Aunt Sarah, I am not surprised that you value this old deed of the
farm and these 'Taufschiens' of your grandmother I should frame them,
so they may be preserved by future generations."

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE OLD STORE ON THE RIDGE ROAD.

Aunt Sarah found in Mary a willing listener when talking of the time
in years past when her grandfather kept a small "Country Store" on the
Ridge Road in Bucks County. She also remembered, when a child of ten,
accompanying her grandfather on one of his trips when he drove to
Philadelphia to purchase goods for his store.

"They had no trolley cars in those days?" asked Mary.

"No, my dear, neither did they have steam cars between the different
towns and cities as we have now."

"At grandfather's store could be bought both groceries and dry goods.
The surrounding farmers' wives brought to the store weekly fresh print
butter, eggs, pot cheese and hand-case, crocks of apple-butter, dried
sweet corn, beans, cherries, peach and apple 'Snitz,' taking in
exchange sugar, starch, coffee, molasses, etc. My father tapped his
sugar maples and mother cooked down the syrup until thick, and we used
that in place of molasses. They also took in exchange shaker flannel,
nankeen, indigo blue and 'Simpson' gray calico, which mother
considered superior to any other, both for its washing and wearing
qualities. The farmers who came occasionally to the store to shop for
different members of the family frequently bought whole pieces of
calico of one pattern, and," affirmed Aunt Sarah, "I knew of one
farmer who bought several whole pieces of one pattern with rather
large figures on a dark wine ground, resembling somewhat the gay
figures on an old paisley shawl. He said 'twas a good, serviceable
color, and more economical to buy it all alike, and remarked: 'What's
the difference, anyway? Calico is calico.' From the same piece of
calico his wife made dresses, aprons and sunbonnets for herself and
daughters, shirts for the farmer and his sons (the boys were young,
fortunately), and patchwork quilts and comfortables from the
remainder."

"Rather monotonous, I should think," said Mary. "I am surprised his
wife did not make him wear coat and trousers made from the same piece
of calico."

[Illustration: THE OLD STORE ON RIDGE ROAD]

"The dry goods," continued Aunt Sarah, "retained the scent of coffee,
cheese and dried fruits some time after being purchased but no one
minded that in those days. I still