The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-09

pie matter then that it Is to-day.
The first thing in the day was the inn
portant laying of the table. The big
mahogany table, made in England, anG
used there by our fathers and mothers
in their early married life, was covered
with the thick wooden cloth-for cotton
telling was then unknown-and over
that was spread the exquisite fragrant
linen tablecloth of the finest Belfast
weave The old silver coffee-urn that
had stood for three generations on the
hospitable Virginia table of our grand
mother, the delicate Nankin cups, the
beautiful old India blue plates Gall
brought by our father from over the
sea in his early voyages, before he set
tied down to be ship merchant in New
York;, the steel knives polished to shine
like mirrors-the heavy cleaning sill
yer spoons and forks-all made the ta-
BILE unique and beautiful. Last of all
the decanters, polished to the highest
degree of brilliancy, were filed with
port and sherry or Madeira, all old
and all having been at least once
around the world, Then the delightful
eatables The picked oysters-a big
bowl of them, priceless old bowl, and
a very easy one to fish out of when
mothers back was turned; for picked
oysters were a great dainty in those
days, and New Years table without
them would have been lacking indeed.
1t was so easy to fish them out with a
dextrous thumb and forefinger--a dex-
4 terity acquired by long practlce--that
we could eat several without being
caught. Once in a while we were near
ly caught, though, for mother would
say, Dear me, l hadn't noticed that
some people took picked oysters; the
bowl must be filled up again." and then
she would say to grandmother-our
quiet little grandmother in her easy
chair, who never told what she saw,
and never even appeared to see. ITS
because of that old rec pc that we
brought with us from Virginia" Then
we fled lest we might laugh out loud"
The first thing that we did in the
morning was to look out and see if it
was a pleasant day, and 1t seems to me
I now that it usually was pleasant. If
! not-what a grumbllng there was all
around! Our father was always on the
! list of martyrs, no matter what the
| day was-until. some. years before the
customs died out, he declared himself
"out of the game" and stayed peace
fully at home all day On those stormy
days he used to say, Must make some
calls you say, mother-well, I'll die of
lung fever; see if don't" eve did not
have pneumonia them And mother
would groan, ooh, what state my
carpets will be in" But the crisp, cold
days--those in Tenth street, and 1t was
then way up town. People did live
above Union square but 1T seemed to
us to be the end of all things, and we
often wondered where Broadway went
to, for 1t was all an unknown beyond
to us then--that is, it was all unknown
except when we took sleigh ride out
on the Bloomingdale road, in one of the
Kipp & Brown sleighs. But that was
such a time of wild hilarity that we did
not pay very much attention to land
marks Of any sort
At that time most of the men who
called upon my mother came early or
late, for, as she explained to me, the
people in our vicinity began up town
and worked down, and the down town
men began there and worked up. ] re-
member that we had many friends then
who lived in down town streets. ] re-
member, especially, Duane street and
Bowling Green. OF course, many--very
many-lived in the region a few blocks
below and above Washington Square,
Bond, Amlty, Blocker, Waverly Place,
and Clinton Place, all were residence
streets. Now, how all Is changed-even
the names in one or two instances.
So mother was always ready to greet
her guests by ten o'clock. Father and
our eldest brother, the one gay and full
of anticipation of the day. and the 9TH
er a good and obedient husband were
sent off with their cravats properly
tied-and their card-cases full. Then,
in my best gown and wide sash and
stiffly starched and rustlng pantalettes
that scraped together as | wa ked, | was
often only too happy to be sent flying
up stairs and down, on errands, while
Mary Anne was dressing to go to the
door. Sometimes, even, | was allowed
to open the door for the very first early
and unexpected caller and was hap
Ply if allowed to sit on a stool behind
the door, where I could peep through
the sidellght and let in the caller be-
fore he could touch the bell. 1t Is true
that / was ignominiously hustled out of
the way again when Mary Anne, in stiff
fly starched calico, immaculate white
apron and smooth, shining bands of
hair, came rustling don to take her
place. Our staid and altogether respec-
table Mary Anne, who 'lived with u.s.
from my very earliest recollection until |
she died In our house many years after !
would there were more like her. She |
never wore a cap--not she--and, indeed, |
as | look back I cannot remember that |
I ever saw a maid with a cap on any |
where, although there may have been |
some who wore them. l felt so happy |
and proud when the callers began to |
come several at time-some throwing |
a card on the hall table as they passed |
it, and some walking straight In, hat |
in hand, to be out again in two min
utes. Some never sat down for a sec
ond, but simply said Happy New Year,
Mrs. S. and Fine day or bad |
day." and then went away.
Early in the day no one ever took
that is, to eat or drink, but
about one o'clock, as I have said, the
men who came to lunch appeared, took
off their coats when they came in, and
announced that they were all ready for
"a glass of the captains wine" and
all the good things were spread before
tl,n,N ti,~1c