Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-11-04
had been lost all unrecked of by their


Arrived at our little domicile, how
ever, we were confronted by the very
Essential fact that breakfast must be
prepared by our own hands, and not
only that, but the foundations of the re-
past must be laid from the very begin
ming.
There was our gypsy fireplace. John
had arranged it the night before two
forked sticks with third one laid across
in these natural angles, upon which a
kettle swung suggestiyely over the cool,
green sod as yet unscarred by any fame.
We had refused, disdainfully, that same
functionary's offer of gathering ga bit
of brush to start it wild, num-" refused
it in the light of long, delightful rambles
in that same woodland which now lay
white and dewy before us, rambles
wherein we would collect dry twigs and
hchen-covered bark, wherewith to build
our morning fire. But nowP Well,
distance lent enchantment to the view
IN this as well as many other cases but
there was no time for dallying, for al
ready our appetites were quickened be-
yond 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, I started
for the field of action, namely, the corn
field, where, nothing deferred by the
showers of dew that fell from the broad
leaves, 1 gathered a goodly quantity of
that esculent Wand, and then turned
my attention toward the potatoes. Here,
owing to my inexperience, I was not
quite SO successful, but, after numerous
| struggles with the unwieldy (at least in
my hands) weapon, I 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 a
very small smoky tongue of fame that
| tiickered in the socket and threatened to
expire momently. Hearing my footsteps
she looked up eagerly, her pretty eyes
red and tear-flled from the eddying
smoke, and half quiver In her voice as
she cried:
20, Nan, what shall do, this fire
won't burn?"
"You want more kindling, child"
said I briskly. "Here, this fence is all
falling down, twill not be much the
worse for few more pickets," and, drop
ping basket and hoe, seized the hatchet
and soon reduced one of the aforesaid
pickets 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 mtr-
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 sorely-
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 tubers,
owing to the same cause, were in a state
of infancy.
"But, Man," said Jessie, ruefully, in
pause of our merriment, as our morn
ing troubles came back to her; "we
can't have all this trouble every day
about fire. What did Thoreau have
for kindling?"
"Green hickory, split fine; don't you
remember9" answered !, promptly.
I'll tell you what we'll do. though
Cover the fire every night; damp grass
and leaves will be just the thing; then
rake 1t 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 ?"
"Corn bread and molasses the bread
simply meal and water kneaded hard,
and baked before the fire, answered the
little puss, demurely. I WINGED slightly,
for I'm somewhat epicurean in nv
tastes, and the witch knew it, 81
thought that would bepretty 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, wher.
she displayed small butter jar sunk 70,
more than half its depth in the COO
water, and I, firm disciple though I wa.
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 or
chair, or vice vers1, Jessie was wont to
refer mourifully 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 "cri1np"
at least, mine werr !, Jessie's, little
witch, were as distrs ingly pretty as
ever-that sat down at that self-same
table, armed respectively with "Taine
and Ollendorf," to econ each lesson
o'er." We were but girls, however, and