Colonial recipes, from old Virginia and Maryland manors

their garret an old chest filled with letters from Washing-ton, Fairfax. Morgan, .and their contemporaries which are most interesting. Mary, the daughter of Battaile Muse, married Dr. John Lewis of The Rocks, who was the father of Major William Lewis of Stonewall Jackson's staff. Major Lewis married Belle Greene of Falmouth, and Anne Payne Lewis is their daughter. Mrs. Lewis was the first cousin of General Turner Ashby, a gallant officer in the Confederate Army, and she was also the great-great-granddaughter of General William Payne, who was a warm friend of General Washington. It is a historical fact that General Washington and General Payne had a dispute one day in which both gentlemen lost their temper, and General Payne knocked General Washington down. The next day General Washington sent General Payne his apology for what he had said to offend him on the previous day, and the messenger arrived just as General Payne was getting ready to send his apology to General Washington, so the matter was amicably settled. 38 The Rocks BLACK CAKE (The Rocks) Five eggs, 1 pint flour, ^ pound butter, -| pound sugar, \ pint molasses, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus dissolved in \ pint of sour cream; 4 teaspoonfuls of ginger, 1 teaspoonful each of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and add raisins or currants if you like. Mrs. Mary Muse Lewis. irish potato pudding (The Rocks) Take the yolks of 7 eggs, 8 ounces sugar, 12 medium-sized potatoes; beat sugar and eggs well together, add 7 ounces butter and the juice and rind of an orange. Mix all well together and bake in pans lined with pastry. Seasoning may be wine and nutmeg instead of orange. Mrs. Duff Greene and Mrs. W. H. F. Lewis, The Rocks The Rocks 39 WHEN DE CO'N PONE'S HOT il Dey is times in life when Nature Seems to slip a cog an' go, Jes a-rattlin' down creation, Lak an ocean's overflow ; When de worl' jes stahts a-spinnin' Lak a pickaninny's top, An' yo' cup o' joy is brimmin' Twell it seems about to slop. An' you feel jes lak a racah Dat is trainin' fu' to trot — When yo' mammy ses de blessin' An' de co'n pone's hot." " I have heerd o' lots o' sermons, An' I've heerd o' lots o' prayers, An' I've listened to some singin' Dat has tuk me up de stairs Of de Glory-Lan' an' set me Jes' below de Mahster's th'one, An' have lef my hawt a-singin' In a happy aftah tone; But dem wu'ds so sweetly murmured Seem to tech de softes' spot, When my mammy ses de blessin' An' de co'n pone's hot." 4-0 The Rocks SOUTHERN CORN BREAD (The Rocks) One-half pint corn meal (white), § cup of sweet milk, § cup sour milk, i teaspoonful •soda, 3 eggs, a piece of lard one-half the size of an egg ; melt the lard ; beat the eggs very light before using. Bake in pans. Mrs. Mary Muse Lewis, The Rocks. WHITE LOAF CAKE (The Rocks) Whites of 8 eggs, 3 cups flour, 1 cup corn starch, 2\ cups sugar, 1 cup sour milk, 1 cup butter, 1 teaspoonful of soda, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar. MINCEMEAT {The Rocks) One pound beef, 2 pounds suet, 4 pounds sugar (brown if you can get it), 2 pounds currants, 3 pounds raisins, \ pound citron, \ pound dates and figs, 1 ounce mace, 1 ounce cloves, 3 pounds chopped apples. Boil beef The Rocks 41 and cut fine, chop suet, mix all together, and mix with French brandy, adding- wine when ready to use.