Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-12-13
AUNT
JURITHA'S
GIFT.
II ~ ~ * ~. II! \; y: y: Z: ~ II =: ~ ~ \:
Bv Sarah Bell Hackley.

y would give to our bonny bride-no
hat we expected princely gift, TO
aunt. fathers Oldest sister. was not i'm
mensey wealtly-but she had wha
most people were pleased to call pecu
iarly sensible notions; so when the day
before the wedding her black servan
drov' up to the back door and with thu
aid of our man set in the shadow of The
crimson rambler that glorified Our bach
porch an enormous pine box addressed
In aunt's prim, regular writing to Mis-:
Juritha Jasper Castleton," we could
hardly wait to open it.
Closely packed with excelsior were a
Number OF thick brown papcr-covered
parcels. few of which were very large
On top of all lay letter.
Dear Niece and Namesake Juritha,
It read, lin making my selection of a
9rcsent | have taken into consideration
ESQ facts. First, that your husband-to-
be, though a rising lawyer in a
stirring country town. has not yet risen
high enough to enable his wife to keep a
servant; second, that you have been
employed as teacher in high school
since your graduation three years ago, a
condition not conducive to the acquisi-
hon of much kitchen knowledge.
Your kitchen will be your workshop
Tor time at least, and my present shall
ee something to make work easier in
siat shop. My first intention was to
suy you kitchen stove with the TWEEN
eJ-fve dollars l felt | could put into a
gift, but after mature reflection, | con-
gluded that your husband would pur-
fhase what you deem the essentials, and
it would be better out of my age and eX
Serience to select and supply you with
some things that young housekeeper
might not think of CHASING among the
absolute necessaries. or might through
inexperience forget to purchase until
the money saved for household furnish
ings was gone.
Il trust. niece, that you will be sensi-
Die enough TO feel no modification in
placing my present beside your more
aesthetic gifts, since it is my wish that it
be displayed.
"Affectionately your aunt,
''Juritha Jasper Castleton"
Wonderingly we unwrapped the par
cells and read the words of advice or ex-
PLANTATION written on the cards tied with
narrow white satin ribbons to each arti-
Gle. A plain little octagon walnut-cased
clock with a hook for hanging on the
II, all
ality is the politeness of kings, and of
cooks. This tmekeper, niece, will help
you to get the rising young lawyers
meals on time, and thereby aid mate
rally in keeping peace in the family"
A hand-woven bushc basket was la
beled, For chips and kindling," and
TO smaller baskets, useful receptacles
in the kitchen" A card tied to hearth
broom and curved-b back stove brush
read, "When ashes settle on the bak
ing-top of your stove and biscuits re-
fuse to brown, use the broom; when
rust crawls over its sides, use polish and
the brush"
A slate with a pencil tied to it had
written on its face, Hang this on the
Kitchen wall, my dear, and when
aeeded purchase occurs to YOU, write it
down and copy when you start to mar
'set. 1t will save forgetting and incl
dentally help keep the family life
smooth"
The words on the placard on the
mighty and sharp shears we're, you
will find numberless uses for t,:ese in
the kitchen, niece. Use them instead of
a knife in dressing fowl. for they will
cut bones like knife will butter, and
you will escape cut fingers"
keep the salt dry" spoke from the
hard wood salt-box, and Keep your
sugar from ants" from the polished
sugar cabinet.
A pasteboard box held polished
hard wood comb case, two wire combs
and walnut framed mirror, with wire
ready for hanging, and the card tucked
in the mirror frame said, MY dear,
when the door bell rings and finds you
in the kitchen, these articles will be
useful, in that they will tell you wheth-
err there is -four on your cheeks, and
enable you to straighten your hair be-
fore facing your guest"
There were two lamps and a lantern
in the great box. One of the lamps
was fat-bottomed glass lamp with
the bowl inclosed in tin and with tin
handle and reflector The other lamp
was of the light-spreading kind that
grocers hang from their ceilings, and
lhe card attached to its tin shade said,
'There cannot be too much light in
the kitchen; suspend this so that its
lays will fall most directly on your
3tovc."
In a lined box of their own lay
Z Christy set-a bread-knife, cake
B,fe, parer "These are things l
ave found it impossible to keep house
vithout," ran the aunt's comment, and,
esce. in addition to using the large |
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