The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-12-09
ellamenms.
HOme-Made Bread.

She's All old darling" said Grace Craxall.
And mean to help her all | can. I've got
a beautiful receipt for chocolate eclai,es, and
on Friday evening am going there, to make
up all can, so that the school-chldren will
buy them on Saturday. / know how TO
make cinnamon applicants, too, and lemon
drops and coCoanut balls"
"Grace, do believe you have taken leave
of your Senses" said Medora May. "One
would think it was disgrace enough for Aunt
Deborah-our own mothers sister-to open
horrid little huckster's shop, without our
mixing ourselves up in the affair"
but Aunt Debby must live, you know"
said Grace, who was perched kitten fashion
on the window-sill, feeding the canary with
bits of sparkling white sugar. "And Cousin
Nixon couldn't keep her any longer-and
her eyes aren't strong enough for fine needle
work, and her education has not fitted her to
be teacher, and her poor old rheumatic
bones keep her from going behind counter
or entering factory. l suppose you
wouldn't be willing to have her come here
and live with you?"
81 ~ cried Mcdora. "Do you suppose l
want to proclaim to the whole town that
have such dilapidated old relation rs that ?"
81 would take her quick enough" said
Grace, eff didn't board with Mrs Hewitt
and share the little upstairs back bedroom
with the two children. Just wait until
marry some rich man." she added, with a
saucy uplifting of her pretty auburn brows
land then see if don't furnish up state
apartment for Aunt Debbyw
Don't talk nonsense" said Medora, acidly
ITS very likely, isn't it, that n factory girl
like you are going to marry rich man? ?"
Grace CraXal laughed merrily All
through life she and her cousin, Medora May
had agreed to differ on most points. Grace
seeing no other career before her, had, on the
death of her last surviving parent, cheerfully
entered factory, while Medora, taking her
stand on the platform of q false gentility, had
done fine sewing and silk embroidery on the
sly to support herself, putting on all the airs
OF a young lady of fashion the while. And
now Aunt Deborah May, to the infinite dis
gust OF her aristocraticaly inclined niece, had
actually opened little low-windowed shop
in shady street just out of the main thor
oughtare, and, as Medora despairngly ex.
pressed it, gone into trader
For Aunt Debby, in her bewidered lone
illness, had scarcely known what to do until
Grace Craxall came to the rescue with her
hopeful courage and straight forward COM
mon sense.
81 only wish it wasn't sinful to take good
big dose of laudanum and put myself out of
the way sighed the poor old lady.
"Now, Aunt Debby, that doesn't sound O
bit like you" said Grace, chcerfully.
"But what am | to do?" said Aunt Debor-
all
'What can you do?" said Grace
81 don't know as | am good for any
thing" said the old woman, with quiet tear
or two, except to help around the house,
and L amt strong enough for regular hired
help. Your uncle always used 10 say was
a master hand at making bread"
"Then make it," brightly interrupted
Grace.
"Eh ?" said Aunt Debby.
There's nice little store to let on Bay
street." went on Grace, "for ten dollars
month";"
But l haven't got ten dollars month";"
feebly interrupted Aunt Debby.
"l'll lend it to you" said Grace, "out of the
wages have saved. And there's a pretty
bedroom and sitting-room at the back of the
shop, and clean dry basement under it,
where you could bake your bread, l know, for
the sister of the lady where / board is look
ing for dress making rooms, and | heard her
speaking about it,"
"Do you mean to open bakery ?" said be-
wildered Aunt Debby.
mot exactly that" explained Grace.
"But if Mrs. Hewitt, or Mrs. Taylor, or any
other of the ladies around here could get real,
homemade bread such as you make, do you
suppose they would put up with the sour
stuff they get at the bakers shops? And
you could easily get up reputation on your
rasin cakes, and fried crullers, and New
England pumpkin pies. Now, couldn't
your"
The old lady frightened up little.
81 used to be pretty good at cooking" said
she; "And ifyou think I could support my
self So"
81 am sure of tw cried the cheerful Grace.
"And I'll go there with you this very day to
look at the place, and will engage it for three
months on trial And can paint you sign
to put over the door, Homer made Bread by
Mrs. Deborah Mayw And Pllhem you some
curtains and arrange the shelves in the low
window! ! almost wish l was going to be
your shop-girl," she added, merrily. But l
can help you in the evenings, you known
Grace CraXalls prophecies proved correct.
Aunt Debby's delicious homemade bread,
whittier than powdered lilies, sweet as ambro-
STA, soon acquired reputation, and the old
lady could scarcely bake it fast enough
People came half dozen blocks to buy the
yellow pumpkin-pies and delicious apple.
tarts; children brought their boarded pen
MES to invest in chocolate sweetmeats, vanil-
Ia caramels, and creamcakes with puffy shells
and delicious centres of sweetness. The lit.
tie money-drawer grew fat with coins-and
Aunt Debbys dim eyes grew bright and
hopeful again.
And one day Mr.. Herbert Valance, walking
by with Medora May, stopped and looked in
isn't that your cousin Grace" said he,
s'bchind that cOunter?"