place ; when all the neighbours have been duly “ notified,” it is expected they will attend at the time ap- 
pointed. It is what the Americans call an “ after supper frolic,” but then it should be borne in mind that 
that repast usually takes place at five or six o’clock in the afternoon. Probably before seven o’clock the 
“ parers ” will have assembled, and without further ceremony they form themselves into small parties, each 
party surrounding a large basket for the reception of the cuttings, while the owner of the establishment 
takes care to supply his assistant labourers with plenty of the raw material. While fingers and knives are 
busily employed, the evening is occasionally enlivened with songs and cider, and not unfrequently -with 
something of a more potent and exciting character. Although as has been previously remarked, they are 
after-supper frolics, yet five or six hours of diligent apple paring restores lost appetites, so that about mid- 
night, tea and coffee, with their manifold accompaniments of J ohnny-cakes, buck wheat cakes, dough-nuts, 
Yankee biscuits, pumpkin-pie, apple-sauce, &c. &c., are spread out in their usual profusion for the use and 
benefit of the whole party. After the parers have been replenished with this second supper many of the 
younger people brandish their knives anew ; while the more sedate portion of performers betake themselves 
off to their respective homes. 
A few years ago, two brothers very respectably connected, but eccentric young Irishmen, purchased a 
farm in the vicinity where I resided, and commenced keeping “bachelors hall” in a log cabin which the late 
Yankee owner had occupied. As there was a pretty good orchard upon the premises, they had far more 
apples than they knew what to do with, for they were entire strangers to the customs of the country. How- 
ever, in the autumn, which was but two or three months subsequent to their entering upon their new 
possession, they collected thirty or forty bushels of the best of their apples, and stowed them away without 
any definite view as to the uses to which they might be applied. It seemed that their neighbours had been 
aware of the storing away the apples, and not altogether unmindful of the young men’s welfare. After the 
close of a dull autumnal day, while the brothers were quietly seated by a blazing fire, that lit up their lonely 
habitation, they were somewhat startled by a gentle tapping at their door, on the opening of which, two 
strapping daughters of a Yankee settler, at some distance, stepped forward, rather unceremoniouslv, and 
“guessed they had come to pare apples.” The young men were taken by surprise : but possessing the 
gallantry so natural to well bred Irishmen, invited the ladies to be seated, which invitation was unhesita- 
tingly complied with. Presently, another and another “tapping” announced more strangers, and the 
arrival of three or four small parties in quick succession completely bewildered the two bachelors ; and what 
bothered them not a little was the difficulty of making three old chairs, and a short rude form, (the whole of. 
the seats their establishment afforded,) accommodate so large a party. The visitors were all young per- 
sons, and mostly females ; and although appearances were certainly against them inasmuch as the visit was 
unsolicited, and a nocturnal one withall, a short explanation served, in a great measure, to silence suspicion. 
They informed the “ young Irishers,” that in consequence of their being strangers to the customs of the 
country, that they (the visitors) had arranged among themselves to give them the benefit of an apple-paring ; 
and having learned that they (the bachelors) had housed a quantity of apples, an arrangement had been made 
by the people of the neighbourhood to meet that evening for the purpose of apple-paring. The young 
Irishmen acknowledged their obligations to those neighbours who seemed so much interested in their behalf, 
but as they were wholly ignorant of the method of drying apples, they would neither trouble neighbours nor 
themselves by entering upon the process. This piece of information seemed far from being satisfactory; but 
as seats were scarce, and as there appeared no prospect of a “frolic” at the expense of the “young Irishers,” 
the parties were obliged to trudge homewards, consoling themselves under their present chagrin and disap- 
pointment with the prospect of meeting again on the following night at a regular Yankee apple paring to 
attend which they had all been duly “ notified.” 
