Softening of skin and healing chaps
Take of prepared hogs lard 2lb
Rose-water 3 oz
Beat the lard with rose-water until they be mixt then melt the mixture with a slow fire, and set it apart that the water may subside; after which, pour off the lard from the water, constantly stirring until it be cold.
MacKenzie’s Five Thousand Receipts in All the Useful and Domestic Arts
It was but a few days to Christmas and at last I began to feel normal again. The hardships of the gaol seemed far away as the house filled with wonderful smells and there was much giggling and secrecy as we all did our best to make little gifts for each other. I had bottled some fruit in brandy that Mrs Makepiece acquired for me from a source I didn’t enquire into. I planned to give a bottle each to Farmer Elwood, Mr Franklin, and Mrs Makepiece. For Cecilia I was working on a sampler to decorate her bedroom. I struggled to think of anything for Billy but finally lit on some homemade slippers. I asked Miss Wardle for some small off-cuts of piggy leather and fashioned them into slippers using wool and leather thongs for bindings. Beth was easy – I made a little jerkin from some fragments of material from Cecilia’s linen box. I had enough scraps left over to make a hat and mittens and socks. Miss Wardle entered into the spirit of giving and for her I made some ointment, according to a receipt of my mother’s, to protect the skin from bad weather, though it had to be said it might be a bit late to help her old, wind-chapped hands. I did wonder if it would be right to give Dr Grieve a small gift. Cecilia and I discussed it and she said that I should bake some of my little pies and make up a parcel for him. It wasn’t too personal and he liked his food.