The Afro-American advance., 1900-11-10
WHY THE MlNCE
PIES WERE FAILURES
DApA HuDGENs says that he ap.

hAPA Hlbt8ENS says that he ap-
preciates the beauties of the fall
of the year about as much as the next
one. II does him good he says. 10 see
the woods In their expiring blaze Of
crimson aud gold, to walk through the
runtiinR leaves. TO inhale the bracinR
freshness of the air. with now and then
a Whit OF burning brush, or to tramp
through the Ktuhble with gun aud
dog that knows his business, but that
which he chiefly delights in ih the adj
vent of minee pie,
The minee-pie season opens IN the
Iiudgrna family about the first Of De-
tober, sometimes week or two later,
hut never n day befpres Mrs. liudgens
Is inileSible on this point, one reason
being that in her fine Judgment the
apples have 20 attain certain degree
Of mellownesa on the hay before they
are fit tp be used In the meat. Then
n minee pie must be served hot; not
merely warm, but 20 that itis necessary
to raise the upper crust TO allow the
escape Of the aromatic steam, thus
aFrreably tintlllating the olfac-
tories and exciting the salivary glands
for the reception of the hrst morseh
Also, Mrs, Hudgens says II she did
not put time limit somewhere they
would have her making mineemeat the
year around, which ia not improbable,
for the children all take after their
father In their fondness for this deli.
caey, buckingham Hubbard, the
young man who II dbmcstlcAteti with
the family by virtue ot Il friendly flnan-
cial arrangement and distant rela.
tlonship, n the worst one OF the lot.
None Of them could be blamed for
Mrs. iIudRen'A mlncemeat was some
thing To wonder AZ and remember II
was her speciality, aud there WAS moth.
ing In the culinary line she ever at
tempted that did not Impress her
guests as n chef d'arnvre. Aud II was
an event IN the household when she
beEan 10 make her mlneemrat. Every.
body was anxious to help. ifndgrns,
Who had previously selected The beef
pared the apples. which he did very
neatly Clinton stoned the rnialns. for
rnisins ready were dlsapproyed
off Ethelinda slierd the citrnn aud
buckingham offered suggestions un.
til driven away, Under less com.
petent oyerAeer this division ~ labor
might have resulted disastrousiy. but
there had been only one failure In the
family annals, not counting the pres.
ent season.
That Was last year, Apparently ev.
erything had been done as usual, aud
the Jars were allied and put away with
promise % pies on the Sunday follow.
Ing. The sunday eemc At last. and
the family gathered around the table.
gladand gluttonous anticipation CLEAN.
ing In every eve There WIS n psrtlcu.
iarly prime and juicy sirioln of beef
for dinner. with aecomphBlmsnts of
roasted potatnrS brussels sprouts and
Yorkshire pudding, but nobody made
any more than a prctense Of eating
any Of these, and Mr.. Hudgrns' exhor.
tRtinn TO the company In general To save
cornef for piece of pie was received
with shouts OF dcrisive laughter.
Mr., Ilndgens got the first piece, and
his taee heamed aa he raised the upps
crust with his fork Cautiously he
severed a small piece and pat IL In his
mouth. then his hrowx grew Together
In a frnwn
''Paur your father glass Of milk.
Ethrlinda; he's burned his mouth. -
said Mrs, iiadesns, who had heen
watching him ansionsly.
~No. haven't said Hudgrnx. II -
He stopped and took another mauthlaAl
and his expression of pain ,sespenva
sNhat Ii this yeu'se got Ia The pie
mnskeFs II doesn't seem right. some
how
IL doesn't. does II = remarked Duck
inghAm. who bad taAtsd his.
1T amt at all like the nlnermeal
chat mother used TO make" said Uiln
aon. Mrs. Hndgeps, tasting The pie her
seIf. was forced 10 admit H.
A careful analysis was made. but al
thr component parts of the rial thing
appeared 90 h~ there. nsseussiun fel
lowed. bot for some tifne the somethial
Iaeksmg waA unaccoanted Tor, init
Hudgrns aaddanls annette the table Will
his palm nna said II know what
the matter. There isn't any brand,
ID IT.
rSes - much = usaal.s ovned Mrs