The New York herald., 1922-01-22
Home Life in Old New York
Family Pleasures Little Known the Members of the
Younger Generation of To-day.

girls had more Or leaa lnufNa NNfh 4 ~
ing tho week and also s4d = receslne
day when thar friends caiied. ard ihesf
calls were returned. bot net ~ teie-
phone. To me n seemed . busy h0ars-
hold with always sonethins rosns on.
We ala not run % recrytlen.. slfsosxn
We attended many and <crns uassssrr.
AIDES. which a. one Tine seeme1 20 b~
the fashion. buf always m private hsuees
and In the winter time We di4 have
some dancing parties ~ horrs oar par
enfs did not VERY much shcut the ear-
pets wearing out and there we're ne
rugs such m NE have to-day. Ths ear
pets were generally patterned IN large
medallions in tho parIers ana did look
nice and we never thought - tns germs
and microbes
The Fourth 20 DUTY vas me great
day OF summer ceiebrzficn. We eener-
ally had a fuli house ana ths fourth
noor was I'm use although very hof. the
dinner on that day vns always fore-
quarter OF lamb with tho nrss fresh
peas and two cherry pies 20 90 srcuns
and sometimes the younger ones had
to have a small piece and my mother
went without any more than once. as
she did the cutting. I wonder N any %
our modern girls viii know suzt what
this means. IL was only a piece 90
cherry pie. but have heard more than
once the remark "what an unselnsh
family we were in the years that have
passed
The next great day was Thnnksgiv-
Ing. and the preparations for this day
commenced at least a week or ten days
before. We always had company. reia-
tives mostly. and the dinner was a
Thanksgiving that we were all there
once again. II was the only day my
father had wine on the table. three
courses. though wine was always IN the
house and on our sideboard. but we chill
dren were not allowed 70 touch ~ and
we did not.
Claret punch was always allowed and
much in use In the evenings all through
the year / rever. saw liquor abused.
and my father could say at the end Of
long life that he was never under the
influence of II even once. The family
did not need anybody 10 tell them what
they could. would or should do.
Then New Years day. receiving calls.
can see my four sisters with my
mother even now receiving in front OF
the pier glass in the front parior IN
their silk dresses and looking fine. not
as women OF to-day look but every inch
the gracious hostesscs; and then the
long table across the back parlor fillad
with good things. where the coffee was
kept hot all day In the great big urn.
where were placed pitchers OF lemon
ade and the sandwiches and picked
oysters. and where the younger ones not
old enough to be receiving seemed to he
attracted. also remember a few OF
the older friends slipping into my
fathers library where there was no
table set; but perhaps they wanted a
little water.
Well, these are some Of the good old
days. There were many others. The
father and mother have been gone
nearly forty years. They reached their
deathbeds after eighty years OF good
health. Five Of my sisters and one
brother are gone also. all over 20 ana
two reaching so. There are two OF
us left both within a year or two OF
70. but strange to say IN good health
after such a bringing UP. have
in my homo to-day a few Of the old
things. the sideboard and the decanters.
but times have changed. There are no
celebrations at home. You must go on
the Great White Way to bo in it or
otherwise be a back number. Well. 90
let It be.
On New Years day OF this year 1922
little dinner in my homo and my wife.
my sister and myself drank from the
old sideboard ito the good old days Of
long ago."
In the writing Of this I have once
again seen my people and the dear old
home. To you my thanks are due. 1t
has been a great pleasure.
j. GARDNER BLEY.