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9‘ Symbol of Canada of 1850 Most housewives, particularly mothers of a young tarnily, find their days full. It is therefore hard to imagine the extra chor- es that were piled on the shoulders of a Walkerton house- wife one hundred years ago. After the baby had been breast-fed and changed, the fire had to he tended to prov'de heat for warmth and cooking. Breakfast might have been por~ ridge and pancakes with maple syrup. While the porridge cooked, the copper wash holler was filled to provide hot water For the day. After breakfast, while the water heated, the cloth diapers ‘ were soaked, then the lamps were filled, cleaned and the wicks trimmed. Then the bed chambers were emptied into the authouse. Of course, all water used for the daily household chores had to be carried from the well or a nearby spring. Each day brought its own spe- cial duties. If it was washday, an extra quantity of water had to be carried in and heated tn Fill, tirst the copper broiler and hot water reservoir on the stove, then the washtuhs. There, the clothes were scrub- bed an a washboard and then hung to dry. Oi :oursel extra basins were used for bleaching. blueing and starching. All of this: were laburiaus tasks that undo wash day an all-day chore. After the wash was ali lint-had. the hot wash Inter ' than and to scrub .thu floor. Bake da was important ton, baked goodies had lo be :1 pared to last several n‘ays and as the supply of la d and the lard For baking 5 homeâ€" rendered. The housewife had to hope the dough would set even if the kitchen was draugllty, al« though a dough boy. as often used to rise the tar m. it was often suspected land still is) that weather conditions af- fected the rising of H1» dough. Many early settl‘ ; in ‘r‘u’allc- ertan kept a cow and some hens and the housewife usually helped with the chor‘ and milking, gatheiing 95 nd churning the butter tram the thick cream that was u-’mmed From the top of the r All perishable-s had m be stored in the cool earth -el|ar. In the fall, he pradu ‘ the house 8'; large ‘ ,n (that she had tended all sumâ€" mer) had to be put down either by pickling, or preserving. Saturday night was bath night, when the wash tub was ‘ filled from the copper wash boiler on the stove‘ First the children were scrubbed rtown, then more hot water was Added so that mum and dad could ‘ sponge off the week's sweet and tail. Even the sopa used for wash- day was made from wood uh lye and lard, properly cumbln ed and rendered. Cheer up clrls, -â€" th n aren’t 9; hi to-day after all!