discarded by library; softcover; 256pp; copyright, 1947; reprint, 1980

The pages are fragile. I glued them back to the spine. However, the book is signed by the author.

Inside front cover: "The saltbox house on Windy Summit was built by one of Vermont's first settlers and remained in the same family for five generations. The way of life each succeeding generation pursued in the span of years from those early days to the time of the author's own childhood is as remarkable for its similarities as for its contrasts. And the essentials of life in this rural Vermont mountain community were basically representative of rural life anywhere in America.

Out of the Saltbox reflects its title. Through diaries, family papers and letters, town records, and the personal recollections of old timers, Ruth Rasey has vividly reconstructed the life of her forebears and their neighbors at home and in the community, and has brought the story up to the recent past with descriptions of her own youth. The result is an authentic, nostalgic portrayal of American daily life from Colonial times to the Twentieth century.

Life revolved around the community and its essential institutions. The district schoolhouse, the saw and grist mill, the blacksmith's shop, the cheese factory, the village store, the saphouse, the town hall, the depot, and the meetinghouse were all cornerstones of the community life throughout the years. All are an integral part of this fascinating story.

The Congregational Meetinghouse, for instance, has been an influence in village life for over 175 years. In the early days, the white building was used as a place for town business as well as worship, there being no other hall large enough. Within its walls in 1795, the town appointed two members to sit in county convention to deliberate on the impending Jay Treaty with Great Britain. There, also, in 1860, one hundred and forty men cast their ballots for Abraham Lincoln, and in the next four years frequent meetings were held to call for volunteers as new recruits were needed. Here, a minister of a century ago dealt so often in his sermons with the themes of Hell Fire and Souls' Damnation that one parishioner wrote in his diary, 'Went to hear the Rev.___ preach today which was a mixed up mess with lots about Hell and the moral stupor of New England. What an old koot!' And here, each March of that century, the church was the scene of the Maple Sugar Sociable where young and old tasted the delights of the season's 'first run.'

The saltbox house was always the center of much activity. Miss Rasey gives detailed descriptions of such necessities of daily life as hill farming, sheep raising, flax spinning and weaving, candle-making, barn raising, the brewing of herbs for home remedies and dyes, and yeast making from hops in the meadow. Interspersed with these are lively accounts of Freedom quilting bees, husking bees, apple-paring courtships, and other social events all centering around the home. In addition, the dooryard, the meadow, the pasture, the rock spring, and the birch grove all had their particular importance and meaning for each generation."

RELEASE NOTES:

*********************************
mailed to a winner of my
“2,000 Books Registered”
game on Fun and Games,
November, 2005

Congratulations, and Enjoy!!
*********************************

Imagine my joy when I received two books in the mail!!!! Looking forward to reading them both.

Fascinating read. Book is falling apart again but I am passing it on to a friend who will treat it with kindness.