The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-01-06
HOW GRANNY ROBERTS TOOK HER
COFFEE.

| She was very particular about is, that
was sure. She generally timed her calls
on my grandmother when that lady was
away from home. Not that she would
have failed of her peculiar and cherished
entertainment had my generous and
kindly grandmother been at home. But
She doubtless felt more at liberty when
the girls were the only dispensers Of
hospitality.
''Now honey" she would say, when
she had laid her green sun bonnet on the
floor beside her chair, and had filed her
corn-cob pipe from my grandtather's to-
bacco box, lighting it by means of a coal
held in her horny and callous fingers.
Now, honey, can't you give me a cup
OF your mothers good strong yallar cot
fee? 1 amt had none like that since 1
was heah last. Yer mother a.lus has
SIGH nice yallar coffee"
This OF course meant a raid on the
thick cream set for making butter.
Granny Roberts scorned anything thin
ner than the creme de Ia creme.
My mother, besides being generous
and hospitable by nature, was also
young and inexperienced. Consequent
ly she suffered a good deal at the hands
OF this old neighber and frequent visitor.
Her older and more worldly. wise sister
and the very touchy black cook were net
thus imposed upon. Granny Roberts
"sensed" this attitude of mind towards
herself on the part Of these two men,
bers OF the family, and she took good
care not to provoke hostilities by any act
of her own. But 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-minded young soul
as systematically AS any professional
humoug the world has ever known.
She never came at meal time. The
most ample Of coffee urns would not
have stood the demand of granny's ca
pacious appetite. She usually came in
the middle OF the afternoon, when the
kitchen fire was out. save the few EN-.
bers in the middle OF the huge fire. place,
covered up in order to keep fire till time
for supper. So my mother would kindle |
a tire-as much q martyr to blazing logs |
AS any one who suffered q, Smithticld |
(imagine this is on 4 sultry July after. |
noon.) and, grinding a large mill full of |
coffee. would proceed to make an amount |
OF liquid sufficient for large family.
Nov. honey" granny would say, fol-
lowing her young hostess INTO the kltch-
en-, make it good and strong. You
know I'm kind o. trembly like, and I've
got Fiction 10 my side, and 1 know a
cup o your mvther's good strong yaIlar
coffee would kind O. set me up. l only
want cup, child. Never take more'n
cup. That's my rule"
This single cup was filled and pre-
pared according 10 minute instructions
from granny. When more than half
drained she would pass the emp, saying
Too sweet, honey. lots too sweet. Jest
fill 1t up wod't YEP"
Tnis time perhaps two-thirds was
swallowed, and the cup passed with the
request for little more cream. Re
plenished in this direction it seemed to
be entirely satisfactory except the last
tablespoonful. jest leetle mite O. su-
gar, honey. You put in most too much
cream that time
Sugared, it semed the nectar OF the
gods for little while, and my mother
would take up her netting in the vain
hope that granny was It last Satisfied.
Not by any means.
Now, honey. this is . heap too cold
wish you'd just ill it up with hot cof-
ee.' And SO proceeded the futile attempt
% satisfy the very critical taste Of this
Did woman, until the last drop of the
strong, brown liquid wss exhausted, and
hen Granny Roberts praised her cup of
coffee highly This cup Of cuffee re-
luired pint Of thick cream, and caused
perceptible lowering Of ths ample so-
ysr bowl, but i was Only 90 emp
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