The record-union., 1896-08-17
WAS A new WOMAN.
Progressive Housewife Of Revolutionary
Times.
How a Descendant of Archbishop
Cranmer Became Colonial
Dame.

ness were as indispensable in the olden
time as now, as many incidents in the
alves of the Colonial DANES show"
Then the speaker, who is a. venerable
resident Of Greater New York, woman
slipping down the last decade of a hun
dred years of life, pointed her moral
with a story
Shortly after the war of the revolu-
tion an English ship sailed from London
with one unwilling passenger aboard, a
young girl of Is years, who was there to
say good-by to friends going to America.
In the excitement of the occasion she
was unaware that the vessel had left the
dock, and entered upon a voyage of
many long weeks. When knowledge of
the situation came, surprise was fol-
lowed by tears, but they were useless.
The girl, who was an orphan, never saw
her native land again.
"On reaching New York she was pur-
suaded to remain and make her home
with relatives on Staten Island, and was
sent by them to Philadelphia to finish
her education. In the olden time a young
lady's education included many things
that the modern girl knows nothing of.
Besides the learning from books, they
were taught by special teachers to make
every article of a woman'S wardrobe,
even to corsetS and gloves.
Miss Cranmer (she was a direct de-
scendant from Archbishop Cranmer, the
1nartyr) passed her vacations on Staten
island. The home Of her relatives was a
large farm having an abundance of
fruit trees Of all sorts. A favorite lunch
OF the schoolgirls consisted of large
sweet, luscious plums, Smothered in rich
cream. Taking a bowl in her hand one
day She went to the orchard to gather
some plums. and while thus engaged she
was alarmed at hearing the clatter of
horses feet, and presently the command
to halt, given in a loud tone. Terrified
the bowl fell from her hand, and turning
to flee (for the times were still unset
tled), she reeled, and sank to the ground.
The officer in command Of the COM
pany Of soldiers leaped from his horse,
and raising her in his arms, reassured
her with gentle words. Those were ro-
snantic times, so, of course, this was a
case of love at first sight, and the gal
liant soldier wooed 50 successfully that
she became willing captive, and, al
though she was little more than 16
they We're married in a short time
Her husband was a British officer and
she accompanied him to the British
Provinces, thus becoming a Colonial
dame on the other side of the line.
Marrying SO young and living in
those restricted times did not prevent
this young girl being a good housewife.
She became the mother of fourteen
children, who were educated with in
finite care The daughters were taught
in all the arts of fine needlework, sit
ting while small girls by their mothers
side sewing their daily stint All the
white garments were of linen. How
well I remember the ruff1e down the
bosoms Of the shirts, these and the
large collars with lawn ruff1es worn by
the boys being hemmed by hand with
linen thread that came in skeins from
hanks-the spool cotton in use now be-
ing unknown. Many of the things we
have in such profusion and that we
use without a thought would have
been priced as treasures by this Colo
NAL dame, as the careful manner in
which her skeins of different colored
silks and thread were arranged in the
old-time hussef's show.
The housewifely cares of this gra-
cious lady would appall even the mod
ern busy woman. The sewing for this
numerous family included all the cloth
ing for the seven boys, a tailor coming
into the house several times in each
year. Much of the lace used was made
by the ladies on cushions. The spin
ming wheel was kept busy in this fam
lily, large chests being well stocked
with sheets and stores made of the
linen spun by the nimble fingers Of
this olden time dame. When she was
quite old, for the instruction and amuse-
ment of her grandchildren, she sowed
the seed, spun the fax into linen, and
then made 1t into sheets to show them
the whole process of labor that had to
be performed when she was young and
from which they We're relieved.
LAS the daughters became old enough
they were thoroughly instructed in the
duties of housekeeping, the older ones
taking their weekly turn in superin-
aending the servants and the work of
the home, carrying the keys and giving
out the supplies. Women's clubs and
charitable organizations being not then
in vogue each woman was home mis-
sionary and philanthropist on her own
account Often, hearing Of cases of
want and distress miles distant from
her home. this dame had filed a basket
self to visit her suffering sister. Sew
eral times, bound on these kindly er-
Tands, she got lost in the forest-her
home being then in the country-and
n wandered for hours before reaching her
destination
After some years of life further
south the husband and father was or
dered to st. John, y. B., and the fami-
~ removed there. Though city, the
place was very primitive. Think of liv-
ing. and enjoying life, too, without run
ming water in every room, not even
IN the kitchen. Indeed, water did not
run at all, but was dipped up and
drawn up with infinite pains and labor
and carted through the streets in hogs
heads From these householders bought
the precious liquid by the pailful at
j, 2 or pennies each, according TO the
size of the pail or the scarcity of the
luxury. The first question put to an
applying maid in those days was, How
little water can you manage with for
a day?'
My mother was one Of the daughters
of this family. She must certainly have
been one of the new women Of the olden
time, for she was extremely dissatisfied
with things as they were. 1t was not
suffrage that troubled her, nor the
single tax theory; her anxieties were
more commonplace. Had there been a
Health Protective Association at that
time / am sure she would have been
an active member, for home cleanliness
and sanitation were her specialties at
a time when both were difficult to