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

terms, linen sheets, bleached white as
snow, all home made, we're prepared
for the trousseau of every fair TODD
young woman. Live geese feather
beds were an object of great emula-
ton, and moved the social barometer
much as would now solid silver tea
service.
There was time, too, for some fancy
work. Every young lady was ex-
pected to embroider for herself lace
veil and muslin cape, and, above
all, make a sampler, which contained
at least three sets of the alphabet to
serve as patterns in marking the
household linen. Lora Standish's
sampler is among the curiosities of
Pilgrim Hall, with this gentle prayer
wrought with her own hands:
"Lora S'andish is my name.
Lord guide my heart, that 1 may do thy will,
| Also fill my han IS with such convenient skill,
AS will conduce to virtue, void of shame,
And will give The glory to thy name.'
The oldtime dwelling houses were
usually built two stories in front,
with two liberal-sized front rooms. an
immense kitchen, with two bed
rooms, a buttery Or pantry, and
square chamber up stairs. When it
was possible, all the houses fronted
the south and told II o'clock with
the accuracy of a chronometer Every
window was a sun dial and often the
only timekeeper. For many years
most of the houses were innocent of
paper or paint, and some of plaster
ing, though kept light and clean with
frequent whitewashing. The open
beams, girders, and walls were fes-
TONED with herbs and seeds and
various home products for use or or
nament. From the roots, herbs, ber-
ries, wild flowers, and a little New
England rum, our grandmothers
could prepare remedies to cure all
the ills of body and soul.
The freplaces occupied nearly one
side of the three large rooms, and in
the kitchen space was left for one, and
sometimes two, brick ovens. The fire.
place equipments were an iron back,
ornamented with various designs,
long crane with graduated hooks and
trammels, huge andirons, the shovel,
tongs, poker, and the bellows. Near
by was the wooden settee. Clocks
were rare. From its high perch on
the ''mantel tree" an hour glass did
good service. Then, too. stood a row
of polished iron and brass candle
sticks with shutters in the tray. The
cupboard and buttery shelves gilt.
tered with rows of platters, plates,
pans, pitchers, and porringers. These
last were in common use for drinking
porridge till tea and coffee banished
them by introducing cups and sau-
GERS.
In the evening they burned pine
knots for light or home made tallow
candles. One hundred years ago
few had carpets, and those only in
front of the chairs. The floors were
scrubbed white as snow and sanded
with white sand. The Dutch house
wives of New York carried this to
great excess.
The family punch bowl was seen
oftener than the family coat of arms.
Nearly everybody drank the famous
punch and flip. At trainings, town
meetings, installations and funerals
it was sanctioned by general usage.
A barrel of wine was drunk at the
funeral of a Boston minister. The
towns were obliged to pay large bills
for rum and cider at the funerals of
paupers. The great temperance re-
form of 1926 that swept like wild fire
came none too soon, and the punch
bowl was swept out of sight.
In olden times the children did not
sit at the table with their parents,
but we're quite content at side table
with good bean pcrridge and brown
bread, made of native corn and rye,
baked in brick oven. Saturdays
baking, in some full-sized families,
as the loaves ranged along the PAN
try shelf, resembled the ranges of
the Rocky Mountains in the school
atlas.
Dec. %, 1859, the Old Colony Club
was formed 'to resist the oppression
of the Crown" On that day, the an
niversary of the landing of the Pill
grims, the original seven members
sat down to a feast with the follow
ing menu:
Fi-st-A large baked Indian huekleberry pud-
ding.
Second-A dish of succotf sh (corn and beans).
Third-A DISH OF clans.
FOurth-A oish of oysters aud dish of cod
fish.
Flfih-A hauneb of venison, roasted.
Sixth-A dish of roasted sea fowl.
Seyenth-A dish of fresh fish and ees.