The early colonists never turned very readily to Indian meal and pumpkins—pumpions as they called them in the “times wherein old Pompion was a saint;” and Johnson, in his Wonder-Working Providence, reproved them for making a jest of pumpkins, since they were so good a food. Madam Knight had them offered to her very often, “pumpkin sause” and “pumpkin bred.” “We would have eat a morsell ourselves But the Pumpkin and Indian-mixt Bread had such an aspect, and the Bare-legg’d Punch so awkerd or rather Awfull a sound that we left both.”
She gives a glimpse of rather awkward table-manners when she complains that in Connecticut masters permitted their slaves to sit and eat with them, “and into the dish goes the black Hoof as freely as the white hand.” Doubtless in those comparatively forkless days fingers were very freely used at the table.
She tells many curious facts about Connecticut. Divorces were plentiful in that State, as they are at the present day. She writes:—
These uncomely Standaways are too much in Vogue among the English in this Indulgent Colony as their Records plentifully prove, and that on very trivial matters of which some have been told me, but are not Proper to be Related by a Female Pen.
She says they will not allow harmless kissing among the young people, and she tells of a curious custom at weddings, where the bridegroom ran away and had to be chased and dragged back by force to the bride.
Her descriptions of the city of New York; of the public vendues “where they give drinks;” of the Dutch houses and women; of the “sley-riding” where she “mett fifty or sixty sleys,” are all very entertaining. There were few sleighs in Boston at that date. Everything is compared with “ours in Boston,” or said to be “not like Boston,” after a fashion still somewhat followed by the Boston “Female Pen” of the present day. As New York then was only a small town of five thousand inhabitants, while Big Boston possessed ten thousand inhabitants, such comparisons were certainly justifiable.
We must give her vivid and vivacious picture of a country “lubber” in a merchant’s shop:—
In comes a tall country fellow with his Alfogeos full of Tobaco. He advanced to the middle of the room, makes an awkward nodd and spitting a large deal of Aromatic Tincture, he gave a scrape with his shovel-like shoo, leaving a small shovel-full of dirt on the floor, made a full stop, hugging his own pretty body with his hands under his arms, Stood Staring round him like a Catt let out of a Baskett. At last like the creature Balaam rode on he opened his mouth and said Have you any Ribinen for Hat bands to sell I pray? The Questions and answers about the pay being past the Ribin is bro’t and opened. Bumpkin simpers, cryes, Its confounded Gay I vow; and beckoning to the door in comes Joan Tawdry, dropping about 50 curtsies, and stands by him. He shews her the Ribin. Law You, sais shee, its right Gent, do you take it, its dreadful pretty. Then she enquires: Have you any hood silk I pray? which being brought and bought. Have you any Thred silk to sew it with? says shee, which being accomodated with they departed.
Though Madam Knight left no account of the costume which she wore on her “perilous journey,” we know very well what the fashions of the time were and of what her dress consisted. She wore a woollen round-gown, perhaps of camlet, perhaps of calimanco, of which the puffed sleeves came to the elbow and were finished with knots of ribbons and ruffles. Riding-habits were then never worn. I am sure she did not wear a neck-ruff on this journey, but a scarf or neck-kerchief or “cross cloth” instead. Long gloves of leather or kid protected her fair hands, and came to the elbow, and were firmly secured at the top by “glove-tightens” made of braided black horsehair. A pointed beaver or beaverette hat covered her head; the hat and peruke had not then reached the excessive size which made them for a lady’s “riding equipage” so bitterly and openly condemned in 1737 as an exceeding and abominable affectation. She doubtless wore instead of the fine, stately peruke, a cap, a “round cap,” which did not cover the ears, or a “strap cap,” which came under the chin; or perhaps a “quoif” or a “ciffer”—New England French for coiffure. During her cold winter ride home she surely donned a hood. One is described at that date thus: “A woman’s worsted camlet riding-hood of grayish color faced with crimson coulour’d Persian.” Over her shoulders she wore a heavy woollen short cloak, or a scarlet “whittle,” and doubtless also added a “drugget-petticoat” for warmth, or a “safeguard” for protection against mud. High-heeled pointed shoes of leather, with knots of green ribbon or silver buckles, completed Madam Sarah’s picturesque and comfortable attire. One other useful article of dress, or rather of protection, she surely as a lady of high gentility carried and wore: a riding-mask made of black velvet with a silver mouthpiece, or with two little strings with a silver bead at the end, which she placed in either corner of her mouth, to hold her mask firmly in place.
The “nagg” upon which Madam rode was without doubt a pacer, as were all good saddle-horses at that date. No one making any pretension to fashion or good style would ride upon a trotting-horse, nor indeed until Revolutionary times was a trotter regarded as of any account or worth.