Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-31

there was no time for dallying, for al
ready our appetites were quickened be-
You'd their wont, and Jessie, gathering her
skirts about her, cried
"Fill the kettle, Nan, and go after the
roasting ears I'll get the wood and
build the fire." adding, as she vanished
In the dewy depths, " You'd better get
some potatoes, too, while you are about
it; they'll roast with the corn"
The little witch, what did she mean
Had she forgotten that my city training
rendered me all unfit for such task,
and was she even now laughing at my
perplexity? But there was no help for
it !; SO, taking basket and hoe, 1 started
for the field of action, namely, the corn
field, where, nothing deferred by the
showers of dew that fell from the broad
leaves, [ gathered a goodly quantity of
that esculent Wand, and then turned
my attention toward the potatoes. Here,
owing to my ineXperience, [ was not
struggles with the unwieldy Cat least in
my hands, weapon, came off in some
degree conqueror and returned in tri-
umph, bearing my sheayes with me. The
| scene, however, which met my eye was
by no means an encouraging one. Jessie
had returned from her woodland ramble,
and the evidences of her toll were to be
seen IN the few dry, knOtty twigs scat
tered about her as she knelt before
| very small smoky tongue of flame that
tilckered in the socket and threatened to
expire momently. Hearing my footsteps
she looked up eagerly, her pretty eyes
red and tear-filled from the eddying
smoke, and half culver in her voice as
she cried
80, Nan, what shall I do. this fire
won't burn?"
"You want more kindling, child"
said [ briskly. "Here, this fence is all
falling down, twill not be much the
worse for few more pickets," and, drop
| ping basket and hoe, Iseized the Ratchet
| and soon reduced one of the aforesaid
pichets to suitable size, through which
timely aid the aspect of things was
changed to such an extent that our ket.
| tie was soon boiling and bubbling mer-
rily away in the most approved gypsy
fashion. We consigned both corn and
| potatoes to its depths, being too hungry
| for any slower method, and unanimously
decided it was too late for any further
efforts in the culinary line, as we drew
our three-legged table to the open door
way and prepared to discuss our sorelv-
needed repast. Never, I think, did corn
and potatoes taste better than those
eaten with laugh and jest that quiet
summer morning albeit many an ear
OF the former, owing to my lack of
knowledge. was decidedly young and
"green," and many Of the latter tnbers,
owing 20 the same cause, were in state
OF infancy.
But, Man," said Jessie, ruefully, in
a pause OF our merriment, as our morn
ing troubles came back to her; "we
can't have all this trouble every day
about q fire. What did Thoreau have
for kindling?"
Green hickory, split fine; don't you
remember?" answered I, promptly.
"I'l tell you what we'll Go, though
Cover the fire every night damp grass
and leaves will be just the thing; then
rake it open in the morning, and start
it with some of this old fence"
Which we did, and successfully, too.
"Nan," said Jessie again, this time
somewhat hesitatingly = "Nan, what
will we have for dinner ?"
Dinner |" echoed I, in dramatic
tones; 'dinner are we never to be free
from that, not even in these solemn
woods? What did Thoreau have 90
''Corn bread and molasses the bread
simply meal and water kneaded hard.
and baked before the fire, " answered the
little puss, demurely. WINGED slightly.
for I'm somewhat epicurean in nv
tastes, and the witch knew it. 81
thought that would be pretty dry. though.
so I'll make ours thin and bake them
fresh every time. See I've borught
griddle.'
"And, Nan, I've something else to
show you," she said, triumphantly lead
ing the way down to Clear brook. where
she displayed small butter jar sunk for
more than half its depth in the cool
water, and I, firm disciple though I was
of Thoreau, uttered no word of protest
at this daring innovation against Walden
rules.
After this our days slipped quietly,
sweetly past; the three-legged table was
well laden with books-so well, indeed,
that, as meal-time circled round and we
removed them from thence to bed OF
chair, or Vice Uers0, Jessie was wont to
refer mournfully to the two pieces of
limestone that Thoreau had but threw
away, because he found that he must
"dust them
Our slight duties dispatched, it was
two very prim young ladies in the plain
est of garbs and the smoothest of braids
guiltless alike Of "wave" or "cri1ap"
at least, mine were; Jessie's, little
witch, were as distractingly pretty as
ever-that sat down at that self-same
table, armed respectively with "Taine"
and Ollendorf," to '' con each lesson
Ger" We were but girls, however, and
many pleasant lnterlude of dreamy
wonderment and girlish gossip foated in
whenever Jessie found German verb
hard to conjugate, or paused III some
unayailing search after a new authority
bearing on the subject at hand.
Happy, helpful days were they, varied
by an occasional walk up to the house
when the coast was clear, or sometimes,
standing Oh the crest of the little rise
just behind our cottage, we would sur
vey the graveled sweep of Beechwoods'
carriage drive through an old field-glass
Jessie distracted from ''Brother Fred's
room, - and laughingly comment On the
frowning faces some of the fair inmates
Of the cushioned barouches carried