other chaperons. Generally, some aunt or cousin
stood ready with such good offices. The chaperons themselves danced now
and then--youths specially anxious for favor with their charges, all but
forced them upon the floor. Set it to their credit, they footed it
almost as lightly as the youngest. Occasionally you might see, mother
and daughter, even a granddaughter of tender years, wheeling and
balancing in the same set. And so the fiddles played, the stars shone,
the waters babbled, until the lanterns flared and sputtered out, and the
banjo-picker held up fingers raw and bleeding. Then with a last final
swing and flourish, everybody scattered for homeward ways, glad of the
day's pleasure--and tired enough to be glad also it was ended.

The most special of occasions was a dining. Not upon any high day or
holiday, such as Christmas, New Year, Jackson's Day--the eighth of
January--Easter nor Whit-Monday, but as Mammy said: "A dinin' des, dry
so." Commonly pride of housewifery incited to it--therefore it must be a
triumph. The hour was two o'clock, but guests came around eleven or
twelve--and spent the day. They sat down to tables that well might have
groaned, even howled, such was the weight they carried. Twelve was a
favorite guest-number--few tables could be stretched to hold more than
twelve plates. There were but two courses--dinner and dessert--unless in
very cold weather, some person who would nowadays be said to be fond of
putting on frills, set before her guests, plates of steaming soup. It
had to smell very good, else it was no more than tasted--folk did not
care to dull the edge of appetite needlessly, with so much before them.
For the table was fully set--a stuffed ham at one end, a chicken or
partridge pie at the other, side dishes of smothered rabbit, or broiled
chicken, at least four kinds of sweet pickle, as many of jelly and sour
pickle, a castor full of catsups, tomato and walnut, plain vinegar,
pepper vinegar, red and black pepper, and made mustard, all the
vegetables in season--I have seen corn pudding, candied sweet potatoes,
Irish potatoes, mashed and baked, black-eyed peas, baked peaches, apples
baked in sugar and cloves, cabbage boiled with bacon, okra, stewed
tomatoes, sliced raw tomatoes, cucumbers cut up with young onions, beets
boiled and buttered, and string beans, otherwise snaps, all at one
spread.

Only epicures dressed their lettuce at table. One cranky old family
friend had it served to him