Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-16
THE VERMONT PHOENIX. BRATTLEBORO
TIE HOUSEHOLD.
BREAKFAST
IN the sonthnR ID Fnniily---NVholcsom
Food Dnintily served.


The pleasantest dining rooms are those
which are used partially as living rooms.
Rich or humble, decorated or simply furn
ished, they are then permeated with the
atmosphere of home. Early in her married
life Mrs Southmayd determined that her
dining room should be TO the home some
thing what the heart is to the individual
From it should circulate the warmth, the
cheer the life-giving forces which so great
~ influence disposition. There were pic
lures on the walls--not Of dead game and
stereotyped fruits, but etchings Of country
life and noble landscapes. Bright bits Of
porcelain and handsome vases decorated the
mirror shelves over the mantel, and the
buffet sparkled with silver and china. By
one window stood stand Of flowers in win
ter, from which bussoming plant or rich
leaved bcgonia was daily borrowed for the
centre Of the table Over the windows and
about pictures trailed ivies and other vines,
the sunshine Inning their delicate trnceres
on wall and table for this house mother
believed in sunshine, literally and meta
phorically, it seemed 20 her that the lack Of
it was the great want of the human family.
An open fire. too, made one of the dining
room necessities
So far from being, as in too many house
holds regarded as the most uniuportant
meal Of the day-a meal Of "picked-up
dishes, served in hap hazard fashion-the
breakfast service had peculiar interest for
the Southmayd family, as the beginning Of
domestic daily life, the first time all came
together after visit TO the land of sleep.
None were allowed to come to the table
yawning, unkempt and half -dressed Well
brushed hair, fresh collars, cheerful faces
1 Ill.
and were expected of all The cross. dis
orderly and irritable child, banished to a
side table and forced to eat alone, learned
to control temper, tongue and habit. Seat
ed at table, each was expected to contrib
ute a scripture text, bit Of verse, or a
prose quotations. dozen words, perhaps,
worth reading and remembering. A knife,
fruit knife and teaspoon at the right of each
plate, a fork and napkin at the left, the salt
and a small butter plate directly above, and
the breakfast dishes in a pile before the
fathers chair, was the usual mode of serv-
ing breakfast Mt the Southmayds'. 1t was
the daily habit TO eat fresh fruit, either
cooked or in its natural state, the first thing
after sitting down TO the table since Mrs.
| Southmayd had been told by scientists that
| fruit acted as a tonic upon an empty stom
ach, a truth which her own experience at
tested. 1t was invariably followed by some
preparation of cereals, either one of the
many kinds of delicious wheat foods, oat
meal, graham mush or hominy. What
next Let the following sample bills OF
| fare-which, Of course, can be infinitely
varied-tell the story
No Baked ounces and cream; white wheat
chopped meat with dropped eggs fried potato
No BAKED apples: graham mush: mutton
chops; baked potatoes; white and brown bread
! cocoa.
No. -stewed pears oatmeal: beef cro1uettes
! mashed potato; graham gems; coffee.
/ No. -Stewcd apple; cracked wheat: poache,
/ eggs. Drowned potatoes; johnny cake coffee.
! No. 5.-Straw berries hOminy; beefsteak; bake,
potatoes; buttered toast; cocoa.
No. Oranges; wheatena: broiled mackerel
/ hashrd potato: graham gems; cocoa
No. -Evaporated peaches, stcwed; cerealine
corn-beef hash; boiled eggs; mullins; coffee.
During the warm days of early summe
or fall the family frequently breakfasted OF
a vine-shaded porch, where an old deal ia
bile answered every purpose. In "A letter L
her sister Mrs. Southmayd described thes
merry occasions. The description read
like poem, but it is poetry that might ente
into every country home without additions
expense and but a little added Horethouch
and labor. She says: MY table linen a
such times consists of yellow or crimso
lunch cloths and napkins. On one corne
is place for the bread board with its brow
and amber loaves in another the golde
butter, fragrant as the breath of the gent
Attorney chewing her cud within sigh
Beside the cracked wheat sets the pitche
not a dwarfed mug, but full grown IL
dermnnic pitcher-hled to the brim wit
creamy richness Beyond stands genel
Gus dish of berries just plucked from I'll
vines, bordered by old fashioned garde
flowers.
"Mayhap peach time has come, and tina
luscious fruit lies drowned in its own del
cioue juices. We leave one plate Of thel
unpealed upon which to feast the ey,
What can be more beautiful than the We
vety, notified surface of this queen of fruit
with orange melting into crimson or fadin
into gold
Perhaps currants are ripe-red, wine
currants, white, translucent currants-
placed beside a generous bowl of sugar
tone down their piquant flavor. Whe
grapes are ripe we pile the purple and All
Der clusters upon lordly dish, wreathc
with their own graceful leaves and tendril
Beside them are spread melons, and viii
! the taste is satisfied the eye takes delight
p the dark green rind, the white lining, al
e the pink centre with its tawny seeds. I'll
= russell and yellow tints of the pear, the plu
- clad in royal livery, the apple streaked wit
e gold or crimson the jet of the blackberr
e the luscious richness of the raspberry
D strawberry are doubly and daily enjoy,
i at our breakfasts and luncheons. Go,
Y housekeeping.
n
I 4 ReprieVe for the Condemned.
Wrptt.lpi men and women long condemned