Talk about dissipations, ye who have ever seen the old-fashioned
sideboard! Did I not have an old relative who always, when
visitors came, used to go up-stairs and take a drink through
economical habits, not offering anything to his visitors? On
the old-fashioned training-days the most sober men were apt
to take a day to themselves. Many of the familiar drinks of
to-day were unknown to them, but their hard cider, mint julep,
metheglin, hot toddy and lemonade in which the lemon was not at
all prominent, sometimes made lively work for the broad-brimmed
hats and silver knee-buckles. Talk of dissipating parties of
to-day and keeping of late hours! Why, did they not have their
“bees” and sausage-stuffings and tea-parties and dances, that
for heartiness and uproar utterly eclipsed all the waltzes,
lanciers, redowas and breakdowns of the nineteenth century, and
they never went home till morning.--T. DE WITT TALMAGE.
(2244)
=Old Truths=--See SOLIDITY OF OLD TRUTHS.