South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1867-11-01
YOU'RE YOUNGER THAN / AN.
BY AMY GRAHAM.
CONCLUDED

What shall bring in for dinner? Some
thing TO roast is easiest: or no, l ii tell you,
III bring you leg of mutton to boil, and
you We nothing to do but put it in a pot
and stend j. on the fire.
thing?'
no; III fix it ready for YOU
! lie was as good as his word, and left the
mutton on the fire before he started of. -
The clearing up came next, and | could do
nothing more after that until had donned
new wrapper and skirt, hanging up the
iirst, drenched with dish-water, to dry
How do people wash dishes in dryncss?
Every saucer dripped its allowance of soap
suds over me as lifted it from the pan and
wiped it. wet FIVE towels wringng wet,
and was one sea of greasy water myself.
Aunt Fanny, what do YOU cook with
boiled mutton, and how do you cool; il?
Its too late for boiled mutton
but 1t has been on for nearly two hours
'Oh Well, boil some potatoes, and you'll
find some cabbages out in the shed; and,
Amy, boil some rice; Jerry is fond of it
with mutton
If, in the excess Of my gratitude, she had
informed me that Gerald had a partality for
! fried elephant steaks, ] should have under
taken to procure them. so boiled rice sound
ed simple enough. Dcluded Amy, I'm
sure If ever have = nightmare twill take
the form of boiled rice
had ascertained that potatoes REQUIRED
more boiling than eg17 was posted up.' rs
/ VIII says, on the cabbage question, and had
received the most careful direction how to
/ prepare the rice, prevent its scorchinc. and
the accurate time required for boiling One
more question remained
How much shall ! cook, auntic?'
'As much as will Ell vegetable dish
Down stairs went, feeling fully the i'm
portance Of my new position. filed the
! vegetable dish with rice, picked, and wash
ed It, and set it on in large pot to boil
| Boil. was watching my FIRE with one eye,
and my rice with the other, when saw the
latter begin slowly to rise in the pot. It
rose with sptcful, bubbling noise, swell
ling immensely like some live thing till it
! filled that great pot full and still itswellel
| bore it until it threatened to rise over the
edge, and then | got another pot and put
! half into that. | was beginning to believe
the stuff bewitched, for with steady swell,
and positively malicious noise, it filed both
/ pots, and got third. ] was desperate.
/ What if it was ike the porriig, in the fai-
~ tale, which boiled porridge ill it filed
/ house. roads, and village, until al the in
! habitants were smottcccd. SUI il rose
slowly, majesticaily, threatening to Gl the
third pot. was staring at it, with per
! feet fascination, when Gerald came In.
why, Amy, what lot Of rice. What
/ arc You going to DO p
go crazy, | think It has GIlcl one
pot, and then another, and now third
aud it goes on swelling, and rising aud
swelling. 1t has swelle1 up to this now.
When will it stop? VIII it 20 on swellin.
! al day =
'llow much did you put or .
/ 'About two or three quarts ="
/ 'Dry Two or three quarts drv?'
Aunt Fanny sail tia, dish full I said,
humbly, for the clear, ringing laugh Of the
morning warned me that had made a new
| b!under.
Afrr it was cooked, Amy Mutton
| done 2
q don't know. Docs mutton swell up
80, norcsbbagcs. Those arc done ioa
Charm Iliiloo. mothorr for at that in
slant ms aunt Fanny appeared nj The door.
Dinner ready she inquired lauguidly
Yes said Gerald, crpvely. we've
cot rice do you like rice p
Aunt Flnny's eye fell on my three pots,
and that white mass which still gelaiy
swel'cd up with its triumphant, ins,lyn,
bubble.
Bless my l,ar5 Amy what were you
THINKING about p
Never mind, mother. nis /, now work.
And Gerald put bis mother in chair
while he aud 'dished up.
/ lie praised my cabblges and potatoes
but could not resist a merry emphasis when
hc soil:-
Cousin, shall help you 70 rjcc7 Don't
be bashful, there's plenty Of It,
/ ! abhor rice ! bate rice! 7 ob,m..
nate rice / detcst rice ] dcstisc rice
/ Aunt Fanny made rice cakes for tea thq,
/ night; rice balls for breakfast next morn
/ ing, followed by rice pudding for dinner.
and rice cakes again for ten. ! am hqppv
20 say that the rest of the mass sourcd. ana
was given TO the pigs. 1 sincerely hope
they enjoyed it!
! Whether 10 was my awful cxtravaranco
I on the rice question chat reused Aunt Fan
ny, | am unable 90 say bu. she was about
I again for n week, trusting me with no re-
| sponsibility, but making my years tell m.
on me very painfully ia this style -
You're younger than / am, Amy get
me some water, will your
you pick the vegetables, Amy. You're
I younger than | am
Up stairs and down, in doors nnl ont,
I morning, noon, and night, ] travelled spur-
! rod ON LN the nlnrnaL ~ - - ..--..--