Oatmeal Short Bread

This being the first recipe, I'm realizing a couple of things.  We have to remember the kind of kitchen that Grandma Marsden was using.  She was married in 1876, and while gas stoves and ovens may have been available at the time...any of us who have been to Cardston, Alberta for those family reunions, it is much more likely that Grandma was cooking with a wood burning, or coal burning oven.  Thermostats were unlikely to have been used, hence you'll see that this recipe for Oatmeal shortbread calls for a "moderate" oven.  Grandma would probably begin to heat up the oven, and would stick her hand in to test for temperature.  I'm sure she got good at feeling what a "moderate" oven felt like, and could make this recipe in her sleep.  The nature of the recipe as you will see in the picture I took is very colloquial in its organization.  It was written down in a strange order, and it took some interpretation in figuring out how Grandma assembled the recipe.  Below is my best guess as to how this recipe works.  I'm open to comments from those of you who try it out.

Oatmeal Short Bread
Batter
1 3/4 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup brown or whit sugar
2/4 cup lard
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling
Stone (I'm guessing this means crush) and cook 1 cup dates in about 1/2 cup cold water until stiff, stir often then let cool.

Mix (batter ingredients) with sweet milk about 1/4 cup to make fairly stiff batter.  Spread half of mixture in pan, spread dates (filling) on.  Cover with rest of dough.  bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 45 minutes.