The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-06-19
THE VANISHED STILLROOM.
An Old Time English Idea That Is Grad
usliy Disappearing.

Through the open window by
which Dorcas sits picking off the
elder blossoms to make my lady's
fayorite cosmetic come the sound
of the hu1nming bees in the herb
garden just outside and the snip,
snip of Margery's %issors as she
cuts the fragrant lavS-'er and looks
with some satisfaction at the prom
ising crop of dill and marjoram.
When she comes in, she will, with
Dorcas' ni1nble assistance, strip the
little blue blossoms from their stalks,
and as they are nice and dry already
place them in bag of muslin in the
big earthen pot honored by the ap-
pellation of the great pot" in con-
tradistinction to its neighbor, the
lesser pot Besides the fragrant
lavender water and the cooling, vel
vety feeling elder flower essence
there must ere the year be passed be
added other sweet toilet water. The
old cabbage rose tree by the orchard
wall must render assistance, and the
cowslip, whose delicate scent is to
pervade my Lady Betty's chamber.
A dclicacy which is now we'll nigh
forgotten, although it Is still to be
found in old farmhouses, is the dam
son cheese. Why this delightful con-
serve should be called cheese beats
the comprehension of mortal man,
for it is neither like q cheese in
shape, color nor taste, but cheese
it is called, and cheese it will re-
main as long as it survives the oppo-
sition of it's arch enemy, cheap dam
son jam, which, by the bye, is seldom
made of damsons at all, but Of small
unripe plums.
Talking of unripe plums, there are
qualities in the common sloe which
wore we'll known to the housewives
of old, but are now almost univer-
sally neglected. Sloe vino is no
mean tipple and If kept for some
years resembles port closely. It is
strange indeed in these days of adul-
teration that sloe port does not take
the place of the logwood sirup. Sloe
gin is still to some degree popular,
though its composition is CONNER.
cialls doubtful. In the old days some
bushels of sloes were each year con-
sumed by every stillroom worthy Of
the name. Elderberries were also in
great demand, and although the
wine made from them can hardly be
said to BIZ rich OF generous it is,
whep heated with spices and sugar,
a drink not to be despised on cold
winter night.
So many and various were the con-
tents of the stillroom that we In
these degenerate days are apt to
wonder how all these delicacies were
consumed. Our grandparents, how
ever, Were not at a loss on this score.
1.-THE pore the merrier' was their
motto, and we'll they acted up to it.
The uncles and cousins in London,
and in fact town mice generally,
were the fortunate recipients of fire.
quent hampers of country commodi-
ties, among which the results of the
labor of the housekeeper and still
room maids we're very CONSPICUOUS.
Candied orange leaves, damson
cheese and elder flower water were
things not to be had in perfection in
town. The town cousins did not,
however, return the hampers empty,
but crammed with oysters and other
such comestibles which were easier
to obtain in London town, SO that a
system Of friendly barter was carried
on. These things are now no more.
No more does the stageooach deliver
at the Saracen's Hoad or the Ele-
plant and Castle baskets containing
stout stone jars of Mistress Mar
gery's special ounce marmalade or
picked beans. The hamper, when
it exists at all, has degenerated into
q mere pair of fowls and some butter
and eggs. The glory of the stillroom
has departed. Elder flower wine and
cowslip water are things Of tho past,
and the place of wormwood wine
knows it no more.-London Stand
ard.
Squelched.