Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-07-07
CHAPTER XVII.
THE PAIRING BEE AND THE HONEY
BEE.

THE PARING BEE AND THE HONEY
BEE.
1t was one of those crisp, clear
moonlight nights in later autumn
when there is heard the farewell
whisper of the leaves, flying at every
gust of the wind, that the huskers
of a month ago gather at the pairing
bee of Uncle Aaron Baker. In the
spacious kitchen, which in a Yer
mont house of the olden time was
large, spacious and the family room,
large company of the young men
and women of the valley were sit
ting around a long improvised table
upon which are numerous pans and
trays, and on the floor alongside are
tubs and baskets of apples. In these
days no Vermont farm was deemed
complete that did not have an or.
chard, and at this period the or
chards were at their best. Tallow
candles, dipped at home, in their
tin and iron candlesticks are she'd
ding a soft but not very brilliant
light in the room. Overhead long
poles are suspended, upon which are
hanging a few traces of popcorn
braided together by the husks, and
hoops of dry pumpkin. Over the
mantel in loops is hung an old fire
arm and powder horn, highly pol
ished, and a shot bag. Against the
wall at one side, stands rack reach
ing to the ceiling; beyond it is the
spinning wheel. In the corner stands
a Hoadley clock loudly ticking, its
weights of lead encased in tin grad
ually descending toward the floor,
and its tick loud enough to be heard
in several rooms. On one side of
the room is a great fireplace, where
on hangs a crane on which are
hooks from which kettles over the
fire may be hung. At one side Of
the fireplace is a vast oven, cav
ern in which pies, loaves of bread
and biscuit may be baked in great
quantities; beneath is a surface for
laying a surface of red hot Goals,
and beneath that an ash pit of un-
known capacity. At one end of the
room is a homemade lounge, and
under it is bootjack. The pairing
bee is we'll organized, the pairing is
done by hand. The lads have sharp
ened their jack-knives especially for
the occasion, and the parers sit by
the baskets and pare the apples, a
long ribbon of pairing descending as
they pare. Thin parings, thick
pies; thick parings, thin pies" was
the economic maxim that guided
their work. The pared apples are
tossed into pan and taken by the
slicers, who quarter them. and pass
them on to the corers, who remove
the core by deft cut that removes
the shell that surrounds the seeds.
Then they are passed to the string
ers who string them like beads upon
a tough Irvine or thread made for
the purpose. These strings, a yard
in length, are hung over the poles
in festoons, till the poles bend with
the burden; and the spinning wheel
and everything from which a string
of apples can be hung is utilized
While the work goes on there is a
chatter of voices, merry laughter
jokes, compliments that bring blush
es and repartees that bring roar;
and scaeams of laughter. When the
old clock solemnly strikes the hou,
of ten, the good dame announces
that there amt any more room ii
the house to hang another up t.
dry" the party repair to the set
tin room" and parlor where refresh
ments are served - dainty cakes
white and dark, cookies, tarts, lady
fingers, all triumphs of the culinary
art which were the glory of thu
housewives. They were passed
around with expressions of fear tina
they were not quite up to the stan
dard, but praised by the feaster
and proved by the eating to be tn,
best that we're ever made. Healthl