Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - I. Ancestry and country home in Sweden—Home influences—My first school years—Christmas—Military life—Departure for America
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
6
Story of an Emigrant.
maker with his crowd of workmen followed close upon the
former, and made up the boots and shoes out of leather
which had been prepared to order, finishing up bv repairing
the stable harnesses, sometimes making new ones. It was a
busv season; the house-wife was kept astir early and late
to give directions, and superintending all these things.
Finally the day of Christmas Eye came, on which
everything must be in readiness, pans and kettles be scoured,
floors scrubbed and strewn with white sand and fresh
juniper twigs, even the stables for the cattle receiving an extra
scrubbing. The yard was swept and every nook and corner
of the premises put in holiday attire, and last of all, the
hired men and girls were expected to retire to their
respective quarters for a similar cleaning, and make their
appearance about five o’clock in the afternoon in clean linen and new
clothes, rendv for the great event, as for a marriage feast.
In the mean time pots and kettles were boiling011 the hearth
in the great kitchen, baskets were being filled and sent oft to
the poor who were too feeble to call for their gifts; the
family and servants contenting themselves that day with a
lunch, well known all over Sweden as dopparebrod. It being
now dark, the longtable was set in the large common room.
The whitest linen, the finest plate, plenty of fresh white
bread, and two or three home-made cheeses, baskets of cake,
and large decanters containing sweet ale, ornamented the
table. In front of the seats of husband and wife was placed
a large home-made tallow candle with as many branches as
there were members of the family. Other candles were
placed in candle-sticks or chandeliers, so that there was an
abundance of light, in commemoration of the Great Light
which came into the world 011 that eve. There was also a
Christmas tree decorated with ribbons, flowers,
confectionery and burning tapers. The lighting of the candlcs was
the signal for all to come to the feast. That evening at least
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
