Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-08-26
miscellaneous.
From Chamberss Edinburgh Jougnal.
MRS. SEMPILL'S FIRST AT
TEMPT Ar GENTILITY.

All over Scotland, a custom prevails
amongst people in the least removed above
indulgence, ofpreparing every summer acer-
tain quantity of gooseberry jlmb and cur
rant jelly or one or other of these preserves,
which they usually store in little pots, and
set carefully by, to be used at high tea
drnklngs during the ensuing winter, or APP
piled as cure for sore threats, supposng
that any of the family should become liable
to that aiment. As almost everybody in
that country has "A garden, in which the
fruit is raised, the expense of this little lux
ury is not great; yet it is sufficient to put
the article beyond the reach of the poorest
class, who therefore only become acquaint-
ed with jelly, when, in the event of any
illness befalling them, some kind neighbor
in better circumstances sends pot of the
precious condiment, TO aid III eifecting
cure, or to alleviate the langour of sick-bed.
Amongst children of all denominations, it is
the very first luxury known or enjoyed and
hence to them, the season for making it is
one Of the most important i'll the whole year,
seeing that it is not easy for mothers, or
aunts, or grandmothers, to perform the OPP
Grafton without certain not inconsiderable
spllings finding their way to young mouths.
Though perhaps three-lourths of the res
pectable burghers' wives make these pre-
serves, it may readily be supposed that all
do not possess, as their own property, the
brazen pan required for the purpose. In
fact, very few pans are needed amongst
considerable population. By virtue of the
general system of borrowing and lending,
which subssts in country places, one pan
may serve some twenty or thirty people ev-
ry season. In certain respectable west
country town, few years ago, there was
but three pans, one belonging to the minis
ter, another to the master of the boarding
school, and the third to the relict of rath-
er wealthy citizen deceased. When the
time drew nigh for making the jelly, these
pans were drawn from the seclusion in
which they lay during the rest of the year,
and carefully scoured.-But it was odds if
their owners got an easy or convenient use
made of them. The applications for the
loan of the utensil came so fast and thick,
that it was with no small difficulty that Ell
Their the ministers wife, or the wife of the
keeper of the popular boarding school,
or Mrs. Mitchell, the respectable old cti-
zens widow, could get her own jelly made
on the day the ripeness of the berries made
the process most desirable, The ladies
would either make formal call to prefer
the request in person, or, if more at ease,
some such message as this would come by
the errand-going daughter for the time be.
ing NY mother has her compliments tc
YOU Mrs. Mitchell, and would be obliged
for the loan of the brass pam" to which the
answer would most probably be, Make my
compliments to your mother, and tell hei
that the pan is engaged to-day to Mrs
Harper, and tomorrow to Mrs. Jameson
and on Friday to Mrs. Thompson, and OF
Saturday intend to use it myself; bnt You
mother shall have it on Monday" Thu
will serve to give some idea of the active
service which these three brass pans under
went during the jelly making season. Ii
fact during three weeks of July, it wa
scarcely possible to walk long street of thi
quiet old place, without getting gimps
of one of these three culinary articles, as
whisked along in the hands of one of tn
servant lasses of the house where it ha'
been, to that in which it was to be used.
One year, certain Mrs. Sempll resolves
to make few pots of currant jelly for tn
first time. She was the wife of watch
maker in very small way, whose sign of
huge gilt watch en- the outside, with tn
hands eternally indicating twenty-five min
utes past nine, was but poorly supporte
within by an empty clock-case, and tire
saucers on the table near the window, con
tanning the disiected members OF certain he
rologes long ago sent in to be mended