakers. tankards. tiagoDs, drinking
horns. basins and pOrTingers. On the
shelves glistened the family plate, often
of pewter, which was of value at that
time Beside them were the lesser uteu-
sils. the forks for the green ginger. tho
the powder box for spripkling green
spiCoS over the meats the curious car ing
knives the p-kniyes, the spoons and
that singular vessel called the "maser
cup" manufactured from the knottrsi
wood and handsomely ornamented with
silver, which was used on great occasions
ike hristmas 10 pass around a warm
spiced drink of which all the company
must partake
There was no stove in the medieval
kitchen, and even chimneys were rare
The fire was usually kindied on a stone
hearth in the middle Of the room, the
smoke passing out from hole in the
roof. Even in castles only two or three
of the largest rooms had a cover" or fire
hearth: around these the servants and
housecarles sat Shivering in the cold WIN.
ter months ater, some of the queens
had braziers or small iron furnaces in
their rooms
The days work done. the spinning
wheel sat away. the children tucked in
their racks, the bots Of the door drawn,
the fire smouldering on the stone hearth
and the feeble rushlight burning low in
its socket, the good wife and her husband
sought the chamber where stood the great
posted sett. work bedstead, covered with
its harden sheets made of coarse fax
tear sheets iof fine AK flock beds
wool Coverlets, pillow beers and
counter points" quilts made in squares
of contrasting colors
Thus lived and dined and slept the
housewife Of the middle ages Doubt IS
she thought herself favored creature.
but who Of her nineteenth century sisters
would care to go back and live in those
good old times2"
The Tramps Mistake.
Hartford p, st
In these days when sanitary science is
scatfered broadcast over the land IL iS