The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-08-10


pretty sitting-room and her workable.
A month later the summer was on the
wane and the fruits were well ripened.
"Jane." said Mrs. Hastings, one
bright morning. returning from the gar
den-gate, where she had parted with
her husband, I" have Just looked at
the currants and they are quite ripe.
We must make our jelly at once. Now,
MIR. Hastings won't be home till late to-
day. want 10 spend the day with
mother tomorrow and l should very
much like to gct the job of my hands
to-day. What do you sayP"
~ can soon pick the currants,
n:a'am."
.All right; suppose we begin. We
won't clean up now. Let the house
stand, though It is dreadfully out Of or
der. Perhaps we may find time to
straighten up when we get the fruit
cooking. Hurry now, and pick as fast
As YOU can, and III step over TO Browns
and order some sugar and jars"
! Jane obeyed, leaving the breakfast
room unswept and the front steps I'M
washed
1t was high noon before the first ket-
tie Of juice was got in cooking order.
Making currant jelly was rather more
Of an undertaking than Mrs. Hastings
imagined. She had seen it made at
home under her mothers supervision,
and making it herself she fancied would
be quite rs easy.
Dear me. how the time flies! DO
hurry, Jane. What lot there is yet
to strain, But we must get done.
dare say il won't take the juice long to
thicken. Mamma used to make 1t in no
time. What are we to do about dinner,
l wonder? We can't cook the ham,
there's no room on the fire. We must
have a makeup dinner when we have
finished. Mr.. Hastings will excuse us,
I'm sure"
And arrayed in her holland apron,
with her pretty braids all pushed back
and her sleeves tucked above her ell
bows, Nell worked away with all her
might, picking, boiling, straining, until
her cheeks we're flusheu and her head
ached
"Why, janet juice won't jelly and
it has boiled so long. What can be the
lmatter?''
.There's something you put in to
make it jelly think, ma am. =
"0h, dear, no. Mother never did,
I'm sure. I'll add more sugar, and LEI
il boil another hour. Dear me,
thought we should have had our last
kettle on by this time. We shall be SO
late, and I'm tried to death now.
wish had done as mother said. She
advised me to send the currants over
there and let Hannah make the jelly,
but was sure could do it myself"
The steaming kettle boiled another
hour.
The summer sun hung above the
green summit Of the poplars.
q Surely it will be jelly now, Jane =
said the weary housewife, pouring some
of the hot, red liquid into cold water.
I But Juice II remained, for all the cook
ing and stewing it had undergone.
ssOh, what shall dop Surely the
stuff must be bewitched. I've great
mind to pour il all away" cried poor
Nell, ready to cry with yexation.
81 tell you, ma'am, you put some
thing in 70 make it jelly" persisted
Jane.
"Oh, Jane, hushl You know moth
ing about it. tell you, you don't put
any thing in. What must do? Cook
,, il more? 1t Is burning to the kettle
now, and I've wasted ever so much su-
gar Jane, run over to mothers, and
,, ask Hannah to step over, will youl
She'll know in a minute what to do. Do,
! pray, be quick; it is dreadfully late"
Jane departed.
eff cooking will do, I'll make jelly Of
it before Hannah gets here" she said
! But instead of boiling 10 jelly, the cur.
, rant juice boiled over in great fcamy
! red waves.
The fire Kissed, and dense smoke
and pungent scent Of burning sweets
filled the kitchen.
! Spattered from head TO foot with Tho
! hot liquid, one hand scalded, her pretty
! face besmeared, Nell retreated TO tn,
! door in utter despair.
"Oh, / wish had never
! The sentence was never finished.
! She stood dumb with horror, for
! coming leisurely along the sunny gar
I den-path, she saw her husband and hi
! particular friend, Mr.. Warburton.
sHe has invited him home to din
I ner,r she gasped, darling back into tn
smoky kitchen. "Oh, what shall
4 do?r
\ Two or three narrowing minutes 0
! suspense, and her husband entered.
I "Nell, are YOU here? And what
= the matterP Is the kitchen on fire? Tn
4 whole place is in fog"
i Nell came forward, looking more lik
a tattooed Indian than the pretty won
|. an she was.
"I'm making currant jelly, and
!, thought you wouldn't be home till late
a Ned
|. "Does ii require such mess as thi