Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-05-04
A STORY OF CURRANr JELLY
CHAPTER 4.

Se,s, tne gooseberry bushes, and the onion
Deds, all In their highest state of summer
thrift and greenness
Ihe crrrant jelly must be made to-mor-
row. Said old Mrs. Clinton, raising her eyes
Ircp the paper she was reading.
''Oh not in this dreadful weather, surely. -
demonstrated Sophy, "DO let US wait for a
cooler day -
Nonsense ~ said old Mrs. Clinton. s.tbe
currants are full ripe now, and if they once
get over ripe, the jelly will never come You
might boil 1t till dOomsday. Besides, il is
nearly week since we've had rain, and it is
hkeIy TO come upon US at any hour, and if the
u--ants once get wet it takes forever TO dry
them. The jelly must be made tomorrow
cophy hsaved sig gh of wesriness but did not
venture further to oppose her mother -in-law.
Inc next morning rose beautiful and bright;
out alas hotter than ever. There are times
good reader, when the most delicate refine
anent must give way, and people must use Ian
SuaSe tnat expresses their meaning. To call
sucn weather as We are writing about simply
'cari7, would be ludicrous afectation) I'm
lnedlately after breakfast Sophy put on her
garden hat, and took basket on her arm
NOW, Bridget, she said to a stout serving
woman who had finished clearing away, and
was folding the table cloth" if You pick stead, i,
lily for an hour, think we shall have enough
and If We keep in the shade of the plumb-tree,
nope we shall not find the heat intolerable I"
what is that you are saying 20 asked old
Mrs Clinton, going to take Bridget away
from her work to help you pick currants? /
shall have none Of that Bridget has all her
dishes to wash, and after that she must get the
great kettle on, over the back kitchen ere
place; Tor want the flannel sheets and the
blue worsted coverlets all washed to-day: it's
been put of too long already, and this will be
asplendid drying day"
1t will take me so long to pick all the cur
rants myself, said SOphy. "It's such disa-
greeable work too; hate it''
"When you've lived as long as have re-
Piled the young lady, you'll find that people
hare to do things that are disagreeabIe; YOU
must not expect always to have everything
Just so pleasant. It's fine idea that a person
mat has everything done to her hand, and
never SO much as washes out a pair of stock
lngs LOT herself, cant 60 out of morning and
pick a few currants / wonder how you would
nave done to be placed as / used to be- Five
children and myself and my husband and a
hired man TO do for, and no one to lift a finger
TO help me- besides, the milk of two cows to
take charge of, and didn't make as much of
II as you would to set the tea table '"
Sophy's cheeks burned with vexation, but
sne made no answer. Shortly, and in no ami
able mood, she went out at the back door.
''Only say the wOrd,' said Bridget, land
III go with yiz. Niver mind the ould cat in
there; sure you've right to be misthress in
your own house"
You mustn't speak in that way, Bridget, -
replied SoPhy Its very wrong Of you. I'm
sure L wish you could 60 out with me; but il
would make more trouble than it's worth. We
must try to have peace at any rate
Anything in the world for quietness" as
sented Bridget, and the young wife passed Oh.
1t was rather pleasant under the plum tree
after all; the crrrantS grew very large and
abundantly, and she soon became absorbed in
he hov b,Ie g.uI
when 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.
Il can't have you pick those currants, - she
said; "they are the largest and incest we have
In the garden, and always keep them to eat,
and tO'eat out Of hand when we want them
Go over on the other side where the small ones
are; they are exactly as good for jelly"
Sophy looked across to the designated side
where the sun was pouring down in full blaze
But it will be 50 hot there ~ she expostu-
lated. "It's all can do to bear it here
Sophia, said Mrs. Clinton, II am aston
lshed at you L knew you were a child, but /
didn't think you were quite a baby. Just go
on now and get the currants, as tell you; I IN
not going 10 have all those nice ones used mn
for jelly, and only miserable little things left
for the table
The spectacles and eap-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 had never risen
70 the pitch Of openly defying her molher-in-
law, and she was not quite ready for il yet So
she went across as she was bi Id en-, n stood in
the sunshine, picking busily, and feeling mean
while as If ready to faint with the heat. She
thought Of her own pleasant home and tender
mother; of the easy, thOughtless life she had
led IN It-eyeTy one ready to wait upon her
and indulge her. What change it was to the
stern sway of this disagreeable nother-in-law
she dldn { so much mind what she had to do
but the way in which she was treated-ordered
about like a child, and berated like an idle
servant Ii was too much, too much; and tears
half Of sorrow, half of anger, rolled down into
fhe basket, and gittered on the bright, red
f.ut On. if it wasn't for AlGrel, she should
wish she had never come here If he knew
how his mother behaved, He didn't suspect
IL, for she had never told him; he would surely
be sorry for her, he was 50 good so kind OH
how happy Alfred and she could be, if only his
mother was out OF the way She had thought
Of IL great many times before, but the picture
had never looked so pleasant She thou int of
the little parlor, with her books and work; her
canary hanging under the matrimony vine that
ran over the piazza; the table neatly set with
the bestWhite china, and napkins laid by every
plate; herself win plenty Of time to read and
write as she liked; Bridget, willing and active
doing all the harder labor, she devoting her.
self to the lighter and ornamental portion. She
saw long, quiet evenings with Alfred, undis-
turbed by society that was not congenial; she
imagined herself going about, happy and indie.
pendent, the chiding voice and dictatorial
manner nowhere heard nor visible Oh how
delightful that would be, Then suddenly came
the reflection, There is only one way in which
it can be: mother is too old to marry gain; she
has no other children to live with; there is no
way unless she should"- Sophy stopped
here. II don't want her to die, ~ she said.
Then came the remembrance of more eriey.
sDces. "Well, l wish she wasn't here, at any
rate" she said again.
When the currants were all picked over. and
the juice got ready, old Mrs. Clinton came into
the kitchen, not TO help, but to see that all was
properly done.
"A pint to pound?'' she said "well that's 5
right But, Sophia, you're never going to take
white sugar; the best brown Is plen y good :"
Yes" insisted Sophy, II must have the
white, or l can't tell anything about il: it
would be Of no use to have my rule"
.'Fiddle-de-dee for a rule 30 said Mrs Clin-
ton, "I'ye made jelly these forty years, and
never had rule about it.