Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-03-20
SUNSH[NE'S STORIES.
BY A. II. POE.
From the Interior.l

and gloomy, with a nipping wind and
fretful little rain, and once in while
a plash of snow that melted as soon as
it reached the ground.
al know somethin'!" cried Rubie,
Gathering in from the kitchen.
"What? ?" asked Rosie and Matte in
a breath.
"Why, mince pies, that's what
Sunshine's goin' to chop 'em, too, for
JUS now she tucked a raisin in my
mouth, and said to go IN the other
room N be a good boy"
'Td rather stayed in there N been
good boy" said Rosie.
"Wish she'd tuck a raisin in my
mout," observed Matte.
Willie laughed, and taking the great
brown turfey-wing from its nail on
the chimney-side, began brushing up
the whittlings he had made ON the
hearth.
II wasn't long before they heard the
chump! chump! chump! of the chop
ping knife.
"I know what you're AFTER" called
Sunshine, in voice clear as daylight,
(and good deal clearer THAR this
gloomy day,) rs four heads, black,
brown, yellow, and white, peeped in
at the door.
"Just once around, said Mrs Willis
ton, turning from the kitchen table
with a paper in her hand, they're
bad for the stomach. Willie you don't
care tor raisins, do you, son?'
Not SO asefutly," replied Willie,
swapping his knife-blade; nevertheless
his mother gave him some more.
"Look there, now!' exclaimed Sun
shine, proudly tippling up the bow.
"Ain't that fine? I'll have it fines
old Mother Harris, fore ever l stoI.
and she chump, chumped with d =
hemence that was quite unnecessary.
Sunshine" asked Willie, crackin.s
the grape seeds in his teeth at great
rate, "d' You remember that pie story
she told you'n me once, a long time
agoR"
Sunshine shrugged her shoulders
little. ~ remember well 'nough, but
I'd like to know how you can hear me
when Pm chopping. They can't, can
they, mother?"
"Oh, L reckon So" replied Mrs. Will
liston, softly, and with what Willie
called "one of her blue-eyed smiles"
"You can chop slowly, there's no great
hurry, dear"
"Well, you'll have to prick up your
ears mighty keen then. You see old
Mother Harris, she lived over in
grandma's neighborhood, and she can
beat the whole country making mince
pies, (only grandma-she can't beat
granna. )and she sells them at fairs
and things. One time when Willie
and rs at her house she made US each
little one, and while we's eating
them she told us about
THE FIRST MINCE PIE.
"She said that once there was a. king,
and he had son, and when the kings
son had grown to be man the king
made great birthday dinner, the
greatest that had ever been made; and
he ordered that every household in his
kingdom should bring certain dish,
pie, or cake, or something to the din
ner; but whoever failed to bring some
thing, or brought something that was
MT good, was to be put to death.
"Now, far off in the kingdom lived
poor maiden with her mother, and
they had in their house only little
boiled meat, few apples, a bunch of
dried grapes, and some spices and
sweetening. There was only little of
each. The daughter tried hard to get
something more, but she couldn't, so
she chopped the things fine, mixed
them all together, and made pie out
of them. Then she took the pie to
the feast, and it was set before the
king"
"Was tgood's blackbird pie?" ask
ed Matte.
"When the king tasted it, he found
twas better than any pie he'd ever
tasted before, and he commanded the
maiden to be brought before him.
Then she told how poor she and her
mother were, and how she had only
these few things, and had done the
best she could with the little she ha :,
and the king was SO pleased that re
gave her to his son for wife, and .