The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-05-02
The Arithmetic of Gingerbread.

The Arithmetic of Gingerbread.
"R-u-d-i-m-e-n-t-s, rudiments," spelled
Katy. "B'lieve I'll find out what that
means this very minute; it's better'n
these horrid fractions" and she started
to look for the word in the worn old
Webster's Unabridged that papa had
banished from his handsome shelves to
the children's room up stairs.
Poor Katy!-she had been droning
YEARLY through the rules for multiple
cation and division of fractions all the
long afternoon study-hour. 1t was inst
the dreariest part of the whole book.
Case first-to multiply fraction by
whole number. Case second-to null
tiply whole number by fraction"
These were the very worst, scarcely ex-
ceeded by the corresponding rules for
division, and Katy had just about worn
out her brown eyes crying over the
cases in which you multiplied by the
numerator and divided by the denom-
inator, or multiplied by the denomina-
tor and divided by the numerator.
1T is just the hatefulest old study
in school, mamma" said Katy to her
mother, who passed through the room
and looked askance at Katys red eyes
-"the very hardest one to see any use
in. l don't suppose I'll ever in all my
life have to multiply whole number by
a fraction; hope not, any way. I de-
spise halves and quarters of things so
awfully."
Mamma didn't reply, but YEARLY
threw herself down ON the little bed
that was kept in the nursery, with very
dark circles about her eyes, and pale,
tired face.
"Do you believe, Katy, you could go
down and stir up some ginger-cakes for
tea? Christine is hurrying with her
ironing, and Mary must take baby while
1 60 and sleep off, if possible, this mis-
cradle headache" said Mrs. Richards,
only half opening her weary eyelids.
20 yes, mamma, anything is better
than these hateful rudiments. I looked
that up just now in Webster. First
beginnings it says; only I think it's
hard enough to be the last endings; !"
but, seeing no Frightening in her moth
er's eye, she fastened to help her down
into her own room. Then with gentle
hand she settled the pillows comfort
ably, saturated handkerchief wit cam
phor, closed the shutters, and ran softly
down still another flight of steps into
the basement kitchen.
Christine, I'm to make ginger-cakes
for tea, all my own self. Mamma said
so, and she's gone to lie down and sleep
of her headache, and mustn't be dis
turbed," said Katy, half afraid that
Christine might hunt up confirmation
of the gingerbread business. 1t was
something new, certainly, to turn this
harum- scarum little creature loose in
the pantry to rummage the spice boxes,
and break up the cream in the cellar in
her search for sour milk. But, with
large families, there are times when the
work crowds fearfully, and the only way
is to press more hands into the service,
not minding always ifthey are unskilled
ones. ff
Veil, Mees Katy, please keep tie
muss ober dare in tie sink so mooch as
you cam" said Christine, evidently not
jubilant at the prospect of cleaning up
after little girls baking; "an' don't
leaf te wet spoon in tie soda, nor drip tie
sour milk roun' tie clean cellar. It's
dare in tie big jar unter tie window"
Katy got down the gem-irons for the
| first thing, creased them with Mary S
patent griddle greaser Ga pine stick
plentifully supplied with cotton rags at
one enid; then climbed up to the shelf
where the book of recipes was kept.
Meeses Vite's soft ginger-cake is
vat you wants, Mees Katy, an we takes
double of the receipt" said Chris
tine, quoting an expression familiar to
Yankee cooks.
"That's just two of everything.
know" and Katy tossed her curls with
an air of conscious greatness.
1.-TWO times one cup of molasses-
here goes that Two times two spoon
fuls of soda-that's four spoons. My!
but doesn't it foam up beautifully! Two
spoons ginger in two-thirds of cup OF
hot water-no-oh, dear! It is the
soda that ought to go in the hot water,
and-oh, horrors! it's t,cO times t,cO-
thirds of cup of hot water. Well,
nowl If those hateful fractions aren't
right here in this gingerbread Chris
tine, o Christine!" cried Katy in des-
pair. "Come and tell me how much is
two times wo-thirds of a cup!" But
Christine, alas had already gone up
stairs, with her basket of white, freshly.
ironed clothes poised on her head.
"Two times two-thirds of cup
Why, it must be more'n one cup, and
yet it says of cup If twasn't fol
that, I'd go and get two cups and fill
them each two-thirds full; but it can,
be only two times two-thirds of cup
that's one cup" And the poor little
girl found herself in worse "deeps,
even, than ever she had fathomed in tn,
"Rudiments."
Ned came into the kitchen at tina
moment, his books flung over hi
shoulder, and Katy's face lighted up
She could appeal to him. But, whel
she asked him how much two time
two-thirds of Gun could be. Ned. will