The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-11-04
,ad been lost all unrecked of by their

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
kettle swung suggestively over the cool,
green sod as yet unscarred by any flame.
We had refused, disdainfully, that same
functionary's offer of gathering ga bit
of brush to start il 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
Gchen-covered bark. wherewith to build
our morning fire. But now? 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 won't, 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, 80, taking basket and hoe, started
| fnr fho Go1l nf ~, @l,o
field, where, nothing deferred by the
showers of dew that fell from the broad
leaves, I gathered goodly quantity Of
that esculent Wand, and then turned
my attention toward the potatoes. Here,
owing to my inexperience, 1 was not
quite so successful, but, after numerous
struggles with the unwieldy (at least in
my hands) weapon, l came off in some
degree conqueror and returned in tri-
umph, bearing my sheaves 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
tiickered in the socket and threatened to
expire momently. Hearing my footsteps
she looked up eagerly, her pretty eyes
red and tear-filed from the eddying
smoke, and a half quiver in her voice as
she cried:
80, Nan, what shall I do. this firs
"You want more kindling, child"
said briskly. "Here, this fence is all
falling down, twill not be much the
worse for q few more pickets," and, drop
ping basket and hoe, Iseized 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 mcr-
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, 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 state
of infancy.
"But, Man," said Jessie, ruefully, in
pause of our merriment, as our morn
ing troubles came back to her; 1--WE
can't have all this trouble every day
about fire. What did Thoreau have
for kindling?"
"Green hickory, split fine; don't you
remember?" answered I, 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 2"
"Dinner !" echoed 1, 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 F; 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 my
tastes, and the witch knew it. 81
thought that would epretty dry, though,
so I'll make ours thin and bake them
fresh every time. See I've borught o
griddle."
"And, Nan, I've something else ts
show you," she said, triumphantly lead.
ing the way down to Clear brook, wher.
she displayed small butter jar sunk fol
more than half its depth in the COO
water, and l, firm disciple though I wa,
of Thoreau, uttered no word of protes,
at this daring innovation against Valdez
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 Oh
chair, or Vice versa, 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 braidf
guiltless alike of wave" or "criInp .
at least, mine were Jessie's, little
witch, were as distractingly pretty as
eyer-that sat down at that self-same
table, armed respectively with elaine
and "Ollendorf," to "con each lesson
o'er." We were but girls, however, and
many a pleasant interlude of dreamy
wonderment and girlish gossip foated il
whenever Jessie found German yert