The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-05-21

Then, though the sky should fall,
Sun, moon and stars, and all,
You shall have light,
This further I would say;
Be tempted as you may,
Each day and every day,
Speak what is true
True things in great and small,
Then, though the sky should fall,
Sun, moon and stars, and all,
Heaven would show through.
The Arithmetic Of Gingerbread.
R-U-D-I-M- -N-T-S, rudiments,"
spelled Katy. "B'lieve I'll find out what
that means this very minute; it's bet
tern 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 upstairs.
Poor Katy!-she had been droning
wearily through the rules for multiplica-
ton and division of fractions all the
long afternoon study-hour. 1t was just
the dreariest part of the whole hook.
Case First-To multiply fraction by
q whole number. Case Second-To
multiplya whole number by a fraction.
These were the very worst, scarcely
exceeded 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 numera-
tor and divided by the denominator, or
multiplied by the denorinator and di-
vided by the numerator.
"It is just the hatefulest old study in
school, mamma" said Katy to her
mother, who passed through the room
and looked askance at Katy's red eyes
"the very hardest one to see any use in.
1 don't suppose I'll ever in all my life
have to multiply or divide wholenum-
ber by a fraction hope not, any way. I
despise halves and quarters Of things so
awfully."
Mamma didn't reply, but wearily
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 60
down and stir up some ginger-cakes for
tea? Christine is hurrying with her
ironing, and Mary must take baby while
I 60 and sleep off, if possible, this miser-
able headache" said Mrs. Richards. only
half opening her weary eyelids.
"Oh, yes, mamma, anything is better
than these hateful rudiments. looked
that up just now in Webster. First
beginnings it says; only l think it's
hard enough to be the last endings;"
but seeing no Frightening in her mothers
eye, she fastened to help her down into
her own room. Then with gentle hand
she settled the pillows comfortably,
saturated a handkerchief with camphor,
closed the shutters, and ran softly down
still another flight of steps into the base
,nent 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
Off her headache. and mustn't be dis
turbed," said Katy, half afraid that
Christine might hunt up confirmation of
the gingerbread business. 1t was some
thing new, certainly, to turn this harum-
scarum little creature loose in the pan
try 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 if they are unskilled
ones.
"Vell, Mees Katy, please keep tie muss
ober dare in te sink so mooch as you
can," said Christine, evidently not jubi-
liant 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
te big jar unter tie window"
Katy got down the gem-irons for the
first hing, creased them with Mary's
patent griddle-greaser Ga pine stick
plentifully supplied with cotton rags at
one end); 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 Christine,
quoting an expression familiar to Yankee
cooks.
"That's Just two of everything, l
knoaD, and Katy tossed her curls with an
air of conscious greatness.
1.-TWO times one cup of molasses-here
goes that. Two times two spoonfuls OF
soda-that's four spoons. My!but doesn't
it foam up beautifully! Two spoons
ginger in two-thirds of i cup of hot
water-no-oh,d dear! 1t is the soda that
ought to 60 in the hot water, and-oh,
horrors! it's t,Do times t,Do-thirds of n
Gun of hot water. Well. now! Ifthose
hateful fractions aren't right here in
this gingerbread! Christine. oh, Chris
tine!" cried Katy in despair. "Com
and tell me how much is two times two
thirds of a cup?" But Christine, alas
had already gone upstairs, with her
basket of white, freshly-ironed clothes
poised on her head.
1.-Two times two-thirds Of a cup.
Why, it must be more'n one cup, and yet
it says of q cup If 'twasnt for that.
I'd 90 and get two cups and fill them each
two-thirds full; but it can't be only two
times two-thirds of Il cup-that's one
cup" And the poor little girl found
herselfin worse "deeps," even, than ever
she had fathomed in the Rudiments.
Ned came into the kitchen at that mo.
ment, his books flung over his shoulder
and Katy's face lighted up. She could
appeal to him. But when she asked him
how much two times two-thirds of Il cup
could be, Ned. with all boys wisdom,
gave answer like this: :,
1.-TWO times two-thirds? Case Of null
tiplying fraction bysa whole number.
Rule: Multiply the numerator of the
fraction by the whole number and place
the result over the denominator.'
1.-TWO times two-thirds are four-thirds.
Improper fraction. Reduce to u whole
or mixed number. Rule: Divide the
numerator by the dcnominator. Three
is in four once and onc-third over. One
CUP and one-third of Il cup"
'But it says of cup Ned. Who'd
ever think that of q cup meant part OF
two cups?" argued Katy, in Il dospairng
tone.
"Well, I didn't write the recipe
book. Kit. and besides, that's grammar.
not arithmetic. and I'm not up in gram;
mar" And Ned, wisely refraining from
venturing beyond his attainments, went
upstairs to put away his books.
"Who'd ever "a thought of such a
thing" whispered Katy to herself,
" that rudiments would come handy in
making ginger-cakes:"
The family ate them hot for supper
that night, despite DR.. Dio Lewis and
all the laws of health, and pronounced
them very fine cakes indeed. What they
lacked in ginger (you see Katy in her per-
plexity over hot water, forgot to double
the ginger) papa made up in praise, and.
as mammals headache was gone, they all
were happy.
Katy was early at school the next