Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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18 The Augusta Seminary Annual. How rapidly tlie eager lingers pull up weeds, pick out the stoues, break up the clods and mark out the boundaries of their several territories, while the busy tongues chatter merrily. At length the ground is ready, and once more father is appealed to ; this time with the requests, Please, papa, just a handful of peas, Just six cabbage plants, Just a teensy-weensy bit of lettuce seed. The gardens are planted at last, the resting place of each seed is marked by a tiny stick, and each young owner is at leisure to view his own work with satisfaction, and to criticise that of his neighbor. How the three older children laugh, as the l)aby tells, in her baby way, of how she put all her seeds together and covered them up ; and the heap of earth in the middle of her plot verifies her story. Long they linger, gazing with pride upon the work of tlieir hands until birds and bees have ceased their work ; and then the mother comes and calls her weary children in to dream of their gardens until the morning. On a farm in the Valley of Virginia, one of the great events of the season is the apple-butter boiling, which usually takes place some time during the months of Septeml)er and October, the apples being then sufficiently matured. It is a two days task, and one the older and more experienced members of the family look forward to with anything but pleasure, but which the younger people liail with delight. The day comes at last, merry voices from the orchard tell that busy hands are rapidly filling the sacks with the fallen fruit, and every one knows that the careful housekeeper is just as busily, though more quietly, attending to the cleaning of barrels, crocks, and of the huge copper kettle. By dinner time the apples have been loaded upon t he wagon, together with tubs, barrels and buckets ; the horses have been harnessed up, and then comes the ride to the cider press. After the apples have been thoroughly washed, they are placed in the hopper and the great crank begins to turn. The mill screeches and groans, while with a most unpleasant crunch,

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The Augusta Seminary Annual. 17 boxes of fruit, for now the culling ])egins. As bunch after bunch is carofully held up by the stoiu so as not Xu injure the bloom in cutting oiF the imperfect grajjcs, the merrv chattering of the young folks mingles with the thoughts of wiser heads. And the little tuddlcr, who lias been spending the time in going from one to another with the ap})eal • peas div me some dwapes, claims the office of handing the empty baskets to the packers, whose deft lingers fly so rapidly that, though the cullers do all they can, ever and anon there comes the cry of more grapes. At a little distance the small boy, with an air of the greatest importance, is busily labeling the tops and putting them on the baskets ready for market. At last all is done, and as the wagon drives towards the station I often think how much more would be the pleasure of the purchaser if the grapes could tell their history ; how, in hours of weariness, he would owe to them sensations sweet if, in lonely rooms and ' mid the din of towns and cities, the grapes could carry with them a picture of the vineyard and the laborers. Elizabeth Xewmax. Pastoral Sketches — H. IT is an April morning on a Yii ' ginia farm, and all out of doors is astir. From the tield come the whistle and song of the corn planters ; from the meadows, the soft low of the cattle and the bleating of the »;hecp ; from the orchard, the hum of the busy bees, while the birds work and warble everywhere ; only the light smoke, as it rises lazily on the perfumed air, seems idle. The little ones of the home have caught unconsciously the inspiration and have formed their plans for a whole day ' s work. Who could refuse them as they stand anxiously awaiting an answer to their petition for gardens of their own ? Certainly father can not, and he yields with a smile that each of the little faces reflects, as the four children scamper away to take possession of the plots assigned them.

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The Augusta Seminary Annual. 19 eniMcli, cinuu ' li, the .ipples are slowly ground. Then the piiin- mies are placed in the trough, the lieavy beam falls upon them, and when it rises every particle of juice has been pressed out. In the meantime at home the tire has been kindled in the husje fireplace, an abundant su})ply of wood has been brought in, and when the wagon returns with the cider, tlie kettle is tilled and hunij in the midst of the llames. By this time night has come, and, provided with knives and plates, all gather around the cheerful blaze and make an attack upon the tub of apples placed before them. The kettle bubbles on in a most satisfactory way ; the firelight flashes over the happy faces, and stories follow one after another until the last apple is peeled and the jars of white quarters are set away to be cooked in to-morrow. It is late, and all go to rest except the one who stays to attend the kettle, and as fast as the cider becomes strong, to take it out and put more in. IVIorning usually dawns before this task is finished; then the kettle is half -filled with the strong cider, and as many quarters are added as the vessel will hold. The stirrer is then put in — a fiat, broad piece of wood attached to a long handle and in shape resembling a hoe. All day long the stirrer goes the rou nds of the kettle, never sto])ping for a single instant, while the one who guides it watches that the flames do not grow too hot. By three or four in the afternoon the butter is sufficiently cooked for the spices to be put in. Shortly after the steaming mass is removed, from the fire, the crocks are cautiously fiUed, and, after they have been allowed to cool, are carefully covered and stored away for the winter ' s use. The shortening days and cooler nights of earl} ' October remind the farmer that it is time to gather his apple crop, and just as the sun is rising from ])ehind the autumn woods the pickei ' s go forth to their work. Here and there they scatter through the orchard, each carrying a bag under his arm and dragging a step-ladder after him. Hav- ing placed their ladders in position, the men fasten the bags over their shoulders and begin to rob the trees.