SOLON ROBINSON, 1851 501 



the oven, nicely browned and hot, is offered in great 

 broken pieces to tempt the appetite to one of the richest 

 repasts ever given to an epicure. By the side of the old 

 lady, stands a black earthen tea pot, the contents of 

 which are freely offered, but only accepted by two of 

 them, as the rich new milk or hearty old cider is pre- 

 ferred as a beverage, morning, noon, and night, by those 

 old-fashioned hearty laborers. We must not forget the 

 never-failing accompaniment of the evening meal at this 

 season of the year in New England, for 'tis New Eng- 

 land's proudest dish, the golden pumpkin sweetest pie. 



God being thanked for his great bounties after the 

 close of this happy meal, all draw into a circle around the 

 great fireplace. Father is finishing off an axe helve, Jed 

 is mending a pair of boots, and one of the hired men upon 

 the other side of the same bench is repairing a wagon 

 harness — both use the same tools. The other two are 

 employed, one shelling corn and the other helping Mary 

 peal pumpkins, which are cut in slices and hung upon 

 poles over head. This is Mary's accepted lover. Happy 

 hearts and blessed industry. Marv, Ab, and Sol are en- 

 gaged with the school master around the big table, 

 lighted by a home-made candle ; they are studying geog- 

 raphy, writing, and arithmetic — fitting themselves for 

 future statesmen. Mother is making a new coat for one 

 of the boys, Ada is ironing at a side table, and Hitty is 

 washing the supper dishes at another. There are two 

 other members of this happy family group — the cat occu- 

 pies the top of the blue-dye tub, which stands in one cor- 

 ner of the fireplace, and Old Bose sleeps quietly under the 

 table. Directly, and before any sound is audible to human 

 ear, he gets up, walks out into the long entry and gives 

 a loud sharp bark at the outside door and stands waiting 

 the approaching step. Soon satisfied that the new comer 

 is a friend, he retires again to his repose, and three or 

 four boys that look as though they might be brothers to 

 those already described, so much are they dressed alike, 

 enter and draw around the table with the others and the 

 schoolmaster. These are from a neighboring farm, sons 



