The Delta independent., 1888-11-27
THANKSGIVING THEN.
Remembered for Polly.
by ROSE TERRY COOKE.

G0t up In my lap, POlly, ana III toll
you all about Thanksgi wing when was
little girl Lear me! that is long time
ago, and sometimes mamma thinks there
will never be any more such days, even
for you little girls; but after all, know.
you do have nice times now.
1 must begin with my grandmother's
kitchen; for know you will never see q
kitchen like that. 1t was large and low,
with two windows opening on to the back
yard, out Of whose green, knotty panes
used to watch the pigeons and the cats,
and see what Hiram was doing at the
barn, when 1t was too cold for me to play
on the wo0d-plle or in the carriage house.
There were all sorts Of closets and cup
boards about the kitchen, aud . sink-room
and kettle-room opening out Of it. and
beyond these well-room. Butthe queer
est thing Of all was the fireplace. It was
very wide, indeed-so wide you could sit
in each corner and look up the chimney
to the sky. The fire was in the middle,
and was made Of big logs piled up ON
great iron andlrons. Over 1t was an iron
thing called crane, fiat, strong bar of
iron, that swung off and on, SO you could
put on the kettle without burning your
arms In the flame, 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, 80 the pot-hooks
could be put in higher or lower just
as was needed. There was q bake
kettle stood in one corner of the chimney.
and charcoal furnace in the other, SO
that you could cook great many things
at once. What fun We children did have
at that fireplace, when the cook was good
natured. We used to tie apples to strings,
and then fasten the strings to the shelf
above and see the apples twirl and roast
and drip into saucers. We used to melt
loaf-sugar In little wire baskets tied to
just such strings, and see 1t drop into but
tered pans. making cakes Of clear amber
candy. We thawed frozen apples in the
dish-kettle, and roasted ears Of corn by
leaning them against the andirons. We
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 1t year after year.
But am forgetting Thanksgiving. In
those days we always began to get ready
for 1t on Monday; for there were great
many people to come-aunts and uncles
and cousins-and they must have more
than they could possibly eat, or it would
not be Thanksgiving. So Monday we be-.
gan to stone raisins and cut up citron.
My sister and i lived with my grand
father, and we had other cousins In the
same town who came there every day;
and can tell you little girls and boys
were made useful then. often wonder
what you would do in these days II you
had to help as much as we did. We ston
ed raisns, and picked over cranberries,
and washed Zante currants. and sliced
cit-on, and beat eggs till our arms
ached. Sometimes 1 had to run up and
down hill to the dressmakers; for, Ii had
new winter dress, 1t was always made
for Thanksgiving, and SO was my winter
coat and hat Monday the cake was
made and the cranberry sauce. never
see such cranberry sauce now. II was
hard as jelly and poured into molds which
turned out stiff and smooth. But Monday
was not SO nice q day as Tuesday, for
then we had apples to peel and quarter
and core, 80 they could be stewed and
strained and spiced for the next day;
great lemon -col0red s1uashes to cut up
for the pot, and then the delight Of see
ing them rubbed in soft streams through
the seive; lemons to CRATE for the pud.
dings, and eggs to beat for the calves
foot Jelly, that was long time In making,
and was at last poured into odd, old
fashioned .eily-slasses, where It looked
like white wine. To-day also bread was
made and kaked. The great brick oven
cracked and roared a long time. then II
was cleansed Of Its Goals and swept with a
damp broom, and then one after another
the white swelling loaves were put In, the
pas,s pushed to the end by large fiat
shovel with very long handle, called q
slice. Then Mar; filled . stone jar with
baking pears put I'm . cup OF molasses
and two or three of water, put on the
cover, and fastened 1t down all round
= a T.
oyca when the bread came out, and
stayed there till next morning. By that
time the pears were soft and deep red,
and the jar half filed with syrup, How
iirei we were Tuesday night. But we
did not mind tire, Tor Thanksgiving was
coming. And really next day II began "a
'ome. for this was pie day. There insthe
kitchen grandmother could bs heard long
before breakfast pounding the crust with
her rollinE-pin. willis the big oven flamsd
, md roareli: and Nary baked biscuit in q
riffla FIN nwnn kaEoan fhn Ara n 4 hlD