Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-12-08
THANKSGIVING THEN.
Remembered for Polly.
ny ROSE TERRY COOKE.

Get up in my lap. Polly, aud I'll tell
you all about Thanksgl ing when was a
little girl. ear me that Is a long time
ago, and sometimes mamma THINKS there
will never be any more such days, even
for you title girls bur, after all, know
you do have nice times now.
| must begin with my grandmotheris
kitchen; for , know you will never SEE a
kitchen like that. t was large ami ~
with two windows opening on 10 the back
yard, out Of whose green, knotty panes
used to watch the pigeons and the cats
and see what Hiram was doing ut tho
barn, when 1t was too cold Tor me to play
on the wOod-plle or In the carriage house.
There were all sorts OF closets and Gun
boards about the kitchen, and n sink-ruom
and Kettle room opening out of il, and
beyond these well-rOom. Butthe queer
est thing OF all was the fireplace. X was
very wide, indeed-so wide you could M
In each corner and Ink up the chimney
to the sky. The fire was in the middle
and was made of big logs piled I'm on
great iron andlrons over il was an iron
thing called a crane, a fiat, strong bar Of
iron, that swung oil and on, so GU couId
put on the kettle without burning your
arms In the fame. and then swing them
back to their place. They were hung on
hooks, and these hooks put into short
chains, that had other hooks which held
them on the crane, so the pot-hooks
could be put In higher or lower mat
as was nee led. There was a bake.
kettle stood In one corner Of the chimney.
ana charcoal furnace In the other, 80
that you could cook great many things
az once. what fun we children did have
at that fireplace, when he cook was god
natured. We used to tie apples TO strings.
and then fasten the strings TO the sheI1
above and see the apples twirl and roast
ana drip into saucers We used 10 meIt
loaf-sugar in little wire baskets tied ~
Just such strings and see IL dFpp into bnt.
tered pans, making cakes of clear amber
candy. We thawed frozen apples m tho
dish-kettle, and roasted ears of corn ~
leaning them against the andtrons Wa
always begged the pigs tails at "killing
time, and, rolling them in brown paper
baked them In the hot ashes. They never
were good, nobody ever ate them. but
we persisted In doing it year after year
But am forgetting Thanksgiving. In
those days we ALWAYS began TO get ready
for 1t on Monday; for there were a great
many people to come and uncIes
and cousins and they must have mnre
than they could possibly eat, or Il wonid
not be Thanksgiving. So Monday W. no
gan to stone raisins and cut up citron
My sister and | lived with my grand.
father, and we had other cousins IN the
same town, who came there every dav.
ana can tell you little girls and bows
were mane useful then. | often wonder
What you would DO In these days II Won
had 70 help as much as we did. We sion.
cd raislns, and picked over cranberrIeg.
ana washed Zante currants, and sliced
cltson, an beat eggs till our arms
ached. Sometimes / had 70 rim nm AMI
down hill TO the dressmakers: for IF Ind |
a new winter dress, it was always ,nads |
for Thanksgiving, and 80 was INV gfntcr |
coat and hat Monday the cake wsa
made and the cranberry sauce. naver |
see such cranberry sauce now, n ,yoa !
hard as Jelly and poured into molds which |
turned out stir and smooth. Bnt Monde,
was not so nice day as Tueglav a.
hen we had apples to peel and quarter
md core, so they could be steweI and !
strained and spiced for the newt da,,.
yreat lemon-colored s1uashes to chi m
or the pot, and then the delight Of aea,
ng them rubbed In soft streams througb
he seiye; lemons 10 crate for tho nud
lings, and eggs TO beat for the calves.
DOT jelly, that was a long time In maxine
md was at last poured into odd, old,
ashioned ielly-glasses, where II iooko1
Ike white wine. To-day also bread was
made and baked. The great brick oven
rackied and roared long time, then n
vas cleansed Of Its Goals and swent win
amp broom, and then one after another
he white swelling lOayes were put m. Inc
ans pushed to the end bya large flat
hoyel, with very long handle, called a