Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-12-19
GRANDFATHER suit.
A True Story of Christmas in
Early Pioneer Days.

| II was tue udy DeIOre CnflStmaS
and my foremother stood looking
with pride at her handiwork, as my
grandfather stood before her arrayed
in brand new suit Of clothes made
by her own skillful hands. Every
step in the manufacture of those gar
ments had been performed by her,
from the cleaning and carding of the
wool down to the last stitch in the
completed suit, which she had fin
ished the evening before.
She had taken much pains with
the coloring, and other preparation
of the materials of which the clothes
were made. Thekne breeches were
that combination of black and white
known in olden times as pepper and
salt. The coat was beautiful snuff
color, and the waistcoat was q bright
indigo blue. Very handsome my
grandfather locked in the eyes of his
loving spouse, as she surveyed him
critically, and noted the color and fit
of each garment in succession.
Grandfather had been needing his
warm wool suit very sadly; and
grandmothery.with her many& little.
ones 10 care for, had been working
almost night and day to get the gar
ments ready for him before Christ
mas should come.
He was to go the settlement"
ten miles away, that morning, on
important business, and also tomake
some purchases necessary to the
proper observance of the coming
holiday. His new suit had come in
good time, for the sky was gray, and
the air had chill in it which boded
coming snowstorm.
Let the boys finish banking up
the house today" he said, as he
mounted his stout horse, and don Z
worry i'll be not home till after dark,
for / have many things to attend to
at the settlement and may not get
started before sunset"
His wife gave him a reassuring
reply, and he rode bravely away,
with his musket across his saddle,
toward the path which led through
the woods to the distant town.
Grandmother's heart swelled with
tenderness and pride, as she watch
ed him out of sight, for he was good
husband to her, as we'll as a goodly
man to look upon. Well, she knew
that no woman in the land had bet
ter husband than she. She went in
to the house, and busted herself with
her household duties, assisted by
her well-trained, obedient children.
There was still much to be done in
preparation for the great feast day
on the morrow. Two fat pigs had
been killed the day before and the
spare ribs shared with the neigh
bors. Today there were sausages
to make, and the turkey to kill and
prepare for baking on the morrow.
The pies had been made, and long
row of them stood on a shelf in the
cellar. Grandmother's brick oven
had seldom been empty during the
last week, and the amount of work
that she had turned of in that time
would astonish matron of the pres
ent day. This lady was noted, even
in that day of active housewives, for
her great executive ability. Ii was
said that, on certain forenoon in
her early life, she had churned, spun
five knots of yarn, ironed, cooked a
boiled dinner, and made q lsnsey-
woolsey dress, which she wore a.
visiting in the afternoon. The truth
of this marvellous achievement can
not be vouched for, but the tradition
has been handed down through the
generations, and it is that at one
time in her life my grandmother did
remarkable days work.
The house stood ona rise of ground,
which overlooked the surrounding
country as far as one could see in
that wooded region. Through the
| lower and eastern nert NJ 4ha farm