regarded as an important ingredient and the sugar
was seldom added until the last. Mr. Gouverneur experimented somewhat in
wine making. His success was almost phenomenal and we enjoyed the fruits
of his labor for many years. He used Catawba grapes entirely, which were
brought to our door in wagon-loads by the country folk who surrounded
us.

The Maryland mountaineers, as I knew them, were very similar in life and
character to those in North Carolina, of whom more or less has been
written the last few years. They had peculiar customs as well as quaint
modes of action and expression, and invented names for things and
conditions to suit themselves. I remember, for example, that when
persons showed signs of physical illness and the exact nature of their
maladies was uncertain they were said to have "the gobacks." Frederick
County was settled by the early Germans and many of their expressions
are still in vogue. A peach dried whole with the seed retained is
called a _hutzel_, and dried apples are _snitz_. In this connection I am
reminded of a German family named House, which resided in Frederick and
consisted of four maiden sisters. Their means were limited and they eked
out their living by stamping from original designs and taking in plain
sewing. Their front door was always locked and bolted, and to reach the
inmates it was necessary to pass through a gate leading into a long
alley and thence through a scrupulously clean kitchen and up the steep
and narrow back stairs to a small rear room, where sat these four
spinsters. The first one who met you said, "Good-morning," and the
others repeated the salutation in turn until the last one was reached,
who simply said, "Morning." This laughable procedure was followed in
their subsequent conversation, for one of them had only to lead off with
a remark and the others repeated the close of it. It is said that
Crissie, the youngest of the quartette, once had a beau with whom she
sat each night for many years in their prim parlor and that, when he
finally jilted her, one of her sisters was heard to remark, _apropos_ of
the broken engagement: "Just think of all them candles wasted!"

The second winter of our Maryland life was spent at a hotel in Frederick
where we formed a lasting friendship with our fellow boarders, Judge and
Mrs. John A. Lynch. With my historical as well as social tastes, I found
the McPherson household a source of great pleasure and intellectual
profit to me. I kne