The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-09-05
From the Wilmington Every EVEN

FROM the Wilmington Every Evening
If is at this season That the housewife in.
vades the kitchen, and deposing the powers
fiat be in that realm, herself assumes the
reins of government for season. she Is
bent upon .Es doing peaches With sleeves
rolled TO the elbow and a voluminous apron
enyelopings her FORM She ibusties from
point to point, the " hole room hlled WIN
her presence. A great kettle. half fu1 OF
simmering water, usurps the stoves Wnoie
top.r The ,pickety' households scales are
brought into requisition., and again aud
again upon the housewives fingers is count
ed the proper proportion OF pounds OF SUI
gar 70 pounds Of peaches. The whole
house reeks with incense as il from sacri-
ice TO offended tares. All other house
hold duties are neglected ana Inc
feminine mind Is wholly concentrated
upon the work OF preserving. The prattlng
three-years-old, elbow deep In SEEDS ana
parings, intent on precious spoil, IS cuhed
aside with the back Of the maternaf hand,
the only available dry surface. and ordered
out to play with the kitten. The rash male
who thrusts an inqliring head into that
stealning atmosphere is instantly seized
uD Don and huddled into chair. Aspace OF
square foot upon the table is cleared OF
| Jars and kettles: q pen is placed in his hand
and an ink-bottle before him. and he is
commanded to write "1879" forty-fve
times, "peach iam0 sixteen times, 'tpeach
marmaladen' twenty-eight times, and so on
through wilderness of mingled dates aud
names, until the Wretched man imaglnes
| himself q lightning. calculator or an auto
matte accountant. This done. he Is met
with request to run down to the timers
and get ssiust ten cents worth more Of that
| stick sealing wax. that's dear Cd man ~
t. Dinner-time finds the mistress OF: the
house with face like peony, seated on
the edge OF chair, in a sort OF migratory
fashion, serving her husband O remnant OF
Ehot peach jam that would not go into the
liars. and all this without so much as an
apologize syllable. After dozen glass
liars have cracked Just at. the supreme mo-
ment and certain number Of tin cans have
been found leaky. the housewife completes
her task to find herself the happy possessor
OF some gallons Of preserved fruit, that by
1.-THE time it is brought forth from the win
ter's store will have retained but 1.-THE
ghost of its original tint and flavor.
and less than the ghost Of, it's natural
wbolesomeness. Don't tell her sue could
have bought as much fruit ready canned for
4 a third Of the money it cost to prepare that
| she has laid up. As we'll advise healthy
farmers lad to pay ready cash for chestnuts
when be can tear his trowsers and risk bis
neck in thrashing them from their native
ltrees. "Besides, who Knows what they put
in their fruits at those canneries," is her
clinching argument. Next winter hus-
bands friend, smiling and complimentary,
as he eats his portion Of such fruit as may
have escaped the rayages Of frost aud fer
mentation, thinks the peaches :. delgbtfuly
| flayored,n though all the while he tastes that
acrid. gritty sealing-wax, and prays heaven
that he be preserved from lead poisoning.