Eggless Steamed Pudding

From 1922:
Two tablespoons lard, 2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup molasses, ½ cup milk, 1 cup white flour, 2/3 cup graham flour, ½ teaspoon soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¾ cup stones and chopped dates.
Soften butter and lard in a warm mixing bowl. Add molasses, milk and dry ingredients well mixed. Stir well and add chopped dates. Put into a buttered mold and steam two and one-half hours.
This makes enough pudding to serve eight persons, but as the pudding is quite as good reheated why not make the whole rule for four persons and reheat the second day?
Serve with hard sauce or plain lemon sauce.