The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-04-26
THE SOUTH THROUGH NORTH
Erin EYES.
Some Southern Ways.

come of a stranger among the people
is certainly cordial. If it is understood
that ones visit is to be a short one,
they hasten to call, and so it happens
that one has received in two or three
days o calls than could possibly be
returned in person during a short visit.
If it is known that the visitor is to q
m ain some time among them, they are
none the lessscordial, but they wait a
little longer before calling. Neverthe-
less one is kept as busy as one cares to
be in returning calls; for it would be
as d~iscourteous to neglect to acknowl-
edge a call as it would be to neglect to
call upon a stranger. Those who have
just moved into a place are welcomed
with the same cordiality that visitors
receive. We who live near New York
where people are continually moving
do not think so much of welcoming
the new conner as people do here where
removals are not frequent. Their kind
ness is not put on for strangers only,
but among themselves exchanges of
cOurtesies are frequent. In trouble,
| sickness o death they are exception
ally kind. A napkin covered tray in
closing flowers or some delicacy for a
sick one, borne by a messenger through
the streets, is not an unusual sight,
and n almost wishes to be sick in
such a place. In such case one would
hope not to be like M hapless young
man, who when sick had so many good
things sent to him that he could by no
means eat them and who would not let
any else partake of them. One
would rather even be like the who
when sever trays of dainties were sent
in one day called in his sister to assist
in the disposal of them.
If night-watchers or other help r
needed in sickness there is no need to
seek any one; some one has already
offered the needed service. Not only
for a day or a night, but for weeks if
need be, some n is always on hand
to assist. In some cases there is no
need V e for any cooking to be done
in the house; for kind neighbors take
care that when meal time comes care
worn One are supplied. Floral offer
ings are made not only in sickness, but
on all occasions.
Thefashion of sending valentines made
Of fancy paper and a bit of sentimen-
tai poetry is dying out and no one re
grets it; but if we could all follow the
custom of the young people here one
would wish that it's observance might
not cease. They have a custom of
sending a box or a tray of flowers or
some dainty gift to those for whom
they care most. Of course, the chill
dren still delight in going after dark,
tapping at doors, leaving a comic val
entine o rbit of paper and then running
off. You go to the door knowing what
to expect, so it is all taken in good
part and no one is angry because of
finding some horrible caricatUre.
A phrase that attracted my atten-
ton here was: II must hurry home
and give out the dinner: I didn't have
time to do SO before I came out" 1t
seemed odd to me that the cook should
not know enough to get the dinner her
self; but I soon learned that all eata-
bles were kept under lock and key and
given out only at the time necessary
for preparation. These Southern house
keepers are very cautious about put
ting any temptation to take "just a lit
tie tea" or "a little sugar" in the way
of their help. Might it not be we'll for
some of our Northern women to take
a lesson from this ? Of course in the
North where servants sleepin the house
the temptation to pilfer is not so great,
here no help, except a nurse, sleeps in
the house. The servants go to their
own homes at night, coming in the
morning in time to prepare breakfast.
AS a result of this, some rather anus
ing incidents occur. One night a gen
tl9man, desiring to leave home by the
five o'clock train next morning, told
the cook to come at four to get break
fast. Shortly after midnight he was
aroused by a rap at the door and on 60
ing down he found the cook. She had
no clock so guessed" that it must be
time to come.
Light bread, as raised loaf bread is
called, is not in great demand-at least
here. These ome seem to have a
prejudice against using compressed
yeast; the o'd-fashioned way of max
ing yeast with a piece of dough it pre-
ferred. Biscuits and mullins, without
which a Southern table is scarcely
complete, are not the only things the
Southern housekeeper excel in; but