American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-02-14
Bread-An' Butter
-An'-Apple
Butter
cA0
By ARBAR KERR

She was Il little Drown WlSp Oh u
thing. sitting in n big chair propped
upon a box TO make her just the right
height to stir the apple butter. she
could rest the long handle Of the stir
rer on the arm of the chair so 1t
would not be so heavy, her she could
keep the paddle moving over the bot
tom of the great copper kettle. TO
help keep the rich butter from stick
ing to the bottom of the kettle her
mother had thrown In a number OF
bright, new copper cents thoroughly
cleansed with hot vinegar and salt.
II the apple butter was not scorched,
Sarah Jane was to have all the pen
MES for her own, besides, OF course,
all of the good bread and butter and
apple butter that she could eat all
winter.
II was an ideal October day. Along
the fence was a riot of color, with now
and then a sumach, like an immense
bunch of scarlet geraniums or n c'ump
of g%oldenrod. The p%okeberries with
their purple inkwells mingled with the
browns, russets and green's OF summer
weeds and a great %profus!on OF Wild
grapevines. And Sarah Jane APP
proved. The air vas spicy with the
fragrance Of cooking apples and cider.
The great copper kettle hung over a
slow outdoor fire neal the spring
house. and the long stirrer moved
rhythmically over the bottom. pushing
the pennies about ceaselessly.
Sarah Jane was droning an Impro-
vised little song which she attuned
10 the swish of the pennies and the
gurgle OF the apple butter MS II surged
through the holes In the wooden pad
die OF the stirrer:
Observation-Disclosures = apple but
Too much hard cider will make you
stutter--"
swell, hello. little poet How do
you known Tried III i've brought
the rest Of your cider from the mill,
but It's not hard. Where's your
motherf"
Ashamed that anyone, especially
Milo Ward, the idol of her childish
heart, should have heard her silly 1T
tie song, Sarah Jane hung her head In
away, but she was mindful that Dun
can farm was famous for It's apple
butter, which had never been burned
she tried to pull her little brown bare
feet up under her skirts and almost
upset her p~recarIcus perch.
Look out for the throner' criet
Milo, AZ he caught the chair and right
cd Il on the box. Then, seeing hel
embarrn ssment, he took the stlrrel
from her hands, saying gently; Don
mind me, little Say-Jane. Let m,
give the stirrer n few whIrls while
you find your mother for me-"
Sorah Jane needed nc second bid
ding. She found her mother, bui
would not return to her post I'm Nil,
had delivered the cider and gone, Sh,
heard him say to her mother as h,
was leaving; 81 guess | teased Say
Jane, Mrs. Duncan tell her I'll have
better manner next time, for I'm go
Ing away 10 college,
October came and went In the val
ley. Other children, 10 and daugh
ters of the farmers, went TO college
Many of them, after finishing, returned
no more, but took up their lives IN va
rious ways In other places. One VIII,
did not return was Milo Ward, FOR hi
family had moved away and the War,
farIa was sold. But Sarah Jane coult
not remain away; the old folks a
home needed her, She and her moth
er still made apple butter, hut o II
the big copper kettle. for there wer
so few now to eat II.
Then war broke out, and Sara
Jane, patriotic and sweet aud Who'll,
some ms her own valley. wanted TO d
her bit. She would make apple butte
for the soldiers. She brought fort
the copper kettle, and as she sat pi
tisntly stirring her thoughts reverte
10 that other October day when sh
was so mortified. and she and hi
mother laughed over the memory.
When the apple butter was done an
set away TO cool in great stone jar
Sarah Jane made q market basket IN
of apple butter sandwiches and too
them In TO the station, for she ha
been warned that a troop train We
coming.
She delivered the delicious san'
witches into eager hands thrust throue
the windows till she had just n lei
when she saw a soldier h~urrying
meet her. Thinking that he was cor
ing for the treat she held Il out
him. crying out her wares In her m
steal contralto: aust ono OF my I
Mous apple butter sandwiches LEI
Warranted pure cider. fresh from n
Duncan farm"
hu
teri !" mimicked the soldier. "And II
little Say-Jane, too. Don't you tell n
you don't remember met and he TO,
the sandwich and the hand. too.
remember that you promisl
you'd have better manners next tim
md now vou'yo reminded me NJ IN