236 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



July. 19 J 3 



chimney in great patches as 

 it did of yore. The Dutch 

 oven is still intact, and over 

 the chimney breast the fowl- 

 ing pieces are suspended, 

 while on the pot hook and 

 trammels, huge iron pots 

 and kettles hang. The rab- 

 bit broiler, waffle iron, toast- 

 ing fork and skillet rest con- 

 veniently near. 



Before that monstrous 

 fire place, the family used 

 to sit; the mother spinning 



Empire Colonial furniture, 

 the handiwork of those con- 

 scentious Colonial crafts- 

 men who were past masters 

 in the art of cabinet making. 

 No more effective back- 

 ground than the dark tones 

 of the San Domingo ma- 

 hogany could be had to 

 show off the fine old blue 

 Staffordshire, lustre and 

 Leeds ware, that hangs on 

 the walls or is arrayed, row 

 on row, in the old cabinets 



Copyright by G. If. Buck. 



a The house as it originally appeared 



perhaps; the father reading by the light of the tallow dip close by. It is a room to command the deepest reverence 



on the high-boy close by; the children roasting apples or from the lover of ceramics, for seldom is there brought 



sleepily following the antics of the flame as it whirled in together such a wealth of rare old pottery, 

 spiral fashion up the chimney. Thus might the boy Payne On the plate rail are wonderful old blue platters of 



have sat, dreaming the dreams of youth and sighing for historic design, while just beneath hangs a long row of 



the time when he would fare forth to make a name for copper lustre pitchers with now and then a piece of silver 



himself. Little did he think he would ever sigh for the resist to whet the appetite of the connoisseur and prepare 



simple pleasures of youth. 

 Very curious, indeed, are 

 the high wainscoted walls, 

 with their panels of enorm- 

 ous width, speaking of the 

 days of forest primeval 

 when trees of such tremend- 

 ous girth were the rule not 

 the exception. From a plate 

 rail near the ceiling, pewter 

 plates, porringers and mugs 

 lend their brightness to the 



^T Passage hfai/ 



Writing-* Old Kitchen 



~Room I 



'ntry\ 

 /tour 

 Itopm 



^ 



Jtew J{itc/ien 



tSeri/anfa 

 Foom 



First and second floor plans of the 

 "Home, Sweet Home" house. The 

 scene. It may be said of heavy lines indicate the original 

 these there are sufficient structure and the light lines the 



new wing 



tese mere 

 pieces to serve a six course 



him for further treasures 

 that repose behind diamond 

 panes in the illustrious com- 

 pany of old English cut 

 glass, Colonial silver and 

 pewter. Incidentally, it 

 might be mentioned, that 

 most of these relics are in 

 constant daily use and of the 

 Staffordshire there are two 

 full dinner sets. 



Following the winding 

 stairs, you come to the bed 

 chambers on the second 

 floor, which, with their big 



dinner. On the shallow Colonial mantel stand numerous fireplaces, are precise counterparts of the rooms below. In 

 wine and brandy measures, which are reminiscent of the them the peace of centuries dwells. In the west room are 

 days when "a little wine for the stomach's sake" was twin beds with all the accompaniment of old time furnish- 

 highly recommended. Overhead to light the room, ship's ings. In the south room a big four poster with its hand- 

 lanterns hang, the more modern electric light having re- woven coverlet and fluted tester, speaks rest to the weary, 

 placed the tallow dip of other days. How often must the restless memory of Payne, as he lay 

 As you stand by the dining-room windows and look out ill beneath the hot burning suns of far-away Tunis have 



on the village green that skirts the 

 peaceful enclosure, where lie the 

 bodies of so many illustrious dead, 

 a flood of reminiscence thoughts 

 comes over you. 



"There's a spell in the shade 

 Where our infancy played." 



You hum over the lines of the 

 song unconsciously as you stand 

 there drinking in the simple beauty 

 of the scene. It was there the young 

 poet romped with his fellows or 

 took part in the games of child- 

 hood. Within that peaceful en- 

 closure, he must have stood on 

 many a sad occasion when those 

 who "went down to the sea in ships" 

 were laid away to rest. What a 

 pity he could not have come home 

 to die or at least have been buried 

 beside those "who named him with 

 pride" in sight and sound of the sea 

 he loved so well. 



Within the room has been pre- 

 served all the old time beauty of 

 which the house is so tenderly remi- 

 niscent. Highly appropriate is the 



Copyright by G. H. Buck. 



The entrance doorway 



turned to the consecrated stillness 

 of this cool restful spot. 



The samplers which so fittingly 

 line the walls might have been the 

 work of Payne's mother, but while 

 none did come from the writer's 

 family, they are none the less curi- 

 ously interesting. One commands 

 especial attention from the fact that 

 it dates back to the year 1721 and 

 is the work of a child of eight. 

 Little Mary Daintery the sampler 

 informs us, is the very youthful 

 needlewoman who executed in 

 crewel the "letter of Publius 

 Lentullies to the Roman Senate con- 

 cerning Jesus Christ." It is a most 

 exhaustive treatise and so fine are 

 the stitches and so voluminous the 

 text that one is lost in amazement 

 at the performance of such a task 

 by a child. 



As the errant fancy of the home- 

 sick wandered in the distant land 

 turned back to his boyhood home, 

 it must have dwelt very long and 

 ( Continued on page 263) 



