American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-11-20
When it gets cold, she freezes

pushing up her sleeves. Come, let's be
gin"
Do you think Aunt Martha would lik,
it?"
Like it? OF course she would, sh,
amt stingy! Here's a stew-pan RICH
under the sink,'' walking out into tn,
kitchen. "The milk's in here" going to
aoh, donIi IN get it, said Nellie
remembering her aunt's orders. Nellie
brought out pan full of milk and Matti,
filled the stew-pan and set it upon the
stove.
81 don't know how many eggs il
takesl" cried Nellie from the pantry; /"
think SIX will do, though" She came
out with the eggs in a large earthen bow
which she had seen her aunt use. Matte
broke the eggs, while Nellie went to gel
the sugar.
81 don't see any but this" she said
bringing out the bowl from the china closet
"She keeps it in big box" said Mat
tie. You hunt for it. Let's have il
real sweetr
Nellie had some dualms of conscience
as she went poking among boxes and
baskets, but she found the sugar and
brought out enough to satisfy Mattie's
sweet taste.
| 80 dear, dear! the milk is boiling
over" screamed Nellie. See, it is all
over Aunt Martha's nice stover"
! Matte caught dish-towel and lifted
spotless white floor. How can we ever
clean the stove?' said Nellie, soberly.
Oh, never mind that; it'll all burn
OFF, said Matte. 'tCome, what'u we do
| next?"
A sense of her importance as directress
came over Nellie again, and she turned
from the smoking stove.
1--WE must stir in the eggs and sugar"
she said. I'll put the bowl on the floor
Much of the milk went on the floor, and
Matte wiped it up with the dish towel.
"Do you put any spice in s''~
"Oh, forgot said Nellie; +" which do
you like best: lemon, or vanilla, or straw
"S'pose you put in little of all of
'em ?'' said Matte, whose ideas of ice
cream were very vague. Only lemon
could be found, SO that was settled.
:" I can't find any freezer, said Nellie;
tive must take this tin paip'-bringing
Matte proceeded at once to empty the
contents of the bowl into the pail. She
spilled about q fourth of it in the opera
ton and the towel did mop-service again.
6 Now we must carry it outdoors to
COOL" said Nellie;" then we'll bring it
into the kitchen to freeze itp'
In this kitchen, where the great roar
stuffed the stove with wood IS Now, Mel
lie Lee, you've been cheatin' me-you
don't know how to churn ice-creamp'
:" I don't think you are very polite"
said Nellie, stiff1y. az didn't say you
cheated about the candles and thingsp'
g Well, that's sensible-this ANTI Why
don't we freeze our ears and fingers in the
kitchen?"
II suppose we might if wetried, !" said
+" Anyway, Bridget. always freezes her
cream. in the kitchen right in the summer
when it's as hot as fire everywherep'
Matte came down little, at this; but
although she helped Nellie to find an
empty butter-frkin in the shed and bring
in a painful of snow and a basin of salt
she went about with a look of unbelief on
her face that it nettled Nellie to see.
They were very busy packing the
cream, or, rather. Matte was, under Mel
lies direction, when the Grimes boy came
for the turnips. As he looked about the
Uttered, smoky kitchen he exclaimed
Whew! Where's Miss Lee pr
Gone away said Matte.
I" Yes, should think SO. Who's boss
of this ERE mess ~
az am,'' said Nellie, drawing herself
up, proudly. " 1t isn't mess. We're
making ice-creamr'
'sOh, be you, though? Wall, / guess
Miss Lee'n make somebody scream when
she comes home. I'll bet my head that
Marth Parker's at the bottom of it! She's
al as up to something. Tain't none of
my business, though. Pm after them tur-
neps."
Nellie opened the cellar-door. "Here
they are" she said loftily; =" Aunt Mar
tina said you were coming for them"
What an insolent boy!' she exclaimed,
as she closed the door.
Awful sassy said Martha.
+" There, it's all in now! But what ails
my hand, Nellie? See, it's as white and
stiff as anythini"
go Matte! it's the lepersy!" said Mel
lie, with horror in her face and in her
voice. Miss Martha had been readingan
commenting upon the leper stories of the
Bible the Sunday before.
1.-THE Apersyl what's that, Nellieg o
dear, dearl whatll do?" said Matte,
to cry.
aOh, it's awfulp' said Nellie, with di-
lated eyes. "Does it ache, Matte 2" Just
then the door opened.
80 Aunt Marthai' screamed Nellie.
&" Mattie's got the lepersyH
: Scot aohdt ~ said the astonished woman,
looking about the room. Whatever be
you doing ncre!'
Nellie's eyes followed her aunt's, and
in spite of her fright a terrible conscious
ness of the situation of things rushed over
her in a moment.
We were making ice-cream," she said,
in little deprecating voice that was quite
a contrast to the tone in which she had
spoken before.
s'Ice-cream! l should think sop said
Aunt Martha, catching up a pan and
to the door with it. She was back
again in a moment, burying Mattie's hand
in snow.
"You've frozen it!'' she said
go Aunt Martial will it have to be cut
off ?" sobbed Nellie.
mo, child; stop crying, and tell me
about it!'' So the two, between sobs and
tears, told the story as well as they could.
Ibid you put in the snow and salt
&C Yes'm," said Matte, with gasp. 81
felt it awful cold at first when l was a
stirrin' 'em up, then, by-'neby, l didn't
notice it any more. 1t felt kind of stiff,
but l didn't think nothin' about it till l
see it all white. Oh! myl how II
pricks! Oh! oh!''
"That's a good sign" said Aunt Mar
tha g 1t is thawing out. L hope II Is not
frozen very deep"
Matte cried from pain, and Nellie sat
down beside her and cried softly, from
sympathy, as Aunt Martha went about
clearing up the room.
When the little hand was thawed out
Miss Martha did it up very tenderly with
some soothing ointment which she kept
or burns. She did not punish the chill
lren; she thought they were punished
enough. She only said: g hope this