as thrown off, the wheels of the thresher
ceased to revolve, and the work came to a stand-still. Comments were
exchanged on the progress made during the forenoon and the quality of
the wheat, then the tired horses were unharnessed and fed, and Farmer
Loper led the way toward the house. Here on a bench by the well were all
the wash-pans and wash-bowls the house afforded, and clean towels hung
on the roller and on nails outside the door. The men washed their hands
and faces, and, by the aid of a small looking-glass hung by the towels,
and a comb attached to a string, combed their hair. To the women it was
the most exciting moment of the day. They were dishing up the dinner and
putting the finishing-touches to the table. Finally all was ready. Mrs.
Loper spoke to her husband, and he said, "Come, men, dinner's ready,"
and led the way to the table. He took the chair at one end, his oldest
son that at the other, and the others ranged themselves at will between.

Mrs. Loper poured out coffee in the kitchen, the neighbor women carried
the cups and saucers, Maggie waited on the table, passing the bread
around first, and Elvira stood with a bunch of peacock's feathers in her
hand and kept off the flies. A boiled ham was at the head of the table,
a pair of roast fowls at the foot; between stood a long row of
vegetables,--potatoes, string-beans, squash, beets, and others,--and
near the large tureens were smaller dishes,--cold-slaw, tomatoes,
cucumbers, pickles and preserves of various kinds. A large cake stood on
a glass cake-stand in the middle of the table, flanked on one side by a
deep glass dish full of canned peaches, on the other by a similar one of
floating island, while all the available remaining space was occupied by
pies,--apple-pies, custard, berry-pies, cream-pies. To have a variety of
pies on a festal occasion was the ambition of every housewife, seven
different kinds of pies and three kinds of cake being not uncommon. If a
map of the region where pie prevails is ever drawn up and printed, this
section of the country will be shaded unusually dark. To have company to
dinner and not set pie before them would be considered a breach of an
ancient and well-grounded custom: the best of puddings or other forms of
dessert would be regarded only as an evasion. Pie was not out of place
at supper; and the instance of one family comes to mind where steamed
mince-pie for breakfast was eaten, and considered both appropriate and
deli