The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-03-07
BTead-An' Butter
An Apple
Butter
@@
By BARBARA KERR

S%xS~@%S@%as
Copyright. 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
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She was a little brown wisp of Il
thing, sitting in a hig 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 50 it
would not he So heavy. then 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
clcanSed with hot vinegar and salt.
If the apple butter was not Scorchcd,
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.
1t 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 a clump
Of gOldenrod. The pokcberrieS with
their purple inkwells mingled with the
browns, russets and greens of summer
weeds and a great prOfuSiOn of wild
g%lapevines. And Sarah Jane ap-
proved. The air was spicy with the
fragrance " cooking apples and cider.
The great copper kettle hung over n
slow outdoor fire near 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
to the swish of the pennies and the
gurgle Of the apple butter as it surged
through the holes in the wooden pad
die Of the %stirrer:
Rrrad-au'-b utter-an' apple hut
ter
Too much hard cider will make you
stutter-'
well, hello, little poet! How dc
yoa know Tried it? I've brought
The rest your cider from the mill
but it's not hard. Where's you'
motherF"
Ashamed that anyone, especially
Milo Ward, the idol of her childisl
. heart, should have heard her silly lit
\ tie song, Sarah Jane hung her head il
modification. She would have rui
away. hut she was mindful that Dun
, can farm was famous for its appi
. butter. which had never been burneC
She tried to pull her little brown bar
, feet up under her skirts and almo'
upset her precarious perch.
Look out for the throne - erie
e. Milo. ag he caught the chair and RICH
a ed il on the box. Then, seeing h'
embarrassment, ne took the stirr'
Ie from her hands, saying gently Don
mind me, little Say-Jane. Let n
give the StIrrrr u few whirls viii
you find your mother for me"
h Sarah Jane needed no second hi,
"a ding. She found her mother, b,
n would not return 70 her post till MI.
y had delivered the cider and gone. 81
NJ heard him say to her mother as !
II was leaving: II guess | teaSed Sa
or Jane. Mrs. Duncan tell her I'll ha'
or better manners next time. for I'm <
e. lnC away to college
lg October came and went in the VI
x. Iay. Other children. sons and daug
tcrS of the farmers, went to cOlleg
Many of them, after finishing, return,
ho no more, but took up their lives In v
,st riouS ways in other places. one W
IL did not return was Milo Ward, for
u. family had moved away and the Wa
nm farm was sold. But Sarah Jane cou
nj not remain away the old folks
NJ home needed her. She aud her mot
nd or stlI made apple butter, but not
ID the big copper kettle, for there we
re- so few now to eat it.
,so Then war broke out, and Sur
zane DdlIlOll' anu NNNNl anu Nl'
some as her own valley, wanted to
her hit. She would make apple but'
' u" for the soldiers. She brought foJ
~. the copper kettle, and as she sat
ticntly stirring her thoughts revert
10Y to that other October day when 5
WIS 50 mortified, and She and
mother laughed over the memory.
When the apple butter was done
set away to cool in great stone j,
Sarah Jane made q market hNSkrt
RS Of apple butter sandwiches and t'
'o' them in 10 tho station, for She !
on' been warned that y troop train
coming.
She delivered the delicious 81
witches into eager hands thrust throl
: the windows tin she had Just one
when she saw Il soldier %hurrying
meet her. Thinking that he was %