THE PEOPLE 169 
ably before that, all soon go to rest — the visitors 
in the parlor where stands the best bed. There is a 
carpet on the floor, and a round table in the middle 
of the room holds a lamp and, as ornaments, a dozen 
oyster shells. 
One's ablutions are supposed to be performed in a 
tin basin standing on a bench on the porch, the fam- 
ily taking turns, but when, unused to the customs 
of the country, one begs for some water in one's own 
room, a basinful of it is promptly brought in and set 
down on the hearth. In the morning the kind host- 
ess appears with a large wooden pail of water, fresh 
and icy from the spring, a long-handled gourd dipper 
floating on its sparkling surface. A cold bath with a 
vengeance ! 
The women have one consolation which the stran- 
ger visiting their beautiful mountains conscientiously 
deplores, forgetting how short a time It is since his 
own ancestors of both sexes comforted themselves 
with snuff, even if kings and queens happened to be 
numbered among them. In the pocket of many a 
mountain woman and pretty young girl to-day hides 
the snuff-box. It Is not a silver ornament beautifully 
chased or set with jewels, however, but the little tin 
box In which the snuff Is bought. Nor Is snuff taken 
after the manner of former generations of snuff- 
takers. Here the people "dip," that is to say, a stick 
chewed into a brush at one end and kept for the 
purpose Is dipped into the snuff and rubbed over 
the gums and teeth. It is not a pretty practice, but 
It seems to afford peculiar satisfaction, enormous 
