The Portland daily press., 1882-02-02
Sugar and spice
And all things NICE

anyhow sang May, getting out the stew ket-
tie; "and eggs. And Mary always does her best
cooking by guess; I've heard her say so"
There was little fire in the stove; they made
a big one. They put the pumpkin with great
deal of water, in the stew kettle, and set it on
the stove. And then, because it did not all
stew away in minute, they filed the stove
with wood and went out to play:
When they went in again the wood had
burned out. There was queer smell in the
kitchen, and when they looked in the stew
kettle they saw little dark colored heap which
didn't look a bit, May decided, like Mary's
stewed pumpkin.
''P'raps we ought to have peeled it, said
she. "Anyhow, the waters all out OF it, and
that's one comfort"
They took spoons and scraDed the funny
smelling stuff out of the kettle into a pan.
Then they went TO the sugar bucket and
guessed at the sugar. They forgot the cullen
and they nearly forgot the crust.
"But can fix that In minute" said May,
'and you be stirring in the sugar, Pink"
So Pink took the spoon and stirred; and May
got flour and water and mixed them together
in bowl, and then scraped the mixture out
upon the moulding board, just as she'd seen
Mary do "time'n time'n again."
Bat something was the matter. Never pie
crust clung to Mary's fingers as this to Mays.
1t was done at last, however, and rolled out,
and spread on plate after very funny fash
IN.
contemplated her work with great satisfaction
for a moment before cloud arose.
"True's YOU live, Pink, I've forgot to spread
on butter. Mary always spreads on butter"
"Never mind, said happy Pink; we'll put
in lots of spice"
So they went to the spice drawers and guessed
at the spice-cinnamon, Glove, allspice, ginger,
aud a whole nutmeg.
"P-e-p-p-e.r" r" spelled Pink, from one of the
drawers. SIS that spice, May?"
May pulled open the drawer. 81 guess that
kind is,'' said she; ''it's red, you see. We
might ask Mr.. Haley, Pink-he's up stairs"
Mr. Haley was young clergyman, great
friend of papas, who was spending few hours
in the TOW n. He was at his desk when May
anxious little face looked in on him.
"If you please" said she, whats pepper,
Mr.. Haley?''
Mr.. Haley stuck his pen behind his ear, and
rubbed his forehead thoughtfully. Pepper"
said he, sis condiment or spice
Away few May without stopping to say
"Thank you;' and Mr. Haley, who wasn't
used to children. sat and wondered for whole
minute before he took his pen in hand again.
So the Cayenne pepper went into the scorch-
ed, sugary pumpkin with the rest of the spice;
and the pumpkin went into the crust, and the
whole went into the oven, which was stone
cold by this time.
May and Pink filled the stove with wood
again, and when the fire began to burn they
went out and climbed into the hammock and
told riddles Tor half an nour. linen tne PIE
was done. At any rate May said it was, after
examining 1t with knitting needle; and 1t
looked very much done indeed.
Pink tasted little of the edge.
''It's just as sweet" said she; "but it bites
my tongue orfy"
"Thats the spice," said May, tasting too,
and then putting her tongue out to cool it.
''It-is--pretty-spic said she; "but guess
Aunt Dolly'll like it,"
Aunt Dolly was sitting knitting by her win
dow when they went in. She nodded well
come to them
"Heres pie for you,' said May.
"We made it our own self, added Pink.
Then how Aunt Dolly praised them and the
pie. Pretty soon she got up and hoped to the
closet, and took down tin teaspoon and tasted
bit of the pie, just as Pink and May had
done. She didn't taste any more, but her little
grey eyes began to twinkle and dance behind
her glasses; and when the children had gone
she laughed until the tears ran down her face.
"The dear little cretursp' said she, wiping
her eyes. -dear-lttle-cretursl"
Then she did funny thing. She took the
pie out and scraped it into the pigs trough.
But the pig wouldn't eat it; and when Aunt
Dolly went out to give him his supper, she
scraped it tenderly out of the trough again.
"Bless 'em," said she; 'the dear little Gre
turs."
She meant May Blossom and Pink Rose.