The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-12-05
TIL PASSING OF SOUL

Jane stubs was making currant ielly.
She had arrived at the most important
epoch in the making Of it. The cur
rants had been cooked to a turn. they
had been dipped out of the kettle with
a large spoon, deposited IN the clean
est of bags, the draw string of which
had been drawn, and the bao hume
over another kettle, into which the
red juice had drippcd until there was
no more juice left to drip.
she was now upon the point of meas
uring the juice and the sugar. one
spotlcss Kettle stood ready for the sug-
gar and another for the Juice. She had
dipped a cupful of sugar from the
bucket close by, spread il evenly over
the top with Il steady forelinger and
einptlcd 1t INTO the kctile when there
was Il knock at the front door.
Jane frowned. She preferred while
the making of this Jelly was in progress
to be alone. Her currant Jelly had an
enVlabIe reputation in Mulyane. She
wished to live up to ii.
However, the knocking continuing
rcdoubling in vehemcncc, in fact-hcr
only recourse was to 90 TO the door.
ScttihS the cup in o small plate, she
wiped her hands on q nearby towel
rolled down her sleeves and went, She
opened the door.
"Lawn' she exclaimed. eff Ind
known 1t was you, Martha Simmons,
wouldn't cr gone to the trouble of nut.
TIM down my sleeves. Pm maxim m,
currant Jell, and Pm right where Pvc
got to 20 on with it. Come along on,
on the back porch and set there while
measure the sugar. BE quiet, too
won't you? It's mighty particular
work, you know. A lcctle bit toe
much sugar or not enough, an tn,
whole things ruined. I'll talk to yo,
when I'm done with it,
Martha followed her through th,
clean, wide hall, on either side of whicl
high, straight backed chairs sat prim
ly, to the back porch. Jane brough
the sugar and fruit from the kitchen
and set them on a long table agains
the wall, placed a char for her visito
and recommended her work.
The back porch was q pleasant plac,
TO SIT IN. The dining room opened OF
to 1t, the kitchen and the front hall
Latticcwo>k partly enclosed it, an,
delicate vines trained by James nimbl
myers, covering the lattice, shut on
the hcat OF the sun. Jane opened wild
the front door; also the back. A fresl
breeze blew threw.
Martha, taking Off her sunbonnct
tanned herself with it, while Jane ben
over her work, muttcring: One, two
three cups of sugar. One, two, tire
cups of juice"
Footsteps approached. They halt
cd at the front door. Jane looked IN
"My land!" she exclaimed. ii
there amt Lucy Jones. Come in
she called to her, "an' bring one @
them chairs IN the hall along with you.
AS Lucy dragged the char out she ado
cd: "lf | was settin' here now, lon,
some as an owl, wishin' for Somcbod
TO come an chat with me, not il livin
soul OF you would come. Bcin' MS I,r
busy as Il bee with my currant jcll an
don't want to be bothered, here yo
all come a-strOllin' in one at a time
Talk to her, Martha, while | mcasur
this fruit all yer agair Three Gun
OF sugar, want 1t? AM one, two
three cups of juice.
Lucy sat down near Martha.
81 hear she whispered, "that :,
rah Lawson amt no better. KNOWN
as how she was so close to Jane,
L thought Pd just drop in an sec
there's amy truth in it. You hear $
many things
"Shc amt no BETTER said Jane be
tween the counting of cups. "Shc'
worse if anything. Five of sugar an
six Of juice"
care you mcasmin' them cups eve
on the top, Janc?" inquired Martha
leaning forward. "Sccms to me thi
one is fuller than the other was
Jane tossed her head. 81 amt bee
maxim currant jcll all these years fo
nothin', - said she with conscious pride
81 know what I'm about. Tend q,
your w knittin'," for Martha, reach
ing into Il spacious ~rctlculc which hun
at her side, had brought out a stocking
wasted, attcnuatcd and lacking a foot
She proceeded to knit the foot.
"Iherc's somebody else comm,
she said presently, glancing toward tn
door.
cit never rains, but it pours," nut
tered Jane. $50 to the door, wi
you, Martha, an hold whoever it
there a mint till | get through mea:
urin' this juice? |! you don't, / won
get through moasurin' it till doom.
day"
She poured in the last cupful c
sugar, then the last cupful of Juice
The white sugar slowly dissolved ltscl
in the crimson juice as she took tn
Kettle into the kitchen, placed it O
the stove, raked the Goals under it an
came out on the porch once moro
laughing TO see Martha obcdientl
holding the newcomer at the from
door, pointing out to her the beautie
OF the plants blooming luxuriantly i,
the diamond shaped beds here, Their
and everywhere and Offering her
rose TO smell.
on can bring her in now,'' sal,
Jane. The jclrs on the fire. IS tina
you, Susan? IIow's the baby? An
Tom; how's he? Is he wcll9" With
out giving her time to answer, sh
continued: "Youll amuse yourselves
won't your | must get these glasse
ready for the jell, and I've got to watcl
ii, too, until II ome to a boil"
slow long do you let it boil, Janc?'
asked Susan. "Twcnty minits?"
"Umph hum" nodded Jane. "Twcn
ty mlnits by the clock am not a secon,
longer"
Susan sat down, tied the strings o