The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-05-12
RECALLING MEMORIES
OF THE LONG AGO

Yes, wanted to tell how the good
old people so years ago observed tae
Lords day. Mother was so strict
over her children until I was afraid
to whistle on Sunday. I remember
the old bake oven that stood in the
backyard and every piece of bread,
potato pie, cake and anything else
that was to be prepared for Sunday
was put in the oven on Saturday and
baked or roasted and prt away for
Sunday. And when Sunday came
the mother was not worried to death
over the hot fire cooking. For there
we're no cook stoves in those days.
Not every one in the community
had these old bake ovens, and several
of our neighbor women would bring
their bread, potatoes, cakes and pies
to our home on, Saturday to set the
use Of the old bakery that the Lords
day might be observed.
Mother taught US not to swear
either by heaven or by earth. So
brother and I adopted the words, 81
declare it is So" when there arose
any doubt as to what the other was
saying. We knew it woud never do
to say 81 swear it is So"
We didn't have then, what is known
as dining rooms. They were called
kitchens in those days. The old kit
chen stood some distance rom the
house in the back yard. And I shall
never forget one summer night when
brother and l got through supper,
washed our feet, went into the house
and lay down on our pallets. While
mother was quietly washing the
dishes in the kitchen we began to test
our manhood and it was not long be-
fore brother got the best of me and
l began to squeal and it was only
about minute later that we felt that
old switch that had been seasoning
for the longest, ringing over our
backs, and not another word was
said. This medicine is better than
paregoric to put children to sleep.
This was mothers reformatory and
didn't cost anybody one cent only a
little motion of the arm.
If there were any hospitals in those
lays it is beyond my memory. No pa
tent medicine and very few doctors
and when YOU needed doctor you
had to ride FIVE or ten miles after him
and when he got there you just as
we'll prepare to take dose of blue
mass followed with a dose Of EPSON
salts or castor oil, then look for a
about one-fourth teaspoonful o. q.i-
nine three or four times day fo.
the next four or five daps until YOU
head began to feel as big as drum.
If doctor had spoken of contracting
disease by germs who would have
known what he meant?
Mother had been taught that an
ounce of prevention was worth a
pound of cure, and when one of the
children failed to take his soaare
meal i was no use running around
the house, for mother would take nm
with her castor oil bottle in one hand
and a spoon in eht other and you just
as well stop and swallow that oil or
she would use her reformatory at
once.
1t took from ten to fifteen yards
of cloth in those days to make a
woman dress, now it doesn't take
bnt five. and unless some radical
change in the next ten years is made
three yards will be ali taey need for
one dress.
When a man married girl in
those days he got a natural woman
as God had made her. There was no
artificial disguise about her and she
was satisfied to be help mate to her
husband and not ruling mate. "
And as rule Joy, peace and salts
faction prevailed in the home.
Amid all these circumstances l