News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-12-28
The Olden Times,
SEVENTY-FIVE AND EIGHTY YEARS
AGO.
By Aunt Susie Lampson !
EAST CAMBRIDGE, Vt.,(
Dec. Is, 1898.


Dec. Is, 1898.
Mr.. EDITOR:-
L was reading in the Youths Com
panion-the Thanksgiving number
the article entitled, THE Contriv-
ances of the Olden Times, Seventy
Five and Eighty Years Ago." which
brought to my mind some other
things which the young folks may
like to know, so Aunt Susie -
thought she would write another
letter upon the olden times.
The articles pictured out in that
piece were all correct, and they
brought to my mind when we had
the old Dutch back chimney; the
log house; the open fireplace, with
the crane, upon which were the
hooks for the kettles-and on wash
ing days they had large brass, or
iron, kettle that hung over the fire
on the crane to heat the water and
boil the clothes, which were then
washed by hand and not with ma
chimes or different kinds of soap as
now. However, when they were fin
ished and hung out to dry they
looked as white as need be.
Women used ovens in those DAYS
in which an enormous amount OF
provision, enough to last a week,
could be baked at once; con sisting
of brOwn-bread, wheat-bread, rye
bread, beans, pies, sweet-cake gin
gerbread, and sometimes a pudding.
They also fried a whole painful of
nut-cakes-large, twisted ones, one
being nearly a meal. AS they were
made of "riz" dough mot of soda
and milk as now they were very
light and nice AS there we're no
stoves, potatoes could not be baked,
but were roasted in the embers las
told you in one of my former letters)
when done being mealy and nice and
plenty good enough for anybody,
even though it were a king There
were no potato bugs or cabbage
worms then, for the land being new
was not alive with those obnoxious
pests.
At the dawn of fall the beef was
dressed, call hands" taking hold
to help clean the tripe. This done it
was washed and boiled, being as
tender as a chicken when lifted from
the kettle. 1t was then put into a
pickle and seasoned to taste, after
which it was suitable to eat warm or
cold. After the hogs were killed,
sausages were made and a pleasant
sight too it was to watch them. The
meat was chopped until very fine
with the old chopping-knife, then
seasoned with sage, pepper, salt and
cloves, well mixed, and then put into
the small intestines.
In the olden times children did not
attend clubs and parties every night
in the week, but remained at home to
study and learn all they could, de-
voting their spare time to helping
their parents in various ways. Girls
were always willing to set the table
for the meals, which did not consist
of as many courses then as nova
days; neither did the people have so
many dishes to wash, but enough to
get along comfortably, and were
made of pewter. There were few
earthen dishes then. Wooden trench
es, as they We're called, we're used
for the children to eat upon, for they
would not break. Wooden bowls
were also used. Peddlers then car
ried nothing but wooden ware.
In the spare room, so called, the
people had a bed with high post
bedstead and curtains all around it,
made of beautiful curtain cloth,
which looked very nice. The chill
dren all enjoyed these things.
When Thanksgiving time arrived,
in the olden times, the children and
grandchildren gathered at grand
fathers to spend Thanksgiving.
How happy they seemed as they lis
tened to grandpa's stories, while he
sat, with his steel-bowed spectacles
on, in his old armchair, saying,
" Now don't all talk at once" for
Harry or Tom would be anxious to
ask questions. The girls sat at the
tables, not extension tables such as
we have now, for they were unknown,
but at tables placed alongside one
another. When the dinner was
ready, and grandpa had asked the
blessing, all partook of the hounti-
full repast, including chicken-pie,
baked Indian pudding, gingerbread,
sweet-cake, mince, apple, and pump
kin pie, nut-cakes and other good
things.
Before the happy party dispersed
would read chapter from
the Bible and offer prayer. So
fervent would his petition be, and
so powerful his Offering, that to the
throng 1t would seem as though
earth and heaven had met. In the
olden times a day so happily spent
was long remembered.
Aunt" Susie may never write
another letter to the young folks,
and in this wishes them all to be
good always that they may be hap
Ply here and hereafter. She will now
close with the accompanying verse;
This year my age is eighty-seven;
In this true account is given
Of how they cooked, and what they done,
And how they lived whom I was vounU