Recipe For Doing the Family Wash

Written in its original spelling for a bride a few generations ago.

1. bild a fire in back yard to heet kettle of rain water.
2. set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.
3. shave one hold cake lie sope in bilin water.
4. sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pile work britches and rags.
5. stur flour in cold water to smooth, then thin down with bilin water.
6. rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then bile, rub collord, but don’t bile – just rench & starch.
7. take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then rench, blew, and starch.
8. spred tee towels on grass.
9. hang old rags on fence.
10. pore rench water on flower bed.
11. scrub porch with hot sopey water.
12. turn tubs upside down.
13. go put on cleen dress – smooth hair with side combs – brew cup of tee – set and rest and rock a spell and count blessins.”