Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-01-28
POLLYS PUMPKIN PIES.

Great golden pumpkins, yellow enough
to be apples of the Hesperides, were ~
ing about the kitchen floor, and Polly at
the kitchen table was making pumpkin
pies.
Her thoughts ran in this wise, as she
measured out the ingredients: "One
and one-haf pounds of loaf sugar, one
half pound of butter, two quarts of
cream-no, one quart. So Melissa's
really engaged to the minister. Dear
me, some people have everything in this
world. / wonder if they are SO lucky in
the next? How gravely he would look
at me if he were to hear me express such
a frivolous thought. He has stern
face; but how kindly he can look out of
his blue eyes. The other night when I
burned my arm at the candy pulling, he
dressed it as carefully as a woman, and
looked SO kind and sorry that what with
his sympathy and the hurt, [ could
hardly keep back the tears. He said I
had already learned one of lfe's hardest
lessons patience under affection. ,
do you call this affliction?' [ said,
laughing. L will be happy, indeed, if
/ never have any greater affection than
this And he answered SO gravely that
it silenced me: I pray you may be
happy, dear child" Here Polly broke
out in warbling little melody that
started the canary in the sitting-room to
singing with all his might, and caused
Aunt Phoebe to exclaim in tones sharp
enough to sour the incipient pies:
"Can't you stop that noise, Polly!
You and this abominable bird will run
me crazy yet; every nerve in my body is
just a tingling now" Then she added
in tones not too low to reach Polly's ear:
81 will get rid of you both some day,
and then may be [ will have some peace
of my life
There was silence in the house after
this. Polly turned aside her head that
her tears might not fall in the pastry
she was working, and the sympathetic
bird hJlshed its song and dropped it's
head.
Polly's reddish-brown curls were
caught up high on her head and fas-
tened with an old-fashioned shell comb
of her mothers; she had on fresh, dark
calico, and her rolled-up sleeves showed
white arms, made winter by the -four
busted over them. She was a pretty
picture as she rolled out her pastry and
cut it in delicate, curling strips, but she
was so engaged in depressing the ugly,
angry feelings that flushed her cheeks
and heaved her breast but found no out
let at her lips, that she was unconscious
of spectator until, hearing a movement,
she raised her eyes and met the min
ister's.
He was standing in the doorway be-
tween the sitting-room and kitchen, and
Polly's first thought was that her aunt
had maliciously sent him to seek her,
thinking thus to embarrass her. This
thought came to her assistance. and
smiling and dimpling in spite of her an
noyance as she met the sunny gaze OF
his blue eyes, she motioned him to a
chair with the air of princess and wen
on with her work.
He brought the chair and set 1t as
close as possible to the table, so close
that Polly trembled lest some of the
-four should tall on his immaculate black
clothes.
"You are making pumpkin pies {? %
was his commonplace question, but it
was asked in the tones which thrilled
poor Polly's soul like rich music.
She smiled an affirmative, and he went
on, looking up in the fresh, sweet face:
"Have you ever heard the tradition
respecting pumpkin pies? It is said
they are sort of moral thermometer of
the temper of the individual by whom
they are prepared Pumpkins, you
know, are nourished in the sunshine
They are gathered in the glowing au-
tumn days, and brought in the house,
golden reminders OF the summer sun. If
the pies are made by one of a sunny dis
position, they viii be sweet, juicy and
delicious-in short, such an essence of
sunshine, sugar and spice as those you
are making. But if one ill-natured
thought is harbored during their prepa-
ration, they are soured and ruined F"
Polly blushed crimson at this out-and-
out compliment, and in her confusion
mistook the pepper-box for that which