Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-09
dNOttester 4ailg Spy.
My First Year of Housekeeping.
BY MRS NJ. c. GARDNER.
From Peterson's Magazine for August.
CONCTunRn

one morning, after the usual toll OF breakfast
was over, ''don't you think you could learn to
make raised bread?"
81 cannot tell; am quite discouraged"
"1Ou have learned to cook so many things
in so short time" he went on encouragingly
''that l am sure if you had some one to give
you few hints about the best method you
would succeed admirably. Why don't you
consult your mother? She is an excellent
cook"
''You forget, Frank, how we resented it
when my mother, and sisters, and aunts, and,
in fact, all friends, united in predicting our
present perplexities. No, itwould be too NOR
tifying to go home for counsel in this matter
Indeed, am ashamed to expose my ignorance
by consulting any one. l give all my visitors
bakers bread, and they, having it only occa-
sionally, seem to like it."
"Suppose we try boarding. Hattie"
eve cannot afford that; and besides, we
want a home by ourselves. You would not
be contented to give up our home liberties and
privileges, Frank. If it were not for the eter-
nal bread question, we could get a little enjoy
ment out of life; but comfort is now out of the
custom. l wish, Frank, l added, pettishly,
'that you had married housekeeper and
had gone into cOnventw
His face flushed.
81 was not finding fault, Hattie. l am as
ignorant as yourself and am sure could
not get along with the countless details of
kitchen work half as skillfully and cheerfully
as you do. l think you will conquer this diff
fcuty in time
SIN time, if ever" responded ungracous-
ly. 81 hope there will be no bread making
in eternity"
de looked at me in surprise moment, but
did not reply. The marked irreverence of
my language affected him painfully but he
saw that l was in too reckless a mood to be
reasoned with.
After he had gone to his study sat down to
think. | felt wicked and unhappy. knew l
had spoken unkindly and ungenerously to my
husband, whose unwearied forbearance and
gentleness, amid the inconvenience caused
by my incompetency, had so often excited my
gratitude. Alas that so much misery could
result from the want of good loaf of bread!
A sudden resolve inspired me. Without
waiting to clear away the breakfast things, l
went to a kind old lady in the neighborhood
and, after confessing my ignorance, begged to
be initiated into the mysteries of bread max
ing.
''There is no trouble" said the old lady, eff
you have good yeast"
''But l have tried yeast, and my bread
soured"
''You let it stand too long. 1t must be put
Ill IuG pals DIS SOOu dS IL Is llSIlU, ana Iilcn
stand till it begins to come up again"
but where can l get good yeast?"
cat the bakery. get mine there. You
can't help having good bread if the yeast is
right Only be sure to bake it soon enough"
was soon on my way to the bakery, mile
distant. The fresh air and pleasant sunlight
soon had their usual genial influence upon
me, and began to get back my lost courage
aud cheerfulness.
CATER ALL l said to myself, 81 must sue
coed if persevere. [ am not naturally dull,
and | ciU learn to make good bread, if it takes
me year"
L procured pint of yeast and fastened
home with my treasure. | determined that
the ''hoisting" element should not be lacking
in quantity, so put into the flour all the yeast
[ had bought, only adding cup of milk to
moisten it sufficiently. 1t smelt very strong
of hops, but | thought that would bake out.
l had scarcely placed it i'll warm corner
by the stove to rise, when l recollected Mrs.
Lees caution about baking in time to prevent
it's souring
81 must run no risk of that at all events"
l said. 81 am sure there is yeast enough to
raise it, if l bake it directly 1t can rise in
the oven, to be sure. Dear me, how green it
looks! But it will come all right in the bak-
ing, dare say"
% WITHOUT luIlllGT uSldy l. pldCeu IL Ill JnG
oven. | would not, if L could, describe its
appearance when it came out. | did not wait
to test its quality, but threw it, almost kissing
hot, into that long-suffering ditch. l am afraid
it is there now. 1t is many years since left
the place, but often fancy half dozen ducks
hard at work upon it.
| went back to the house, and for the first
time sat down to have "A hearty crying spell.
1t was nogenteel snitfle, with justtears enough
to add lustre to my eyes; but downright sob
bling, that would have done credit to any
whipped youngster of ten. | was utterly dis
couraged In this condition my husband
found me when he came down to dinner.
There was no dinner cooked, and the break
fast table stood just where we had left it,
At first he looked much alarmed, but he
soon comprehended the state of affairs. He
came and sat down by me, and drew my head
from the hard table upon which it had rested
to his shoulder. How soothingly and en-
couragingly he talked to me! He seemed
to have quite forgotten my provoking Lam
guage to himself, and only to be anxious to
comfort me.
After time | told him the sad experience
of the mornng-the long, fatiguing walk, the
attempt TO obtain instruction, and the hope
less result. 1t was anything but funny story
to me; but felt him trembe as l p; oceed-
ed, and when l concluded with the amiable
wish that those ducks might be choked to
death if they ever brought that bread up to
the light of day, he broke out into fit of
laughing such as L had never seen him indulge
in TWAS a long time before he was sober
enough to speak.
81 think, Hattie" he said at last ''that you
have at least taken one stepin the right direc-
ton
"How?"
'1Why, after confiding in old Mrs. Lee, it
will not now be difficult to tell her of your
failure, and to ask for the privilege of mixing
a few loaves under her direction. You will
easily get the art in this way, and she is too
kind to care for the trouble"
''To be sure, Frank. l wonder l did not
think of that. shall try very hard, and you
will have a housekeeper yet"
"And you will not sigh for convent, Hat
tie?"
"Ah, Frank it is fortunate l have a con-
siderate husband. Everybody would not for
give such a temper as | exhibited this morn
ing"
We extemporized lunch to serve for a din
ner, and then ! again set off to visit Mrs.
Lee. At last learned to make bread.
l could fill many pages with such doleful
"reminiscences, and should be willing to do so
if could convince one young girl Of the inn
portance of practical household knowledge, or
make her understand how much the comfort
and grace of home depend upon the domestic
habits of its mistress.
But | will only indulge my vanity by