Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-01-29
POLLY'S PUMPKIN PIES.


Jan. 4, 1880. -Woman's Journal.
P0LLY's 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: some
and one-half pounds of loaf sugar, one
half pound Of butter, two quarts of
creanl-no, one quart. So Melissa's
really engaged to the minister. Dear
me, some people have everything in this
world. wonder if they are 80 lucky in
the next? How gravely he would look
at me if he were to hear me express such
frivolous thought. He has a stern
face; but how kindly he can look out of
his blue eyes. The other night when I
burned my arm at the pulling, he
dressed it as carefully as a woman, and
looked so kind md sorry that what with
his sympathy and the hurt, I could
hardly keep back the tears. He said I
had already learned one of LIES hardest
lessons patience under afliction.'
DO you call this atf1iction?' I said,
laughing. Il will be happy, indeed, if
! never have any greater affection than
this. And he answered SO gravely that
it silenced me: 4 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:
"Cant you stop that noise, Polly!
You and this abominable bird will ruin
me crazy yet every nerve in my body is
in tones not too low to reach Polly's ear:
81 will get rid Of you both some day,
and then may be I 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 hushed its song and dropped its
head.
Polly's reddish-brown curls we're
caught up high on her head and fas-
tened with an old-fashioned shell comb
of her mothers; she had on a fresh, dark
calico, and her rolled-up sleeves showed
white arms, made winter by the -four
busted over them She was 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 a spectator until, hearing a movement,
she raised her eyes and met the min
listers.
He was standing in the doorway be-
tween the sitting-room and kitchen, and
Poly'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 6
chair Win the air of princess and wen
on with her work.
He brought the chair end set it al
close as possible to the table, so close
that Polly trembled lest some of the
-four should fall on his immaculate blacl
clothes.
"You are making pumpkin pies p
was his commonplace question. but i
was asked in the tones which thrilled
poor Poly's soul like rich music.
She smiled an affirmative, and he wen
on, looking up in the fresh, sweet face
Have you ever heard the tradition
respecting pumpkin pies? It is sait
they are sort Of moral thermometer O
the temper of the individual by whom
they are prepared. Pumpkins, 20,
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. I
the pies are made by one of a sunny dis
position, they will be sweet, juicy an,
deicious-in short, such an essence @
sunshine, sugar and spice as those vo
are making. But if one Immature
thought is harbored during their prepa
ration, they are soured and ruined"
Polly blushed crimson at this out-and
out compliment, and in her confusio
mistook the pepper-box for that whic
held the spice, and busted the pies fret
~. Then she calmly poured in half
bottle of lemon extract, while the mini,
ter thought he had never see SO bewitcl
ing little housewife.
As be rose to go he said, laughing:
believe 1 am to take my Dime
with you tomorrow; so, Miss Polly,
shall have an opportunity to gauge 20,
disposition by your pies"
Polly shook spoon at him, and al
swered confidently that if that was to I
the only test, she was not afraid
As the front door closed on the mini
ter, Aunt Phoebe, bristling with indign,
ton, stalked into the kitchen.
"f you think I am going to ha,
such disgraceful performances in N
Kitchen you are mistaken, miss! Iaske
the minister In the sitting room while
went to put on my other cap, and
walked deliberately out here, and he,
he staad You enticed him out; yc
know you did, you ungrateful min
Anu YOU mEUou wI1m uuu Uvcr nv vsu
and over my pies, and under my We,
nose, for 1 was watching you behind Il
door. I consider it my duty to repo
the minister. shall have his name Z
every tongue in the town. He shall i
drummed out Of the place-and Won.
leave my house this night. I have .,
up with your nonsense as long rs I i
tend to: You are not ct to stay in = =
spectable family" =
Oh, aunt" mosned Polly. with Viii
EPs; but Miss Phoebe went ON. thoue
m more argumentative tone n Ia
wzEth cooled -
NC, you needn't leave to-nic3,
narheE L haue 40 nnch ouunanv !,
p7bed 1o-moerow TINT you sa,su IN n,
4 m1eA1 g we'll ses Whist I cam cut
EEr &ae4 q Won we're 10 vuek vus