The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-11-06
SUGAR OR SALT.
by RYE JOHNSON.

Nancy Moore STOOD upon the porch anu
watched the carriage until it disap-
peared around the bend near the bridge;
then, turning, danced gleefully into the
pleasant kitchen. Miss Nancy Moore,
'Missus' for the day, if you please" she
said aloud with a sweeping courtesy.
Though her own bright self was the
only being visible. Then dropping into
an easy chair, placed invitingly near
an open window through which tho
sweet morning air came IN delightful
little puffs, she proceeded to plan her
days work.
Mamma and papa are off for the day =,
and may work my own sweet will
while they are away. There's p
rhyme to begin with, you silly thing.
They will be gone until near five, and
Cousin Hal is coming home with them
to tea. l am to prepare that tea, or
rather dinner. Let me see, what shall
we have? There's beautiful bread, but
ter and honey for a foundation. I'll
make some of those mock mince pies
papa loves so dearly. Then a white
cake and a cream layer, mold of
yariegated apple jelly to please man.
ma, some lemon jelly to please Hal"
with flush at mention of that name);
t'then there's potato salad, creamed
potatoes, fried chicken = there - that
will do, Nancy, you must remember the
darling old papa is not rich"
Springing up, the happy girl took
down a huge bingham apron from a
convenient nail, and after donning it,
rolled her sleeves above her dimpled
elbows. The fire was rebuilt in the
cookstove and the hampers were regu-
lated. Then selling pan she ran
lightly down the cellar stairs to the
potato bin.
1.-TWO cupfuls and a half of grated
potato" she said, as she selected tubers,
sand if l have any over l shan't put
it in as did last time. Strange how
easy it is to spoil nice dish by not
following the directions implicitly"
Nancy sang merrily as she pared,
washed and dried the potatoes. Then
she proceeded to CRATE them coarsely.
but unfortunately rubbed her thumb
over the crater, thereby interrupting
her song for minute. But she was too
happy to care for wounded thumb
with the birds who were singing their
October melodies preparatory to a fit
ting.
1.-TWO cupfuls and a half of grated
potato, two cupfuls of boiling water
poured over them, one cupful of vine
gar, one of molasses, one and half of
sugar, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon
and one of cloves. Butter size of an
egg and cupful of raisins," she re-
peated aloud, as she added each in
gredient in turn. There, that's all.
Now for my crust and papa's mince pies
are made"
In a very short time she had four
dainty-looking pies in the oven, and
the savory odor they emitted when
she presently opened the oven door was
a wonderful imitation of the original
to say the least.
While her pies were baking, she pre-
pared her mold of variegated apple jelly
by peeling and cutting up pound of
sour apples and putting them to cook
in stewpan with three ounces of
sugar, a cupful of water and the juice
and grated rind of a lemon. When
they were cooked to a pulp, she put
them through strainer and added an
ounce of gelatine, which she had dis
solved in a gill of water. Half of the
apples she colored with a teaspoonful
of cochineal, and then she filed her
mold with alternate layers of the
colored and uncolored fruit. When it
was cold, she turned it out upon glass
dish, and it was to be served with
pint of whipped cream piled high on
the center This done, she made the
cream for her layer cake. By that time
the pies were done and the cake making
followed.
Everybody has a favorite recipe for
white cake, but perhaps Nancy's simple
formula for layer cake may fill the
need of some one whose papa like hers
is mot rich:" Zone cupful of white
sugar." said she aloud-someway she
had talked to herself all day-"one egg,
half cupful of saleratus and one of
lemon Now just -four enough for a
running batter, and into the three tins
you 60"
Everything turned out splendidly,
and Nancy felt thrill of pardonable
prfOc as Sne surveyor Hcd uAiShCu pres,
cakes and apple jelly.
'Now for my lemon jelly" she said,
after short rest in the easy chair by
the window, and few breaths of the
pure fresh air that had hint of frost
in it. 81 shall be all done by twelve and
can climb the hill for those autumn
leaves this afternoon"
Half an hour later a row of fancy
Inolds of golden jelly stood upon one
Of the wide old-fashioned window sills
"A brisk and energetic war was then
waged with the various articles used in
baking. OF course they were speedily
vanquished; and when they were all
put in their places in shining cleanli-
ness, the tired yet happy girl hung
up her ginghani apron and rolled down
her sleeves with sigh of relief. The
chicken was in the cool cellar all ready
for the frying pan, the potato salad
must be prepared later on, for it could
not stand too long, while it would only
take few minutes to cream the pota-
toes while the chicken fried.
Nancy thought of all this while set
ting the table. The wide kitchen was
also the dining-room, but 1t was built