in a water bucket, set beside him on the
floor. He shook it free of water, cut it, without bruising, to wide
ribbons, covered them thickly with hard-boiled egg-yolk mashed fine,
then poured upon it clear ham gravy, and strong vinegar, added salt and
pepper, black and red--then ate his fill. But, of course, he did not do
that at dinings. For then, if lettuce appeared, it was cut up, dressed
with vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper, but guiltless of oil, garnished
with rings of hard-boiled egg--and very generally, and justly,
neglected. Still the hostess had the satisfaction of feeling she had
offered it--that she had indeed offered more than could have been
reasonably expected.

There was water to drink, also cider in season, also milk, sweet and
sour, and the very best of the homemade wine. Decanters of it sat up and
down the table--you could fill up and come again at pleasure. The one
drawback was--it was hard to eat properly, when you were so interrupted
by helpings to something else. If there was a fault in our old-time
cooking, it was its lack of selection. I think those who gave dinings
felt uneasy if there was unoccupied room for one more dish.

Dessert was likewise an embarrassment of riches. Cakes in variety, two
sorts of pie, with ice cream or sherbet, or fresh fruit, did not seem
too much to those dear Ladies Bountiful. There was no after-dinner
coffee. In cold weather coffee in big cups, with cream and sugar, often
went with the main dinner. Hot apple toddies preceded it at such times.
In hot weather the precursor was mint julep, ice cold. Yet we were not
a company of dyspeptics nor drunkards--by the free and full use of
earth's abounding mercies we learned not to abuse them.

_Birthday Barbecue_: (Dorothy Dix.) As refined gold can be gilded,
barbecue, common, or garden variety, can take on extra touches. As thus:
Kill and dress quickly a fine yearling wether, in prime condition but
not over-fat, sluice out with cool water, wipe dry inside and out with a
soft, damp cloth, then while still hot, fill the carcass cram-full of
fresh mint, the tenderer and more lush the better, close it, wrap tight
in a clean cloth wrung very dry from cold salt water, then pop all into
a clean, bright tin lard stand, with a tight-fitting top, put on top
securely, and sink the stand head over ears in cold water--a spring if
possible. Do this around dusk and leave in water until very early
morning. Build fire in trench of hard wood