HOME LIFE WAS ONE OF DAILY CHORES AND STRICT ORDER. THE permissiveness of today's generations never existed, because there was work to do and someone had to do it.  Water for baths had to be heated, wood had to be chopped for stoves, lanterns had to be cleaned and filled, floors had to be scrubbed. The luxury of electricity was never around then. Bristle brushes and buckets were the order of the times. A little steel wool, too. Shoes had to be cleaned often, because of all the mud in the streets and yards. Animals had to be killed and dressed. And what about the privies?  Out houses were the only thing. For anyone to have an indoor toilet was asking for disease. How could you? No running water, except for gravity feed.  Water was pumped from a well by hand for use through out the house. Most worked ceased after sunset as in many cases the lanterns used inside did not put out enough light except for moderate tasks.

OUTDOOR CHORES NEEDED TAKING CARE OF ALSO. PIGS, COWS, horses, chickens, and mules all had to be fed. Chicken coupes had to be cleaned, meat had to be smoked (no refrigerators or ice boxes), cows needed milking and gardens needed caring. Weeds had to be taken care of and sheds had to be white-washed.

BUT WITH ALL THE HARD WORK WHICH HAD TO BE DONE, CHILDREN still grew up successfully. Probably because of the strictness and keeping busy with added responsibility people grew in all facets of their lives.

MEDICINES IN THOSE TIMES CAN BE REFLECTED UPON IN A TOUCH humor, also. What did Grandma do when her son stepped on an old board with a rusty nail sticking up? She simply stuck his foot in kerosene. Cod liver oil was good for many ailments. Remedies such as sassafras and boiling roots from various shrubs and trees had their cures also. Running to the doctor was unheard of, that is, unless you were on your deathbed.

COOKING IS ONE OF THE FEW AREAS WHICH CANNOT BE COMPARED with today. For then, meals took much longer to prepare.  But, the quality of food at that time was probably much tastier, because Grandma fixed it. In the lower Mississippi Region, filet gumbo made with fresh-caught oysters, shrimp, and mixed in with Ondouie (sausage) and even adding chicken, was out of sight!! Then, everyone grew their own vegetables. Being a sugar cane territory, it was un-thought of not to put cane syrup on the dinner table at every meal. Hog head cheese was a delight, and home made root beer was the tastiest ever.

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