Friend:

      Bundling was done in my family during the wintertime before we moved 
off the farm and had houses with central heating.  In older days, when a 
swain came a courting a maiden whose family lived in a house that had only 
fireplace or stove radiant heating (the cook stove in the kitchen, and the 
pot bellied stove in the parlor--on special occasions), and they were engaged 
and were permitted to hold hands, look at each other moonily, and just keep 
company of the social conversation variety--and the in-house temperatures 
away from the heat source were at or just above freezing, the couple, fully 
clothed and with overcoats, mittens, etc, climbed into a bed and pulled up 
the heavy covers to keep warm while they were conversing and romanticizing, 
in the presence or near presence of a chaperone.  They were bundled up 
individually and bundled together, just to keep warm.  Obviously nothing more 
than hand holding could occur, and if they were wearing mittens, even that 
was not close contact.  In certain households, particularly in New England, 
there was a wood bar affixed to the bed, headboard to footboard, after it was 
made, which divided the bed into two halves--he and she sides.  Courting was 
accommodated, but bundling kept the parties from engaging in any hanky panky.

John Scott Davenport
Holmdel, NJ