The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-11-11
How Our Puritan Fathers lived
aud Raised Us.

NluIti VI 1000.
How Our Puritan Fathers Lived
aud Raised Us.
Alice Morse Earle has Just given
US through Scribuer's a delightful
book in her "Customs AID Fashions
in Old New England Clear, con-
else and accurate a. is the writer's
style, a certain sense of humor and an
eye for the picturesque enlirens
pages of matter and quotations that
in ether hands would become both
dry aud popderous.
With the close of the last chapter
one feels especially if he has the blood
of old New England in his veins, a
sense almost of intimacy with his
ancestors. How they were received
into this world, and were ushered out
of it; their grim childhood, with its
solemn joys and v punishmeuts;
their homes and holidays; their books
and bookmakers; their family table
and qajte flippant drinks; their ply
sieians and patients, and even, be it
spoken reverentlv, their courtships
and marriages are put before us in q
fascinating way.
The chapter on Child Life" con-
vinces the reader that, though having
a totally different enl in view, the
Spartan and the Puritan fathers
adopted much the same means to IN
sure among their offsprings the sur
vival Of the toughest rather than the
fittest.
On the very first Sunday after he
was born the Puritan baby was bound
to be baptized, and this without re-
gard TO billiards., christening bowls
i'll which ice was was solid. and meet
ing houses, cold, damp and deadly
with draughts. Truth TO tell, so
many infants died of this religious
ceremony that had the first families
of Plymouth Rock been of the modern
American standard. Va should, as an
Irishman might put it, have no an
cestors at all.
In those days, however, large fami-
lies abounded. Judge Sewall. the
Pepys of New England, was the faith
er of fourteen Spri.S of original sin,
all but three of whom died in early
infancy: Sir William Phipps was one
of twenty-six children, all with the
same mother: Printer Green had
thirty: the Rev. JOAN Sherman of
Watertown twenty by his second
wife, his first merely lett him a re-
mindcr in the shape of six: the Rev
Samel Willard, who was of sevcn-
teen, had twenty SOM and daughters.
THE CHILDREN.
The children of those early days
were brought up on all extraordinary
mix ure of religion and rubbish.
Their pleasure trips were TO the fani-
ly tomb or 10 church, from which
they usually returned in tears and
deep mourning over the l which
made them afraid to die. The terrors
of witchcraft and birch rods were
ever present, and their literature bore
such titles as "Spiritual Milk for Bos-
ton Babes in Either England; Drawn
Out of the Breasts of Both Tesla
ments for Their Souls Nourlshment."
Another lively volume gave "Some
Examples of Children in Whom the
Fear of God was Remarkably Bud
ding Before They Died: in Several
Parts of New England" A popular
beck was "rhe Prodigal Daughter;
or the Disubedicnt Lady Reclaimed:
adorned with curious cuts. Price,
siKpence.
1t is comforting to remember that
in those days. though the children
had plain fare and were physiced
with doses of snails. sorIel. worms.
saffron, rhubarb and %hartshorn. there
were delightful ships from the far
East that came into port laden with
China oranges, "raisins of the sun"
glazed almonds and great tubs of
sugar candy. What a saving grace
may have been in these goodies to
children, who, at , wears OF age could
repeat chapters of the Scriptures, and
at i"unicrwent conversion" Curious
ly enough, with all the restrictions
they were under. the children were
allowed TO drink wine, cider and beer
freely enough, and a very proper lit
tie Bosten maid of II tells her molh-
er in . letter how she had just been
TO "a coming out party" of young
girls who had for their treat nuts.
cakes, wine, punch, hot and
cold, all in great plenty.
Cashier