Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-07
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
!. G.. Nj.

/. G.. Nj.
WHEN ANTIQUES WE'RE YOUNG:
| A Story of Early American Customs
Illustrated. BY Marion Nicholl
Rawson. New York: E. P. Dutton
81 Co.
The kitchen and the grandmother, as
institutions, stepped permanently out
from the common scene at practically
the same time. No, it was not this
"lawless and licentious age" that chased
the worthy pair SO brusquely of the
stage. Electricity did it, Mechanical
science, working so magically in every
field, simply modernized these two be-
yond even their own recognition.
The kitchenette-d inette contraption
Of the new apartment caravansary is
offspring Of the one. A pretty creation
Of green-and-orchid paint. of crystal
and silver dimpling through glass
fronted closets in jocund pantomime
promising good things to come. A
capable system OF buttons letting out
power for every sort Of household serv-
ice. turning old drudgeries into a play
time Of work, into long hours Of
! leisure.
AS for the grandmother-there she IS.
The lovely lady over there, patting the
| coat sleeve of the daZzled youth, a
perfect rosebud" Of iipStick mouth
| grooming, SO very close to his own,
| SILLY! That is not my baby. That S
my grandbaby. Silly" III soft diminu-
endo OF youthful friendliness.
Interesting, both, and both well worth
sympathetic consideration. But at the
moment 1t Is the kitchen that calls.
| The old farm house kitchen, center Of
farm life itself not so many years ago
save that time has taken the lightning
into its wings confusing even a short
decade with centuries of achievement
| and change.
And are there still old farm houses
TO be found? Oh, yes, here and there
UP and down along the Atlantic edge
Of the country and we'll in sonnet mes
toward the Appalachian barrier and
through the open gateway north Of this
into the new West.
But. If you are interested, why use
up time in hunting these out? For
here at hand is a guide who knows the
, ms and outs of early American life in
the East. This has been the preoccu-
I patton of Mrs. RaWson for some years
this searching out old farm houses
! happily left stranded and away from
the network of motor highways so
rapidly knitting the land into accord
with the modern passion of getting
somewhere all the time and as swiftly
as wheels can be made to turn.
~
Hot, this Summertime. Lovely. to be
sure. but melting all the same And
50 you're going TO Europe? l suppose
! SO. Were going somewhere. What for?
God knows. Why don't you have a lit
tie sense? Why not berd the ardors
of Summertime to your own uses Of
coo.neSs and comfort?
Try this. You can get out II it at
any time if it doesn't suit you. Why
nct so with Mrs. Rawson up through
cool New England roads in a leisurely
outlook for some OF the old farm
houses that she knows so we'll Travel
back into the time and ways of your
grandfather 10 see something CT his
management of life Too dull? All
right Maybe it is you Who
Right here is an old farm and. not
too near the road. is the farm house
itself widespread. heavy -timbered
house, come to stay, obviously. Maple
trees in the big front yard. row Of
old-fashioned sour cherry trees at
the rear Rows of hollyhocks drawn
up. guard fashion. at many a point
near the walls. An orchard to the
south-oh, delectable in June blooms
and fragrance! I know that place. 1
know it-four generations OF me. myself,
right there But come along. Mrs.
| RaWson wants us 10 see the kitchen
and no wonder! Long and low and
shaded in the Summertime. But. in
the Winter, a huge fireplace and a
roaring chimney. shining wares of
pewter and copper roaSCings and bak
ings. fryings and stewings. Talk about
the "OdOrs Of Araby' All sorts Of
household doings go on in this kitchen.
All save weddings and buryings. They
take place in the parlor-the north
room 1t was in the place that l so
well remember. And the bed rooms?
They were made for freezings and the
icy greetings OF cold sheets rather than
for sleep. But back TO the kitchen.
Here is a party going on-a bee" it is.
A quilting bee. where all the women
roundabout have come to sew and sew
lines Straight and criss-c:oSsed to hold
in durable shape the patchwork quits
| such as cover all the beds in that old
house. Other bees" there are, too.
Some of them fer the neighboring men
TO take part in-huSklng bees and barn.
raising bees, as samples. Maybe it was
the apple pairing bee that stood highest.
For here the men and women, the boys
and girls, took part together. A really
social matter, that ended in dancing the
Money Musk" and Portland Fancy"
L
old Zip Coon" We'll l danced Mon
day night and on clean through to
Friday night end I'd been round that
old swing floor more'n any Teller in
these parts I reckon. Then come Sun
day, and. by gosh. if l didn't fall asleep
eatir' my dinner. Thinks l when
walked up thisll never DO"
The old farm house was, in effect,
both home and factory. A "self-con-
II
The farmer raised his own food. grain
and live stock, butter and milk. Ground
his own grists, killed ana cured his own
meat supply Woye his own cloth of
wool clipped from his own focks. of
flax grown in his own soil. little
barter there was with the village store
across the river for sugar and tea and
! spice. for strips OF calico. needles and
thread. Trading butter and eggs of
the farm for these commodities of the
town.
And here in the house and around it,
are many relics OF that Older way of
lie. Pieces of furniture, articles Of
household adornment. cookery tools,
candleSticks, footstools, implements OF
farm work, the Sunday ensemble of
church. home devoions and Self-de-
mails upon this one day in seven These
are the things that the collector"
lldAAlS OuC anu sdtIl~in III OO"ll W 'AA~
least and homeliest of those old farm
house belongings.
One wonders what the old house it
s,lf thinks about it. AS it dreams, half
awake, of the old days when it was
young. sharing the plans Of its own
folks, the grandfathers and fathers to
whom it gave the friendlness of shelter
and warmth and true sympathy. What
does the old house think of its gradual
despoilment as it remembers the good
days and the dark ones through
which it watched over the comfort and
safety Of its own? What about the
buying of this and that. carrying of