The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-14
NV Dear Kate:

bly, Dear Kate:
1 have just returned from visit in
the country where a midsummer fes-
ival was held by the children, and as 1
participated in the fun, l suddenly
thought that you could use the same
idea in fall festival at the church.
The pavilion was decorated with
fruit, flowers and vegetables, and beau
tiful decorations they made. Most prom
inent of all was the American flag, made
Of ears of corn, red and white, and the
old-fashioned blue bachelor buttons.
over the platform were festoons of corn
and husks, and beneath them were horns
of plenty, filed with plums and currants
on the stem. The children guessed how
many plums were in the receptacles and
the one guessing the nearest right had
the honor of leading the procession, which
marched around the pavilion singing
The Star Spangled RSnner"
Next came the games and then the
lunch, the chief feature of the after
noon. Across and around the place were
drawn strands of different colored
worsteds. Each child had an end put
into his hand and then followed it out
until he came to the place at the table
to which the strand led. When all were
seated the serving began. The young
men and women from the summer school
were asked to serve, and they came in
dressed in odd and suggestive costumes,
representing characters from Mother
Goose. The children were, of course,
delighted and anxious to see them clos
er, and the procession marched around
the table ard back into the serving room,
from which they again issued bearing
all manner of good things to eat.
Everything was most simple and
wholesome. Snowballs, made of pop
corn, and dolls, made of corncobs, with
molasses candy heads, were the prin
cipal oddities, while whipped cream
and gelatine formed the most of the
dishes. The gelatine was served in odd
shapes such as roosters on a sugar
mound, lobsters, fishes and other ia
miliar objects to juvenile eyes. This
mode of entertainment gave me a very
enjoyable afternoon, as well as the chill
dren, and l was not the only one who
begged recipes for the good things.
Among the best was the following:
Half a box of gelatine soaked in half
pint of cold water for ten minutes.
Then add pint of hot water, sweeten
anu ldNOT 10 ldSie. IOuT a llllle III
mould which has been dipped in cold
water. When sufficiently hard, place
slices Of bananas on it, and pour over
enough of the gelatine to cover. Then
put in finely cut oranges and when this
is hard add more gelatine and so on, al
ternating the ranges with candied cher
ries till the mould is full. When done
set away for two hours and then turn
out and serve with whipped cream.
On leaving the pavilion each child
was presented with a tiny horn about
three or four inches long made of paper,
and filled with fruit which was wrapped
in gay paper napkin and tied with a
piece of baby ribbon. To the ribbon was
attached a card with a quotation from
| one of the Mother Goose verses written
upon it. Try this plan some afternoon
| for the children and see if they are not
| pleased. You will then have amused them
| and helped to pass away dull day,
| particularly rainy one.
Write me again soon and believe me
Yours for health,
COMFORT JONES,
Doctor Of Cookery.