44 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



bushels of grains which had been ground in the 

 water grist-mill where they took every tenth bushel 

 for grinding. 



I am near forgetting the loft under the low roof 

 near the chamber where we boys slept. Here were 

 stored bags in numbers, big and little, filled with all 

 kinds of dried fruits and even dried vegetables. 



Here too, were strained honey and beeswax, 

 which, all surreptitiously, we nibbled and chewed 

 in weak imitation of our elders who chewed to- 

 bacco; and great cakes of maple sugar matrixed 

 in milk pans and piled one upon another in new, 

 clean barrels. 



Out in the smoke-house was dried beef hams 

 and shoulders, bacon and sausage, and unjacketed 

 bull-pouts which had been smoked with corn cobs 

 and hickory chips to give them the desired flavor. 

 Near by stood the great out-door oven in which 

 all sorts of good things were baked, once each 

 week; and they tasted mighty good to me in spite 

 of the fact that I had to split the kindling wood 

 for the oven from the remnants of old basswood 

 rails. As if this were not enough great pits of 

 apples, cabbages and beets, turnips and carrots, 

 were buried in the garden for spring use, for many 

 of the things in the cellar would in time become 



