The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-07-06
Canning Fruit.

1ueTe CUmSS liuiO III tuc AAc VI JIG
average American woman when she
has desire to learn something. There
are many openings for women of
of ambition who have no one depend
ing on them for personal care, but with
mothers left with little children to
support, and daughters who have par
ents to care for, the manner Of support
ing them is often an unanswerable
question.
In the May Century, writer speaks
of lady, brought up in refinement and
wealth, who, by the death Of her hus-
band and reverse of fortune, was
obliged to seek support for herself and
!ittle ones. She is learning telegraphy,
and meantime her children are cared
for by friends. She had good musical
education, but found she could not de-
pend upon that as a means Of support.
Now, | should think, if she were really
a good musician, it was strange if she
could not have made better use of that
accomplishment than of telegraphy.
Probably she lacked excessive ability.
Parents should take more pains to cul-
tivate business capacity in their daugh-
ters. Young women have quite gen.
eral need, and lack Of it.
The suggestion make is no vision
ary scheme, for it came to my knowl-
edge, through the practical success
which woman made Of it. She was
left widow with small children, and
an income as small. Feeling that it
would be next to impossible to leave
them, she tried to think of something
to do to earn money and yet be at home.
One day lady called, and during their
conversation said |:
II had to can halfa bushel of straw
berries this morning. My cook knows
nothing about canning; SO there is
nothing for me to do but go into the
hot kitchen and do it myself. l
wouldn't do it if good fruit could be
bought, but we don't like it in tin cans,
and that in glass is too expensive to
buy in any quantity"
Chow much did you can last year?"
asked the widow.
"Over two hundred cans" was the
reply.
Chow would you like to have me do
it for you this year? I could do it salts.
factorily."
II know you could" said the other
lady, "for have often heard what nice
fruit you had every winter. I should
be delighted to have you do it, and will
feel as if the greatest burden of the
summer were lifted from my shoulders.
Now what arrangement can we maker"
The widow had not thought Of doing
anything of this kind before her caller
came, but after it had first been spoken
OF thousand thoughts ran through her
mind, and she had nearly completed a
seasons work in her new business when
the lady asked for "some arrangement"
SO she said: "Well, In the first place,
l suppose you would let me use your
cans; then ifyou will furnish the sugar
there will be no expense to me, and
you can pay me what you consider the
actual labor worth"
"Yes, that will be satisfactory, but it
would be worth more to do some fruit
than others. Pineapples, for instance,
are SO much work to prepare"
They finally decided, however, that
all kinds taken into consideration they
would average so that they might agree
upon uniform price. In her own
mind the widow had concluded ten
cents . quart would be enough. SO when
the lady asked her if fifteen cents
would do, she promptly agreed. When
the lady took her leave it would have
been difficult to tell which was the hap.
pier mortal. A-s1'
l should like to tell you minutely of
her summers work, but that would be
impossible. What she canned foS this
first customer summed up like this:
Two hundred and ten eans--or quarts,
for some were two-quart cans. There
were fourteen varieties (Which are given
in the table below.) She averaged to