Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-17


my dear Hattie said my husband
one morning after the usual toll of break
fast was over. don't you think you could
learn TO make raised bread?
T Il cannot tell;I am quite discour-
aged .s 800
you have learned to cook 30 many
things in SO short n time,' he went on
encouragingly. that am sure if you
had some one to give you few hints
about the best method you would sue
coed admirably. Why do you not con.
suit your mother? She is a superior
cook t-t-.. /,
you forget, Frank, how we resented
it when my mother and sisters and aunts
and, in fact, all our friends, united in
predicting our present perplexities. No.
il would be too notifying to 60 home
for counsel in this matter. Indeed, l am
ashamed to expose my ignorance by con-
sulting any one. / give all my visitors
bakers bread, and they, having it only
occasionally, seem TO like it,
Suppose we try boarding, Hattier
I'VE cannot afford that; and, besides,
we want home by ourselves. You
would not be contented to give up our
home, liberties and privileges, Fraak.-
If it was not for the eternal bread ques-
ton, we could get little enjoyment out
of life; but comfort now is out of the
question. / wish, Frank / added pet
ishly, that you had married house
keeper, and l had gone into a convent
His face flushed. was not finding
fault, Hattie. l am as ignorant as your.
self, and am sure could not get along
with the countless detailsAsof kitchen
work half as skillfully and cheerfully rs
you do. 1 think you will conquer this
difficulty in. time" SCOTS, ), s.o.s. m
s1u time, if ever responded ungra
ciously. Il hope there will be no bread
making in eternity ae1 ss--ji c-2- =
He looked ut me in surprise for mo-
ment, but he did not reply. The marked
irreverencs Of my language affected him
painfully; but he saw l was in too reck
less a mood to be reasoned with. @
After he had gone to his study I sat
down to think. felt wicked and un-
happy. knew | ha6 spoken unkiudly
and ungenerously to my husband, whose
unwearied forbearance and gentsness,
amid the Inconvenience caused by my
incompetency, had so often excited my
gratitude. Alas that so much misery
could result from the want of a loaf Of
good bread!
A sudden resolve inspired me. With
out waiting to clear away the breakfast
things, went to q kind old lady in tho
neighborhood, and, after confessing my
ignorance, begged to be initiated into the
mysteries Of breadmaking.
There is no trouble. said the Old lady,
{ if you have got good yeast
But have tried yeast, and my bread
soured.'
You lot it stand too long. 1t must
be put in the pans as soon as it is light,
and then stand till it begins to come up
again g .TEs
But where can get good yeast?'
AT the bakery. / get mine there
You can't help having good bread if the
yeast is right. Only be sure to bake it
noon enough
l was soon on my way to the bakery,
a mile distant. The fresh air and pleas
ant sunlight soon had their usual genial
influence upon me, and | began to get
back my lost courage and cheerfulpess.
After ALL l said to myself Il must
succeed if persevere. / am net natur
ally dull, and I will learn to make good
bread if it takes me n year.
Iprocured pint of yeast and fastened
home with my treasure. I determined
that the 'hoisting' element should not be
lacking in quantity, so | put into the
flour all the yeast had bought, only
adding a cup of milk to moisten it suffi-
GENTLY. 1t smelt very strongly of hops,
but l thought that would bake out. a
had scarcely placed it in a warm cor.
ner by the stove to rise, when recol-
lected Mrs. Lees caution about baking il
in time to prevent its souring.
I must run no risk of that. ut all
events said. Il am sure thers il
yeast enough in it to raise it if I bake it
directly. 1t can raise in the oven to be
sure. Dear me, how green it looks!
But it will come all right in the baking, l
dare say
So without further delay, I placed it
in the oven. l would not, if I 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. I am afraid it is
there now. 1t is many years since I left
the place, but 1 often fancy half dozen
ducks hard at work upon it.
/ won't back to the house, and, for
the first time, sat down to have hearty
crying spell. 1t was no genteel sniffie.
with Just tears enough to add lustre to
my eyes; but downright sobbing, that
would have done credit to any whipped
youngster of ten. 1 was utterly dis
couraged. In this condition my hus.
band found me, whom he came down to
dinner. There was no dinner cooked,
and the breakfast table stood Just a. We
had left It. -. 81.
At first he looked much alarmed but
he soon comprehendsd the state of af-
fairs. Then he came and sat down by
me, and drew my head from the hard
table upon which il had rested, to- his
shoulder. How soothingly and euceur
/ L. .-ll.l