Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-27
MORNING LEADER.
FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. "a, 1860.
A Story Of Currant Jelly,
BY oATmERINE ?. WILLIAMS.

I
| gsrlen, where the light Of the setting sun fell
broadly on the squash vines and the cucumbers ,
the gooseberry bushes and the onion beds, all
in their highest state of summer thrift ard
gTeenness.
''The current Jelly mast bs made to mor@
row." said old Mrs Clinton, lifting her eyes
| from the paper she was reading.
"Oh! not in this dreadful weather, surely"
demonstrated Sophy "DO let US wait for
cooler day."
''Nonsense!'' said old Mrs Clinton; "the cur
rants are full ripe now, and if they once get
over ripe your jelly will never come. You
might boil it till doOnsday. Besides, it is nearly
a week since we've had rain, and it is likely to
come upon US at any hour, and if the currants
once get wet it tskes forever to dry them. The
! Jelly must be made tomorrow"
SOphy heaved sigh Of WEAKNESS, but did
not venture farther to oppose her mother in law.
! The next morning rose beautiful and bright
but, alas hotter than ever There are times,
good reader, when the most delicate refinement
must give way, and people must use language
that expresses their meaning. To call such
weather as we are writing Of simply ram,
would be a ludierOus sffeetation) Immediately
after breakfast, SOphy Put on her garden hat
and took basket on her arm.
"Now, Bridget" she said to the stout serv-
ing woman, who had finished clearing away,
and was folding the table cloth; ''if we pick
steadily for an hour, | think we shall have
enough. And if we keep in the shade of the
plum trees, hope we shall not fad the heat
intOerabe." -5
"What is that you are saying!" asked old
Mrs. Clinton. "GOing to take Bridget away
form her work to help you pick cuTants! i
shall have nothing like that. Bridget has all
her dishes to wash, and after that she must
get the great kettle on over the back kitchen
| Fireplace; for want the flannel sheets and
the blue worsled coverIets all washed to-day;
it's been put off too long already, and this will
be splendid drying day."
"But it will take me so long to pick all the
currants by myself" said SOphy. 'It's such
disagreeable work, too; hate it."
When you've lived as long as l have" re-
piled the old lady, "you'll find that people hare
to do things that are dissgreeable; you must
not expect always to have everything Just so
pleasant It's fine idea that person that has
everything done to her hand, and never so much
as washes out pair of stockings for herself,
can't go out of morning and pick few cur
rantsi l wonder how you would have done to
be placed as used to be- Five children and
myself and my husband and a hired man to do
| for, aud no enc to lift finger to help me; be-
sides the milk OF two cows TO take charge of;
and didn't make as much of it as you would
to set the tea.table!" It
SOphy's cheeks burned with vexation, but
she made no answer. Slowly, and in no ami
able mood, she went out at the back door.
s0nly say TIE vVosSi. = said Bridget, 'and II
60 with viz NiVer mind the ould cat in your
own house,
"You mustn't speak in that way, Bridget /"
aaTti nf
| Pm sure l wish you could 60 with me; but it
would make more trouble than it's worth We
must try to have peace at any rate"
Anything in the world for quietness,'-
assented Bridget, and the young wife passed
on.
It was rather pleasant under the plum tree
after all; the currants grew very large and
abundantly, and she soon became absorbed
! in picking them. The little basket was half
full, when a voice from an upper window
called OUT
"SOphy! sOphy!"
She looked up, and in the shade of the
blind, saw old Mrs. Clinton busy with her
sewing.
i can't have you pick those currants J"
she said;, ''they are the largest and incest
we have in the garden, and 1 always keep
them for tea, and to eat out of hand when
we want them. 90 over on the other side
where the small ones are; they are exactly
as good for jelly !"
'sBut it will be so hot there !" she expos>
tuIated. "Its all can do to bear it here"
"Sophia," said Mrs. Clinton, al am as
tonished at you. knew you were child,
but didn't think you were quite a baby
Just 90 right on now and get the currants,
as tell you; I'm not going to have all those
nice ones used up for jelly, and only misera~
bic little things left for the table"
. The spectaeles and cap border disappeared
and Sophy stood a moment in doubt. She
felt indignant and i'll used. She had a great
mind to stay where she was; but she bad
never arisen to the pitch of openly defying
her mother in-law, and she was not quite
ready for it yet. So oshe went across as she
was bidden, and stood in the sunshine, pick
ing busily, and feeling meanwhile as If she
v as ready to faint with the heat. She thotugh
OF her own pleasant home and tender moth
er; of the easy, thoughtless life she had led
in it-every one ready to wait upon her and
indulge her. What changeit was to the stern
sway of this disagTeeable mother ln'law She
didn't so much mind what she had TO do, but
the way in which she was treated; ordered
about like q child, berated like an idle servant.
1t was too much, too much; and tears, half of
!
basket, and glittered on the bright red fruit
Oh! if it wasn't for Alfred she should wish she
had never come here II he knew how his
mother behaved He didn't suspect it, for she
had never told him; he would surely be sorry
for her, be was so good, so kind Oh /! how
happy Alfred and she could be, if only his moth
or was out of the way She had thought Of it a
great many times before, but the picture had
never looked SO pleasant. She thought of the
little parlor, with her books and work. her ca
narv HANGING under the matrimony vine that
ran over the piszza; the table neatly set with
the best white china and napkins laid by every
plate; herself with plenty Of time to read and
write as she liked; Bridget, willing and active,
doing all the harder labor, she devoiing herself
+ q the lighter and ornamental portion. She saw
long, quiet evenings with Alfred, undisturbed
bv society that was not congenial sheimagined
herself going about, happy and independent
the chiding voice and dictatorial manner no
where heard nor visible. Oh! how delightful
= that would be Then suddenly came the refec'
tion, "There is only one way In which 1t can
he. mother is too old 10 marry again; she has
no other children to live with; there is no way
unless she should -." SOphy stopped
h.,re; al don't want her to die" she said. TheI
csrn,4 the remembrance of more grievances
mW,,u, wish she wasn't here, at any late,
she said ,gain.
when the currents were all picked over
and the Juice got ready, old Mrs. Clinton cam'
into the kitchen, not to help, but to see that q!
was properly done. -, -,
"A pint 70 poundl" she said. "Well, that
] right. But Sophia, you're never going to TAX
tbst white sugar the best brown is plent,
"Yes," insisted SophV, 81 must have th
rvh ite or can't tell anything about 1t; it woul'
J he o,e no use to have my rule"
DC T THe-de-dee for ruIe!'' said Mrs Clinton