The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-03-23

NEW ENGLAND
IN THE 18TH CENTERT

|
in the eighteenth century presented il
! strange contrast to the fact with which
We are familiar.
The house Of the settler was apt to
he built of logs, the chinks daubed
with clay, and the roof tiiatched with
long grass. In the latter and better
class Of dwellings, the logs We're hewn
square, so as to need no chinking; or Il
frame was made Of heavy oak timbers,
and all mortised and braced together
in way that would be bewlldering
enough to carpenter Of to-day. The
sides were covered with split oak clap
boards, and rooted with split cedar
shingles, fastened bv large wrought
IRON nails. The windows consisted OF
| two small lead frames, set with Il few
diamond shaped panes of glass Cor
sometimes even oiled paper and hing
ed so as to open outward against the
house. As the building stood exactly
facing the south, the sun ''shone square
in at noon and gave warning of the
dinner hour.
The doors were Of oak plank, doub-
led and nailed together with spikes ar
ranged IN the form of diamonds. They
were often hung on wooden hinges, and
were securely fastened at night by
| heavy wooden cross bars. In the cen
tire of the house Cor externally, in the
poorer dwellings) rose a stone or brick
chimney, about twelve feet square at
the base, affording a fireplace large
enough for seats to be placed at the side,
where the children could sit in the
winter evenings and look up at the
stars. To "lav the fire. was no small
matter: for the back a huge ''back log .
fully four feet long, was rolled in, then
on the andirons was placed ''front
log Between these were piled enor-
nous quantities of smaller wood. The
fire was big one.
The kitchen and the 'best ROOM
were the chief apartments. In the for
mer the centre attraction was the great
fireplace and the roaring fire, its high
backed wooden settle CASUALLY of oak }
ant the swinging crane with pot-hooks
to hold the iron pots for cooking.
The ceiling of the room was rarely
over seven feet high, and the sturdy
farmer often brushed against it with
his bearskin cap. From the bare joists
overhead hung punches Of herbs, seed
corn, and long rings Of dried apples.
The walls Of the room in the be ter
dwellings were plastered and white
washed. The furniture was plain; a
tall wooden clock, dresser set out
with the cherished pewter dishes
brought over from England; a spinning
wheel, and perhaps loon for weaving.
The ''best room was used only on
state occasions; ordinarily it was care
fully closed and locked to keep out the
flies, and preserve its sacred precincts
from unlawful intruders. The and
irons were of brass and shone like gold,
and the fireplace in summer was gar
nished with asparagus branches. On
the mantel shelf s'ood the high brass
candle-sticks with the accompanying
tray and shutters.
There was no carpet, but the floor
was sanded, and marked off by the
housewife in many Il quaint design.-
Against the walls hung the family
painting, fondly cherished, not only as
mementos of the departed, but also OF
the life beyond the seas. Here, too,
was the library, containing few rare
lv read books; for books were scarce
and costly, reading WAS d serious mat
ter, taken up for improvement and not
forpastime.
Among those few books were sure to
be found the family Bible, 1ouns's
Might Thou sh+s," Watts "Improve-
ment of the Mind," Fox's ''Lives OF
the Martyrs Addison's "Spectator,"
and Milton's .'Paradise Lost AS the
tiny windows gave little light by day,
s. by night home made ta|low candles,
or the pine knot on the hearth, shed
out Il faint or hickering illumination
IN cold weather the fire was heaped
high, for wood was abundant; but
through numerous chlnks and creviceS
the cold winter air poured in, so that
as an old writer remarks, ''W hile one
side of the inmates was toaStlng, the
other was freezin =" To make matters
still worse. the smoke, escaping into
the room, by no means favored study
or any employment requ iring the use
Of the eyes.
The food was served generally on
wooden pIaters 1t was plentiful but
coarse. Fresh meet was rarely seen
except when game WAS ,aken (and
there were wild turkey here then. y
Salt pork or beef. salt iish, and ''rye'
and-Indian' bread, or bannock>,
composed the staple diet. '1he far