THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
5 o 
which she murmured the prescribed reply, “Ibi tu 
Caius, ibi ego Caia”—“ When thou art Caius, then am I 
Caia.” 
Then the garlanded door-posts were reverently 
anointed to guard against the spell of malign demons, 
and they were bound 
with woolen fillets, after 
which she was lifted over 
the threshold sacred to 
the Penates and the god¬ 
dess Yesta, on which it 
was inauspicious for her 
to tread. 
The sheepskin, typical 
of household industry, 
was placed beneath her 
feet, and the keys, typi¬ 
cal of household author¬ 
ity, were gravely given 
into her hands. Together 
bride and bridegroom 
touched the sacred pri¬ 
mal elements of fire and 
water, “the source of 
all things,” a sacrifice 
was made, a sumptuous 
banquet was served, and 
late into the night echoed 
through the street and 
along the river the sounds 
of feasting and the songs 
of the virgins chanting 
the nuptial songs. 
SoVirgillia, the Roman 
girl, passed from maiden¬ 
hood to matronhood. She 
had entered upon a new 
life, a new career. She 
left behind her the toys 
and playthings of girl¬ 
hood, and had taken up 
the implements of house¬ 
hold industry. Even in 
her dress she is changed 
from the light-robed 
maiden who had danced 
so gayly in her father’s 
atrium. 
As we see her the next 
day, sitting on a low stool 
among her maidens, her 
white hands flashing to 
and fro at the distaff, it is 
easy to observe this Ro¬ 
man matron’s dress. She 
wears a long woolen robe 
of murrey color, which 
falls to her feet, and so 
arranged that it nearly 
covers the arms as if 
with broad sleeves. Over this she wears a linen tunic 
that is bound by a plain girdle at the waist. From the 
girdle depends the bunch of keys which the mistress 
of every Roman household carried at her waist. She 
has a modest fillet formed of her own hair, and wears 
plain sandals on her feet. 
The Roman matron of ancient times of every degree, 
was a pattern of industry. Her chief employments 
were spinning and weaving, and sometimes plain em¬ 
broidering; and in almost every house, especially in the 
country, one could find a distaff, a spindle and loom. 
The method of spinning 
was very simple. Into a 
loose ball of flax or wool, 
the broad, flat end of the 
distaff—a light stick or 
reed three feet long—was 
inserted. The distaff was 
held in the left hand and 
stretched by the arm, 
while with the fingers of 
the right hand the fibre 
was drawn out and twist¬ 
ed spirally into a thread. 
This first thread was 
fastened to a spindle 
made of light wood ox- 
reed, with a slit at one 
end into which the thread 
was placed. By twirling 
this spindle as the fibres 
were drawn out, the 
thread was hai-d twisted. 
The work was continued 
until the lengthening- 
thread allowed the spin¬ 
dle to touch the floor, 
when the former was 
wound upon the latter. 
This spinning and wind¬ 
ing were repeated until 
the spindle was full, 
when the thread was cut 
off, the spindle laid in a 
basket for use in a loom, 
and another one em¬ 
ployed. The weaving 
greatly resembled our 
method. 
The Roman housewife, 
particularly in the latter 
days of the republic and 
during the empire, had 
plenty of servants, but 
the household labors 
were wholly under her 
oversight. Nothing was 
neglected. About the 
time of Augustus they 
Degan to employ Greek 
cooks. Before that the 
women prepared their 
own meals. Calpurnia, 
the wife of the great 
Julius, cooked with her 
own hands, so did Ter- 
entia the wife of Cicero. They prepax-ed three meals 
a day like ourselves, the grand meal coming last, being- 
served at about six at night. They usxxally had three 
courses. The first consisted of eggs, salad, radishes, 
and so forth to whet the appetite. With this they gen¬ 
erally di-ank mead, or a mixtui-e of honey. The essen- 
Carved Oak Hai.l Clock. Price, S830. (Exhibited by Howard & Co., 
at the recent Bartholdi Loan Exhibition.) 
