The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-12-23
A Christmas Story. =.
[ErOm uarpeF's BazArli
AIRS. Burton's Mince- Meat.

y
medium "of nothing too mueh,7 by
dint of frngal ways and industrious
habits. Consequently, mince- pies
were not an everyday affair in the
house; it took an occasion as great as
4 Christmas CT Thanksgiving to c,rIi
them into existence. But as times
were a trifie harder with her THAI
usual, as one of her sources of income
had fallen short. it was put to the
lamily vote: 'lyltHH we have mince-
pies for Christmas?" Of course theirs
was no dissentient voice, but a uuarii-
NOUS "Yea." Nan declared for them,
Ellie clappcd for them, Tinl exploded
into "HunkydOri! .
So the minct-pies became a Fixed
fact Then began such a counting OE
cost, such scamperiug upon errandS,
such weighing out of "cinmamon,
hllspice, nutmeg, and cloves :" such Il
consultation with Miss BnsIip and Miss
| Beecher! Then Z la sat up after bed
time to stone the raiSins, and have
faith to believe that Tin did not neg
lPCt the opportunity. Then the house
hold fell to chOpping; Mrs. Burton
chopped the suet. Betty chopped the
meat, Ellie chopped the apples, Tim
came near having his fingers chopped.
Nan shaved the citrOn. Every body
WAS interested and excited; and Tim
went so far as to exchange promiss
to pay in turnOvers for Il Jews harp
with one his crnnips. Altogether
there hadn't been such a sensation
since the Fourth of July, when the cat
tapped up the cream, and TIM broke
the eggs, and the green-grOcpr- had sold
all the lemons that were to have been
turned into ice-cream for the flmily
delPctation.
But Mrs. Blrton designed a portion
of her mince-pies as the widows mite
toward other Christmas dinners beside
her own. There was Mrs. Murphy,
the washer-wOnan, with a family on
her hands-a family that ate crust5
and leavings, and thought they had
Jared generOasly-a family where the
rent was always overdue, the fire al
ways low, and the -four fluctuating;
where butter was an accident of the
day, and where sugar was seldom at
home; family perpetually out at the
/ toe and down at the heel. She meant
that this distressed portion of human.
/ ity should share in her Christmas
dainties, as Well as old Miss Brooks,
who was bedriddpn and lived on an
annuity of fifty dollars year, nobody
knew and few inquired how; then
there was to he a turnover for little
Jack, who piled in the winters wood
and made the paths and another for
the chimney sweep. So, you see, Mrs.
BurtOn's pies had small chance Of go
ing begging, though there were NO
NAV like Tins at home.
But nobody could justly estimate
the pleasure which the concOctiOn Of
this compound gave to the household,
separately and collectively; one might
almost declare that it was fair equiv
alent for the cost and trouble involved.
Tim calculated to Ii mathematical cpT-
tainty the number of pies that could
be made from given quantity uf
minCe meat. how many sixths of the
same wUuti be tikely 10 fan to his
share; while Nan confessed that sh6
always felt as if the baking Of mince-
| pics gave an OdOr of rgSpertability I'd,
the premises. Mrs. Burton listened
| to their nonsense, and gently hintpd
that if her income continued to de-
crease there might come a time when
pies would be in the vocative. In the
meanwhile Tim received fprruling
for uuruly conduct at school, Ellie tore
her gown on nail, and Nan fell to
the foot of her class altogether, one
might say that the prospect Of mince-
! pies was demOraliZing.
81 Think" said Mrs Burton to her
self, "I'll drop line to Cousin Jane,
and ask her to come down Christ
mas; it's years since we ate Il MOUTH
full together. And here are the pies.1
And so Christmas drew near, with
clear breezy skies and a cracking Of
| fallen snow. The town was divided
on the dinner question. Farmers rat
| tied into market With loads of poultry
and apples; eggs were worth their
weight i'll gold; provision stores were
festuOned with chickens with bunchGs
Of celery. and wreaths of onions. Lit
tie beggar gi Is, wrapped in rags, feast:
cd their eyes on the spectacle, ard
,hivered with longing. Every Gody
WAS carrying home a turkey; pantri,a
were overflowing with savory norsels.
Even old Mr.. Brewer, Whose wife
couldn't move q finger for rhrumu-
lism, had baked cranberry turt all
by himself and had roasted very
lean chicken before going off to his
days work; for Tomorrow was hul.
iddy; in which he could wheel AIf5.
Brewer out upon the street for
breath Of fresh air, the best Christmas
She could have, poor soul!
Mrs Burton brought out her minco-
meat this morning in its earthen rot;
put on her apron, rolled up her sleeves;
'ook out the bread board and rolling
pin, and sifted her -four.
"There's not hit Of shortening In
the house, marm protested Betty, re-
turning from an Investigation of the
pantry.
"Put on your hood, Betty, and run
TO the grocers," returned her mistress.
How slight a thing turns the scale;
hut for this unlueky falling short Of
the s'shOrteniug, the Burton pies
might have been a success. While
Betty was gone, and it was good half
mile away, Mrs. Burton, in order to
improve the time, went to put the
guest chamber to rights; to SEE that
here was no dust on the window
ledgcs, no speck on the white counter-
pane. While she was thus engaged,
she heard steps below. Betty" she
called, ais that you? Back so soon?'
Nobody answered but then Betty
was growing a little deaf; she would
go down presently. This picture was
somewhat awryi the toilette covers
had not been replaced; she must ses
about these thjres while she thought