A DAY IN A
COLONIAL HOME
BY
DELLA R. PRESCOTT
EDITED BY
JOHN COTTON DANA
MARSHALL JONES COMPANY
FRANCESTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
COPYRIGHT · 1921
BY MARSHALL JONES COMPANY
First printing, July, 1921
Second printing, March, 1922
Third printing, September, 1922
Fourth printing, November, 1926
Fifth printing, January, 1929
Sixth printing, November, 1929
Seventh printing, November, 1938
Eighth printing, March, 1949
To
MY MOTHER, MARY JANE
PREFACE
The average home to-day has conveniencesto meet the demands of comfortableliving. The heating andlighting are good. In nearly everyhome may be found a living room where thefamily assembles for rest and recreation. Herethey read, sew, chat, and discuss the news.Similar scenes occurred in the colonial days,but in quite a different room. The kitchen tookthe place of our modern living room. The lifeof the colonists centered in it, for in the kitchenwas the fireplace, often the one source of heatin the whole house. Its warmth and cheer andits use as a place for cooking made it the heartof the home. Here it was that the family interestsand activities were centered; all thefamily group collected here to share the joysand sorrows of life.
HOW THE STORY CAME TO BE WRITTEN
A Father came into the Newark Museumto ask help of the educationaladviser.
“I cannot get my children interestedin their ancestors,” said he. “Theydon’t feel any pride in being descendedfrom a lady who came over in the Mayflower.They say, ‘Oh, Charlie’s uncle came over in aprivate yacht, and Mike’s brother is goingover in an aeroplane.’ What shall I do? Ifwe were living at the old homestead, I couldshow them the hole in the shutter throughwhich the Indian shot their great-uncle, and theoven by the fireside where their great-grandmothercooked for the continental soldiers, andthe wedding dress of their grandmother. Butthe old place was sold, and everything isscattered.”
“Bring your children to the Museum,” saidthe educational adviser. “We will show themxcolonial costumes and candle-molds and Indianarrows.”
“I’ll try it,” said the father, “but it won’t bethe same.”
Then came a teacher.
“I wish,” said she, “that I could make historyalive to my pupils. They don’t care howmany men were killed in the battle of Monmouth,or what the date was when Washingtoncrossed the Delaware.”
“We will send you some dolls in colonial costumeand an old wool-carder,” said the educationaladviser.
“Thank you,” said the teacher. “Of course,those things will be better than nothing.”...