Soak the beans over night in cold water, changing this in the morning for warm, an hour later for hot. Put over the fire half an hour afterward, in boiling salted water, and cook until tender, but not broken. Drain them then, and put into a deep dish or bean-pot, bury a piece of pork (parboiled) in the centre. Stir into a large cupful of boiling water half a teaspoonful of dry mustard, half as much extract of celery or celery-salt, and a table-spoonful of molasses, and pour this over the pork and beans. Cover closely, set in the oven and bake slowly from four to six hours according to the size of the pot.

This is a Massachusetts recipe, and there is no better for the preparation of an ancient and honorable dish. In olden times the bean-pot stood all of Saturday night in the brick oven, and was in mellow prime at breakfast-time on the Sabbath day.

Serve Boston brown bread with it always. The two are in-dissolubly wedded.