The National tribune., 1897-09-23

Like Robert Inrule's Job Alcott's house
was substantial hewed-iog house, with a
wide ENTRY between the two ends. While
everything about the house and farm APP
peared rude and primitive, equally every
thing showed care forethoaght, and untirnS
industry. There had been as much Of these
expended in building the house, in develop
ing the farm. and in maintaining both in best
order as could be found Evidenced on the
trinlmest farm in New England or New York
today The only difference was il the ma
terais and knowledge as 10 their use. The
logs in the walls had been hewed very smooth
End regular. The corners were neatly joined
the clay filing between the lo.s had been
worked down very smooth and wbltewaShcd,
the ylapbcards on the roof were all sound and
in place, the great cIimneys at either end
rose several feet above the ROOT, and were
neatly built; the iioas were Of wilipsawed
ash boards, which. by long use. sweeping,
and scrubling, had become as smooth "a glass.
comfortable, wide porch ran in front OF
the house The fences and farm-buildings
were all in good order, there was still corn
in the crib, wheat in the bin, and hay III the
stack from last years harvest, and weli-con-
,.iti0ned horses, cattle, sheep and hogs were
feeding On the sweet, fresh grass of Spring
time.
All this was the product of free labor-the
handivor1 of job Alcott and his stalwart
sons. as the clothes they wore. the beds on
which they slept the food they ate. came
from the hands of Mrs Alcott and her buXom
daughters. A slave had scarcely ever set foot
on the place No bondman's hand had SC
much as lifted single stone from Its bed to
place ii on one OF the walls dividing the fields.
ii was very busy day in the Alcott house
hold The whole family had risen betimes
to make preparations for entertaining theiI
neighbors The men had given up their field
work to help the women folks" about the
house. 1t was one of the days when Job Al
colt abdicated his headship OF the family, and
the scepter passed into the hands OF his ener.
getic helpmeet
Mrs. Alc0tt-tall, broad-chested. and
strong-Yoiced--w everywhere, ordering and
arranging. without haste. worry, or temper
| but keeping the work everywhere in swift
progress job and his six sons had filed the
wash-kettles. set in stone furnaces, with
wafer carried from the Spring. and built fires
under them. IN one was placed hams which
one of the boys brought from the smoke
house and trimmed. In anot er was a sheep
which had been killed that morning, and DO
tatoes. In the third, chickens and more
potatoes. The great stone oven had beer
heated up, and was turning out the wheat
bread, cornpone and pies for which Mrs. AL
/ colt vas famous.
Forked sticks had been driven down in tb,
| pleasant peach-orchard. On these were lait
cross-pieces, which supported the planks TO
| improyised tables. The yiands spread upoi
| three hy Mrs AIcatf and the five pomel,
maidens who seemed Implications of hersel
| AT different ages. lacked the fine French name
| OF modern restaurant. bat anyone who hat
ever eaten OF both kinds would not hesitate
to turn from the cut-glasS and silver an,
dainty napery of the Fifth Avenue to tn
! hOmely yellow ware, the tin cups, the gourd
and the wooden dishes ard spoons OF the Al
colt meHage Besides the meats and tn
famous bread and pies there was honey il
| the comb maple sugar and sirup. milk
cream, butter and smear kase " from tn
lusciously cool spring house, and over all wa
that Undesirable feeling of cleanliness
| purity, genuineness and wholesOmeness onlr
to be found in the kitchen Of a well-condncte,
farmhouse, and which no amount of care
cost or elegance of surroundings can give
hotel or restaurant table.
The SEPARATION between the two castles G
m0untan-lolks extended even to their food
People of the Inrule-Alcott class ate onl
what their farms produced-beef, pork
mutton, poultry, and the like. They NIGH
occasionally eat yenison or bear meat, an,
some of them were fond Of squirrels, will
! others abhorred them as too catty" Mis-
lnrule would have been Mortified at tn
thought OF allowing rabbit to he cooked il