The dining room heavy oak beams which supported the upper floor often projected below the ceiling of the room underneath, a pleasing architectural feature. In the humbler houses a plain protecting board, known as a "chair rail," ran around the plaster walls about three feet above the floor; but panelled wainscots were not very uncommon, and sometimes a wainscoting of tiles might be seen. The jamb of the enormous fireplace was usually faced with blue or pink tiles, upon which were often represented scenes from the Bible. In winter time the fireside played a part similar to that of the stoop in warm weather. The one in the dining-room was likely to be the place of chief resort. Its dancing flames lighted up the china and silver in the cupboard opposite, and the moon's face on the tall clock in the corner, and afforded enough illumination for a game of backgammon or dominoes on the cherry dining-table, though many worthy Dutch families esteemed such diversions, even to the noble chess, as fit only for alehouse parlours. The same flickering light, eked out perhaps by a couple of dip candles, sufficed for grandma with her knitting, beside the chintz-curtained window in her low rush-seated chair with bright red cushion. Other chairs in the room were of mahogany, high-backed, with claw feet, their broad seats covered with brocade. Often, how ever, the chairs were of painted wood and rushwork, and the table of deal, and the family livingroom the ample kitchen. In the latter case there was usually a separate back kitchen for the servants, who were likely to be negro slaves. The cellar The deep dark cellar, with its coolish and even temperature, was for much more than half the year a storage-place for provisions. The farmers of New York raised upon their own farms the greater part of the food which they consumed, and even in the city, where orchards, kitchen-gardens, and hen-coops were not yet uncommon, there was no such complete dependence upon markets as in our time. A large part of the autumn work was the preparation of the stores that were to be put away in the spacious cellar. The packing of butter in firkins and pickled pork in barrels, the smoking of hams and bacon, the corning of beef rounds and briskets, the chopping of sausagemeat and head-cheese, the trying of lard, the careful and dainty salting of mackerel and other fish, — made it a busy time for all the household. In the cellar might be found all these good things, with kegs of soused pigs' feet, stone jars of pickles, barrels of red and green. apples, bins heaped high with potatoes, parsnips, and turnips; along with barrels of vinegar, cider, and ale, and canty brown jugs of rum. In the houses of the wealthier sort there was also plenty of wine, either of the claret family or some kind of sack, which was a generic name covering sherries, Canaries, and Madeiras. For your new-fangled hot-house notions of "teetoHere's your talism" would have been quite uningood health, telligible to the farmer or burgher of those healthy days of abundant and breezy activity out-of-doors. In the Dutch cupboard or on the sideboard always stood the gleaming decanter of cut glass or the square highshouldered magnum with its aromatic schnapps.1 and your family's! 1 In connection with the subject of eating and drinking it may be interesting to cite the caterer's bill for the banquet given by the corporation of New York to Lord Cornbury, upon his arrival as governor, in 1704 :— 1704. THE MAYOR, ALDERMen, etc., Dr. £ s. d. Dec. 19 To a piece of beef and cabbage O 76 To a leg of pork and turnips To 2 puddings To a surloyn of beef To a turkey and onions. To a leg mutton and pickles To minced pyes To fruit, cheese, bread, etc. 60 83 To hire of 2 negroes to assist To dressing dinner, etc. To 31 bottles wine This is cited from Todd's City of New York, p. 224. In the bedrooms, or sometimes in an entry way, you would come here and there upon a long deep chest of cherry or oak, filled Chests and with rolls of homespun linen, or with secretaries blankets and coverlets. A different kind of foresight was then needed from that of the present day, when all manner of shops are so accessible. Large quantities of linen were spun and woven into pieces, from which table-cloths, sheets, and garments could be cut when wanted. A bride's trousseau was not ordered all at once from fashionable modistes and milliners, but was taken from the family stores of silks and cambrics and laces that years had accumulated. Chests were therefore indispensable, and tall cases of drawers were very common. A very beautiful piece of furniture was the secretary or covered writing-desk, with drawers below; it was usually made of mahogany adorned with polished brass, and it was apt to contain secret drawers or pigeon-holes, where gold, coins, or jewels, or valuable papers could be hidden. The bedstead was almost always the kingly "fourposter," with its feather-beds resting upon a straw mattress supported by tight cords. It was draped with white dimity curtains and coverlet, or, perhaps, instead of dimity a kind of chintz was used, with vines and birds. and flowers in bright colours. The legs of the bedstead were so long that there was Beds plenty of room beneath for the low children's bed which was kept there during the day and trundled out at bedtime. In the days before Satan had invented hot-air furnaces and steam radiators, it was apt to be cold in the bedroom on winter nights. Sometimes water froze in the ewer; and at such times, in spite of Sergeant Buzfuz, there were those who did trouble themselves about the brass warming-pan, filled with glowing embers, which was thrust here and there between the linen sheets to take off the chill.1 1 For further information concerning the contents of the house, I cite from an appraisement in 1792 the following list, in which the pound sterling has approximately its present value : — |