Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-05-18

and let il boil another hour. Dear
me ! | thought we should have had
our last kettle on by this tine.-
We shall be so late, and Pm tired
to death now, | wish | had done as
mother said. She advised me to
send the currants over there and
let Hannah make the jelly, but |
was sure l could do 1t myself"
The steaming kettle boiled an
other hour.
The summer sun hung above the
green summit of the poplars.
"Surely it will be jelly now ,Jane,"
said the weary housewife, pouring
some of the hot, red liquid into cold
water.
But juice it remained, for all the
cooking and stewing it had under
gone.
"Oh, what shall do? Surely the
stuff must be bewltched. Pve a
great mind to pour it all away"
cried poor Nell, ready to cry with
vexatlOn.
81 tell you, ma'am, you put some
thing in to make it jelly" persisted
Jane.
"Oh, Jane, hush You know
nothing about it. l tell you, you
don't put anything In. What must
l do7 Cook it more? 1t is burn
Ing to the kettle now, and I've
wasted ever so mach sugar. Jane,
run over to mothers and ask Han
nah to run over, will you? She'll
know in minute what to do
Do pray, be quick; it Is dreadfnlly
late"
Jane departed.
"If cooking will do, Pll make jel-
ly of it before Hannah gets here, .
she said.
But instead of boiling to jelly,
the currant joice boiled over in
great foamy, red waves.
The fire hissed, and a dense smoke
and pungent scentofburning sweets
filled the kitchen
Spattered from head to foot with
the hot liquid, one hand scalded,
her pretty face besmeared, Nell
retreated to the door in utter de-
spair.
"Oh, I wish | had never"
The sentence was never finished.
She stood dumb with horror, for
coming leisurely along the sunny
garden path she saw her husband
and his particular friend, Mr.. War
burton.
"He has invited him home to
dinner a" she gasped, darting back
into the smoky kitchen. "Oh, what
shall | dow
Two or three narrowing minutes
of suspense and her husband en-
tered.
"Nell, are you here ? And what
is the matter. Is the kitchen on
fire The whole place is in a fog
Nell came forward, looking more
like a tattooed Indian than the
pretty woman she was.
'E'm making currant Jelly and l
thought you wouldn't be home till
late, Ned.n
"DOes it require such mess as
this to make currant jelly? And
what a fright you are Nell! I've
brought WarburtOn home to dine"
"There's not mouthful of din
ner, Ned"
"What? ? Didn't 1 send a ham
and a pair of chickens?"
81 bad no time to cook I've
been making jelly all day.
"Confound the jelly! Come, Nell,
you must get up some show of din
ner."
81 can't Ned | am tired to
death, and my hands burned
You shouldn't have invited Mr..
Warburton without letting me
know
"Now, just hear thatw cried the
provoked husband, "after telling
me so often to bring a friend when
ever | liked Pm surprised at you,
Nell -
Nell sank into a seat, and, cover
ing her face with her sticky apron,
burst into tears, while the jelly be-
gan 10 stream over again.
Her husband, half beside himself
with the Kissing noise and his own
vexatiOn, made a dive at the kettle,
and, in his efforts to get it of the
stove, upset it, deluging the floor.
"l'm glad Of it, You've no busl-
ness attempting to make the con.
founded stuff when yOu don't know
how" he cried, fiouncing out of the
kitchen, and leaving his wife to
have her cry out: "I'll go and send
WarburtOn away"
Poor Nellie sObbed cOnvulsively,
unmiDdful of the meanderlng red
river at her feet, until Hannah en-.
tered.
"Why, dearie, what trouble you're
in, to he sure and all your jelly
wasted ! But never mind; we'll
have the next kettle all right"
Nell sprang up and threw herself
into the old wOman's arms.
lfOL Hon,oI IL Mi. ..o,,o 30