The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-25

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The early inhabitants of New Eng
land and the Middle States were in
dustrious and frugal and simple in
their habits. These traits were as
much Unborn as their bold daring and
stubborn independence. Cut off as
they were from the mother country
and supplies, they soon found the ne
cessity of self dependence. AS neces-
sity is the mother of invention, their
hands seized upon new resources and
supplied their real wants. AS Hol-
land says, "They drove the plough,
they trafficked, builded, delved, they
spun and wove. They taught and
preached they FASTENED up and down,
each on his little errand, and their
eyes were full of eager fire, as if the
earth and all its vast concerns were in
their hands"
Do you remember DIR. Beecher's
picture of his life at Aunt Benton's?
1--WE had wooden trenchers first, then
pewter, and finally earthenware. Our
living was very good. Rye bread,
fresh butter, buckwheat cakes, and
pie for breakfast. After the dishes
were washed Annis and / helped aunt
milk. Then they made cheese and
spun till dinner. We dined on salt
pork, vegetables, and pies; corned
beef also, and always on Sundays a
boiled Indian pudding. We made a
stock of pies at Thanksgiving, froze
them for winters use, and they LASTED
till March. After dinner aunt put
things to rights, Annis spun, and /
worked fax and foddering. In the
evening we visited, chatted, ate APP
Piles, drank cider, and told stories.
On Sunday nights the lboys went a
courtin'"
These habits, with little variation,
continued, /. for $50 years. The old
men and youngImen all had Sun
day coat, waistcoat and small clothes
and fur hat. The old men only had
a "great coat" which lasted an aver
age lifetime. Young men never
thought of wearing an overcoat;
they often wore full wig, but com
Portable great coats were for old men.
The men had one pair of we'll trimmed
leather boots, reaching to the knees.
The winter suit was homespun fan
mel breeches and jacket, long striped
waistcoat buttoned down before,
flannel or woolsey shirt, blue yarn
long stockings, such as DIR. Franklin
wore at the Court of France, and
heavy leather shoes. Shoe buckles
of steel or brass, rarely of silver, con-
tinued in use till 1900. The eldest
boy had, for summer, home made
suit, which, when outgrown, was
handed down to the next.
The women and girls wore on Sun
day, in winter, homespun flannel,
fulled and pressed and sheared at
the factory-and they smiled in these
simple suits, guiltless of tuck or
truffie, frill or bow. A silk gown was
more prizsd than paid up life in
surance policy of today. For the
silk dress was for life, with no danger
of "fraying." A string of gold beads
or necklace was the crowning glory
and ambition of the young woman's
toilet Not much less precious were
the huge leghorn bonnets which were
made to do duty year after year by
having them occasionally blocked
and pressed. The more common
dress of the women was loose gown
aud petticoat. la this graceful aud
healshful costume our grandmothers
baked and brewed, washed and
ironed, carded and spun, warped and
filled, wove and quilted, laughed and
sung, and rocked the cradle. They
touched the spinning wheel with deft
fingers and from the shining spindle