this, take half a peck of wheat bran ; let it soak in cold
water three or four days ; then strain out the milky
water of it, and boil to a jelly; then season it with
sugar, rose, and orange-flower water, and let it stand
till it is cold and jellied again ; then eat it, with white,
or Rhenish wine, or cream, or milk, or ale." In some
farm-houses, " flummery" made from the husks of
oats, and known as " sowens," was eaten on New Year's
Day, between two and three o'clock in the morning, the
said mess containing for the finders, a thimble, a button,
and a ring ; whilst some money was often put into it
for luck.
In David Copperfield, Mrs. Micawber, who " never
would desert Mr. Micawber," writes to tell Trotwood,
in sad heroics, how secret and reserved Mr. M. has
become (as lawyer's clerk to the designing Uriah Heep).
" His life," she laments, " is a mystery to the partner
of his joys, and sorrows. Beyond knowing that it is
passed from morning till night at the office, I now
know less of it than I do of the ' man in the South,'
connected with whose ' mouth ' the thoughtless children
repeat a nursery rhyme respecting ' Cold Plum Porridge.'
" Mr. East made a feast;
Mr. North laid the cloth;
Mr. West did his best;
Mr. South burnt his mouth,
Eating cold plum-porridge."
When, and where garden vegetables are scarce for
the time being, certain wayside vegetables are not to
be despised for the rustic table. Bracken shoots serve
capitally as a substitute for asparagus. Only the young
tops, whilst they are still more or less curled up, should
be gathered, as the fully-opened fronds are too tough,
and stringy.
