The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-08-13
How Granny Roberts Took Her Coffee.

was sure. She generally timed her calls
on my grandmother when that lady W as
away from home. Not that she would
have failed Of her peculiar and cherished
entertainment had my generous and kind
ly grandmother been at home. But she
doubtless felt more at liberty when the
girls were the only dispensers of hospital
ity.
Now, honey" she would say, when
she had lain her green sun-bonnet on the
floor, beside her chair, and had filled her
corn-cob pipe from my grandfather's to-
baccO box, lighting it by means of a coal
held in her horny land callous fingers,
Now, honey, can't you give me a cup of
your mothers good strong yaLIar coffee I!
| amt had none like that since | was
heah last. Your mother allus has SIGH
nice yaliar coffee"
This of course meant a raid Oh the thick
cream set for making butter. Granny
Roberts scorned any thing thinner than
the creme de la creme.
My mother, besides being generous and
hOSpitable by nature, was also young and
inexperienced. Consequently she suffered
a good deal at the hands of this old neigh
Dor and frequent visitor. Her older and
more world y-wiSe sister and the very
tOuchy black cook were not thus imposed
upon. Granny Roberts " sensed' this at
titude of mind towards herself on the part
of these two members of the family, and
she took good care not to provoke hOstil-
tiles by any act of her own. But my
mother, sensitive and fine-fibred, could
not bring herself TO snub this old woman,
whose feelings she ignOrantly imagined to
be as sensitive as her own. Cunning old
granny! She imposed on this high-mind-
ed young soul as systematically as any
professional humbug the world has ever
known.
She never came at meal time. ThemOst
ample of cOffee-urns would not have stood
the demands of granny's caraciOus appe-
tite. She usually came IN the middle of
the afternoon, when the kitchen fire was
out, save the few emberS in the middle OF
the huge Fireplace, covered up in order 70
keep fire till time for supper. So my
mother would kindle a tire-aS much a
martyr to blazing logs, as any who
suffered at Smithfield Imagine this is on a
sultry July ~afternOon), and, grinding Il
large mill full of coffee, would proceed to
make an amount of the liquid s%ufficientf0r
a large family.
"NOw, honey" granny would say, fol-
lowing h0r young hostess to the kitchen.
make it good and strong. You know
Pm kind o ailin'. I'm trembly like, an
I've got a Fiction in my head and q sight
O misery in my side, ami | know q cup o.
your mothers good strong WALLER coffee
would kind o SET me up. only want Il
cup, child. Never X laOrc'n 4 cup.
That's my rule"
This single cup was filled and prepared
according TO minute Instructions from
granny. When more than half drained
She would pass the cup, saying,
Too sweet, honey, lots too sweet. jest
fill it up, won't yep
This time perhaps tWo-thirGs was SWal-
lowed, and the cup passed with the r.
quest for a little more cream. RepleniSheI
in this direction. it seemed to be entirely
satisfactory except the last tablespoonful.
jest 4 little mite o sugar, honey. You
put in mos too much cream that time"
Sugared, it seemed the nectar of the
gods for a little while, and my mother
would take up her netting in the vain hope
that granny was at last satisfied. Not by
any means.
Nov, honey, this is a heap too cold. |
wish you'd lust fill it up with hot coffee"
And so proceeded the futile attempt to
satisfy the very critical taste of this old
woman, until the last drop Of the strong
brown liquid was exhausted, and then
Granny Roberts praised her cup of coffee
highly. This cup of coffee required apint
of thick cream, and caused a p~erceptible
lowering of the ample sugar-bOwl, but it
was only n cup.
II never drink but One cup, honey, but
[ like that good and strong and yailar."-
Hb11 s{;1u N1iOu-