y," the sauce
that savored the meat when it was crisply tender, brown all over, but
free from the least scorching.

Daddy made it thus: Two pounds sweet lard, melted in a brass kettle,
with one pound beaten, not ground, black pepper, a pint of small fiery
red peppers, nubbed and stewed soft in water to barely cover, a spoonful
of herbs in powder--he would never tell what they were,--and a quart and
pint of the strongest apple vinegar, with a little salt. These were
simmered together for half an hour, as the barbecue was getting done.
Then a fresh, clean mop was dabbed lightly in the mixture, and as
lightly smeared over the upper sides of the carcasses. Not a drop was
permitted to fall on the coals--it would have sent up smoke, and films
of light ashes. Then, tables being set, the meat was laid, hissing hot,
within clean, tight wooden trays, deeply gashed upon the side that had
been next the fire, and deluged with the sauce, which the mop-man
smeared fully over it.

Hot! After eating it one wanted to lie down at the spring-side and let
the water of it flow down the mouth. But of a flavor, a savor, a
tastiness, nothing else earthly approaches. Not food for the gods,
perhaps, but certainly meat for _men_. Women loved it no less--witness
the way they begged for a quarter of lamb or shoat or kid to take home.
The proper accompaniments to barbecue are sliced cucumbers in strong
vinegar, sliced tomatoes, a great plenty of salt-rising light bread--and
a greater plenty of cool ripe watermelons, by way of dessert.

So much for barbecue edible. Barbecue, the occasion, has yet to be set
forth. Its First Cause was commonly political--the old south loved
oratory even better than the new. Newspapers were none so plenty--withal
of scant circulation. Besides, reading them was work--also tedious and
tasteless. So the great and the would-be great, rode up and down, and
roundabout, mixing with the sovereigns, and enlightening the world. Each
party felt honor bound to gather the sovereigns so they might listen in
comfort. Besides--they wanted amusement--a real big barbecue was a sort
of social exchange, drawing together half of three counties, and letting
you hear and tell, things new, strange, and startling. Furthermore, it
was no trouble to get carcasses--fifty to a hundred was not uncommon.
Men, women, children, everybody, indeed, came. The women brought bread
and tablecloths, and commonly much beside. There was a speaker's stand,
fla