News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-06-04

After all, innocent and hopeful as
the infant batch looked when tucked
into the pan covered with q clean
, crash towelin, Nancy somehow dis.
trusted it in her heart, awOke at in.
tervals during the night to worry
and stole down into the kitchen with
the first CLEAN of daylight to learn
the worst. Inert and helpless lay the
dough, precisely at low-water mark.
"Whatever shall | do?" sighed the
unfortunate debutante. "It'll never
do to let Mis- Briggs and Mis- Skel-
ton and JOS mother put that stuff
into their mouths" She glanced
wildly about her. The OdOr of a
burnt sacrifice would not be pleasant
to the divinity above stairs, who was
to be heard even now preparing to
descend. There was no time to be
lost. Nancy caught up the dough,
bore it hastily to the flower bed,
where trim geraniums left the ground
open between their stems, dug a grave
in their midst, dumped in the offend
ing dough, and covered it with earth.
When Aunt Felicia appeared a few
minutes later, there were no signs of
the recent tragedy.
Seems to me you're pretty airly," "
said aunt Felicia, not Disappearing
ly. "Bread riz? Why you don't
mean to say you forgon it? That's
just like you, Nancy Newton. Now
what ever shall we do? An all those
folks a-comin'! IfFd had any idea
you'd be so keerless I'd set up" She
ran on and on, giving the cul lprit no
opportunity to tell the truth-at least
so the culprit assured herself
''What shall we do?" repeated aunt
Felicia.
"I'll make some cream-tartar bis
cult. Those last you said were good, :"
proposed Nancy. And with this the
heroine of the day was forced to con-
tent herself
10 Baker made his appearance
about ten O'Clock, his hands full of
sweetbrier. Nancy met him at the
door, and the two stood and gOssiped
on the flag-stOnes without. A great
many things seemed to have happen
ed to discuss since the night before
Suddenly 10 stopped in the middle of
a sentence.
"What is that out there in the flow
er bed?" he asked.
Nancy gave a start. Guilty pre-
monitiOns blanched her cheek and
quickened her heart-beats. A little
mound had risen in the center of the
flower bed, and out of the top poured
like lava from an active volcano, that
dreadful dough.
"What is it?" repeated 10, curious
ly, going to the spot and poking at
the phenomenon with a stick
Its it's bread, groaned Nancy,
cor at least it ought to be. 1t hadn't
risen this morning, so | took it
out and buried it,
JOS red lips opened, and JOS hear
ty lungs emitted a genuine whoop of
laughter.
"Oh, Ssh! for mercy's sake!" i'm
plOred Nancy, laying hold of his
sleeve and looking toward the house
"She'll hear you. She's in the sittin'-
room now, but she'll come right
round to this side of the house if you
make so much noise
10 endeavored manfully to restrain
his mirth, but it broke away and ran
its course in spite of him. "That's
the best [ ever heardy' he calculated,
wiping his eyes. ''Well, We'll have to
bury it over again"
This they attempted to do with
handfuls of dirt and many a pat and
pressure, but Enceladus would rise.
Nancy was in despair Eager to re-
move the enemy to Nancy's peace, 10
cast about for an instrument. His
eye fell on a huge oleander planted in
q wash-tub. This he seized, and set
it tub and all, firmly over the ambi-
tious dough. ''ThereT' hesaid trium-
phantly, ''that'll hold it down. And
she''-looking in the direction of the
house-"she can't stir it. I'll get out
before she asks me to put it back. "
He vanished over the fence.
The neglect of the bread-making
ranked in Aunt Felicia's breast.
Promise or no promise, she would
not again risk her dinner.
Not until the chicken, the Cnrrad-
beef, and the salt-pork were, in
the iron pot together, and the vege-
tables were prepared to join them,
and the pudding was under way, did
she relax her hold on the helm.
Nancy, meanwhile, was quaking in
her shoes over another discovery OF
her own improvidence. There was
not particle of Indian meal for the
pudding. The store was miles away,
Mrs. Baker was the only near neigh
Dor, and to borrow of prospective
company was to say the least, hu-
initiating.
There was nothing else to be done
She dallied about with bowl and
spoon, pretending to put in this and
that At last Aunt Felicia went tC
lie down for an hour before donning
the best black gown and the capwitI
lavender ribbons - regalia suitable
for high feasts. Then, throwing hel
! apron over her head, Nancy sped likt
a fawn over the fields to the Baker
, , place She came upon 10 in the bacl
! yard splitting kindlings. He was il
his shirt sleeves, and would hav,
, blushed for them, had not Nancy
bare arms and flying hair put him, 81
to speak, in costume.
} "Oh, Jo," she gasped, "this is on
: of the days! What do you think
I've started my puddin', and ther
amt a mite of meal in the house"
"Come right along in," replied 10
! cheerily. "Well fix that. Mother
u got plenty. She's gone over to Mis-
Briggs's of an errand, but | know
d where she keeps it."
= He led the way to the pantry, ant
: there the two searched high and low
n in bucket and box, for the missin,
S article. Not single golden grain rC
S warded them. 10 scratched his head
r and proposed going over to Briggs
y after the mistress of the house.
J. "No DON'T" begged Nancy. "H
1t lust as soon there didn't any NOR
l. folks N is necessary know about il
Why, what's thisin this bag? That
Y. meal" And she held up handful
IS ''There isn't much mOre'n what
won't here"
}, "Take it right along" insisted JC
"No need o. sayin' an'thing bout it
d "I'H come over tomorrow and el
=. plain" compromised Nancy, an
{. clasping the brown paper bag, bac
% she flew across the fields to her puC
,e ding.
l. Promptly at two O'Clock the foU
t. old ladies sat down to their dinne
er EVERYTHING was done to perfection
lr The cream of tartar biscuit fulfille
t. the mission of the batch under I'll
0, oleander tub; and were a miracle
ne sweetness and light The billed dis
t, brought tears of tender retrOspectiC
- 4Io o1,oe Of tba a oro1 poTtipinon N T.