Year: 1876

III hAlHAttA


Girls, did it ever occur to you, when you
were counting your mercies, to be thankful
that you were not born one hundred. or even
fifty years ago


have always been much interested in
the lives Of those heroic women who lived
in the days Of the revolution have pitied
their hardships and envied their strength of
purpose, and bodily hardihood; but never, un-
til quite recently, have realized how entirely
out of place should be in an old-time kitchen.
Perhaps | should never have thought Of the
idea, had it not been that one day, when
was almost helpless from neuralgia, ! sat
propped up in an easy chair, looking at en-
cravings, and chanced to find the interior
of an old-fashioned kitchen.


1t was CHEEKY, tidy room, with its open
fire and numerous bake-kettles in and about
it tall dresser, with the long rows of plates
and platters and rack of spoons, that am
sure were far above my reach. Skillet and
warming-pan hung near the FIRE; the one
hatiron, teapot and various other utensils
hung upon pins or spikes driven in the
chimney. Articles of clothing decorated the
poles over head, while upon the side oi
beam hung the trusty Queens arm. To
complete the picture was the mistress of the
mansion, a woman in short gown and petit
coat kerchief over her shoulders, and cap
whose wide frill half covered her face. She
seemed to be cooking, for she had evidently
just left her rolling-pin and tray on the rude
table, and was on her way to a bake-kettle
with pan in hand. | called mother to see if
the picture was natural one, and she re-
called some memories of "tin bakers"
" brick ovens" etc, which were very inter
estiug to me.


After she left me, for the want Of some
thing better to do, tried to imagine myself
or any Of my girl friends, as mistress of that
kitchen. Shouldn't we feel queer Think
of slight. delicate girl of these days, hang
ing huge kettle on the crane, preparatory to
cooking dinner or boiling the clothes. An
odd sight fancy it would be, to see us flour
ishing the long-handled shovel or oven broom
while heating the brick oven for one of those
bakings of brown-bread, beans, puddings
and pies. Am afraid our food would some
times be over-done while we were learning the
amount of fuel requisite.


When dinner WAS over, the floor nicely
swept, not with a light corn broom, however,
imagine our finishing the days work of
spinning, or entering the loom and banging
away for hours at piece of checked flannel
Api NAiANNA N'bif VI ofAhN w NAA'o' AiA'N iAiNii
table-cloths that our grandmas used to make
when they were girls like us. 1t seems TO
me that there was no place for delicate girls
or invalids in those days aud when asked
grandma what was done with them, she said
there were none, and that, in her opinion,
cooking-stoves have much TO answer for, in
taking life and health from our mothers and
ourselves. But we know there was death,
and sickness preceding it, even in those
good old days, and | cannot understand
how the sick could have been made comfort
able. Even the best room, if it existed
would have been Spartan-like in our eyes, so
accustomed are we to comforts and luxuries,
even in humble homes.


The work seemed to be all for the strong,
and there was little or none Of that light
house-work with which the semi-sck of to-
day amuse themselves, aud beguile their
friends into the belief that they are helping


Ard as employments are necessary TO our
happiness, think it well for us, weak sis
ters, that we live in the days OF easy chairs
carpets and carpet-sweepers, washing ma
chimes, wringers and every other invention
and convenience that helps to tighten wo-
mans labor and make the little strength we
possess go as far as possible toward making
our homes clean, bright and beautiful-as a
true home should ever be.