The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-17
HOW HULDAH LEARNED TO MAKE
BREAD.

Huldah was spending few days with
her cousin Mary How she did love to
visit there. 1t was delightful home;
not grand or magnificent, for they were
not rich people, but so homelike and
comfortable. Cousin Mary and her
brother and Aunt Gleason, their mother,
lived together. Aunt Gleason was not
very strong, so that much of the house
keeping fell into Mary's hands. She
was skillful and intelligent, and, unlike
some people, did not consider her skill
and intelligence too good to mix with
her household duties. Huldah thought
her beautiful housekeeper, and her
highest ambition was to be one Just like
her.
1t was the first morning after her ar
rival at Elmwood, and as she sat at
breakfast she recalled with some amuse-
ment her experience in bread-making the
previous year.
81 like your bread so much better than
ours" she said.
why not learn to make it while you
are here?" said Cousin Mary.
&C l should like to do So" replied HUI
dab. Mother says l can make salt
rising bread just as well as she can,
and you taught me how to make that. l
know | can learn how to make this kind
if you will teach me-"
After breakfast was over Mary looked
in the bread box, and found that she
would be obliged to bake bread the next
day. She told Huldah this, and that she
might make it.
In the evening, after supper was over,
Mary called Huldah into the little kitch-
en- to make the bread.
cousin Mary, do you make bread at
night?" inquired Huldah.
Yes, l set the sponge, as it is called,
and you will see it helps along amazing
ly in the morning, and enables one to
finish baking quite early in the day.
Now, my dear, you make it every bit
yourself"
/ Huldah washed her hands and then
Cousin Mary buttoned around her large
white apron, which she always wore
when attending to the baking. She also
put on her head a turban made of pink
paper muslin.
First" said Mary, "you may skim
the cream from this quart of milk, and
put the milk into pan to warm. Then
sift the flour. Here is large yellow
bowl | use to make bread in. Put the
milk into this. Yes, it is warm enough;
it is not necessary to scald it. Now stir
the -four in slowly. Enough? Yes, al
most. Stir it right we'll till it is smooth
batter"
This is something like pancakes, u
said Huldah.
Yes, but somewhat sitter, not much,
however. Take this pint measure and
bring it about twS.thirds full of yeast.
Stir it into the batter. Cover it up with
this clean towel. Put the flour away.
That is all you can do tonight. At bed
time we will carry it into the dining
room where it will be warm all night"
In the morning the first thing Huldah
thought about was the bread. 81
wonder if it is light" she said to herself,
as she dressed. Breakfast was not quite
ready.
Come to see about the bread?" said
Cousin Mary, as Huldah made her APP
pearance in the kitchen "That is
right. Yes, it is just ready to make up
stiff, and you will have time to do it be-
fore breakfast will set this pint of
milk on the stove to warm while you sift
the flour. Put teaspoonful of salt into
the sponge and pour the milk into it;
now add the flour"
at is getting so stiff l can't mix it
any more. What shall l do?" inquired
Huldah.
"Take your hands and knead it well
Put some -four on the board and turn il
OUT now work it well, till it is smooth
lump of dough. This kind of bread
must be made much sitter than salt-ris
ing"
Huldah worked away till her arms
fairly aChed, but her cousin Mary smil
lngly babe her continue, and on SHE
went, pushing her little hands into the
dough, turning it over, punching hel
fists into it like a regular prize-fghter
till it was pronounced smooth enough
Sprinklng little flour in the bowl, she
placed the dough in it, covered the whole
with clean towel, and placed it neal
the fire.
I" You have fairly earned your break
fast" said Mary. 81 have baked you
some mullins and your favorite Hala
bird potatoes. You remember l took
the recipe out of that charming book
that we read together last summer"
81 wish the author were here, Cousin
Mary think she would write up YOU
housekeeping, for it is just as clever
and artistic as the Halabird's' was"
Writing it up, as you call it, Huldah
wouldn't make it any more so. Besides
you know how much l am indebted tC
her, and other writers like her, for the
housekeeping that you are pleased tC
call clever and artistic'?"
why, Cousin Mary, were you not al
ways good housekeeper? Didn't yor
always know how to do everything?"
cha, HAP laughed Fred, who hao
caught Huldah's remark, for she AMI Mary
were just entering the dining-room. "Ha
ha! mother, Huldah thinks that house
keepers are like poets, born, not made.
81 am not sure that she is so fa
wrong" said Mrs. Gleason, "judgn!
from the hungling work some womel
make of it,"
" Far from being a good hOuselxpen