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2.4. TH
The Family
MRS. PERKINS* MINCE-MEAT.
By Elizabeth Price.
"They want you, Amandy, over at
Brother Jacob's. The little baby's terrible
low and its mother's about give out."
Mr. Perkins looked uneasily over his
spectacles as he slowly folded the sheet
of paper he held, adding, "It's a telegraph,
Amandy. It must be pretty bad."
iiis who iaiu down ner lead-pencil and
trowned. "if thai ain't enough to try
Job's patience threadbare!" she exclaimed.
"I've just got done writing out my
list for my mince-meat things. I was
going to ask you to drive over and get
them this afternoon, so I could make
it early tomorrow. And here comes along
another interruption."
"Couldn't it wait a little longer,"
Amandy?"
"I suppose it could, seeing it's likely to
have to. In all the years I've been
house-keoping I've never failed before
to make my mince-meat the first week
in November, and here it is December
already, and likely to be Christmas, if
not New Year's, before this family gets
a taste of,mince-pie. You certainly have
got sickly relations, Obed."
"I dunno as they can help it, Amandy.
Maybe they oughtn't to be blamed." Mr.
Perkins spoke ai>ologet'caJly. His wife
picked up pencil and paper and laid them
away as she said, "Well, it seems queer
to me that as many of them as there is,
nobody but me can nurse them. Just
nonie rroni .a siege with Maria's typhoid,
and now out again to Jacob's baby. Oh,
yes', 1 11 go, of course. Twouldn't be human
to let the child die for lack of sensible
nursing, which is likely half that
ails it already. Put this list in your
wallet, Obed. If so be the baby isn't
much sick we may get back in a day
or two, and we can get the things on our
way home."
''Did you count in an extry pound or
two for Maggie's folks?" Mr. Perkins
asked as he stowed away the bit of pa
per. his ware replied snarpiy, "indeed
I didn't. If Maggie wants mince-meat let
her get it the same way I do. If she
was capable, like she ought to be, she
could do mine this time on shares. But
do you suppose I'd trust her? Never.
She'd be fussing over it for a week and
likely spoil it in the end. No. I can
do and do for others, but when I need
help it ain't there."
"But, Amandy, she ain't strong, and
there's all the children, and?"
"Obed, It's no use arguing. We could
eret r'rl of everv nennv we'vo ent if wo
wanted to. Good mince meat ain't to be
made for nothing, and we positively can't
afford to buy expensive materials and
give them away. We'd be on the county
if things were left for you to dispose of.'*
Mr. PerklnB wisely changed the subject,
and shortly left the room announcing
his intention to "hook up."
His wife stepped into the hall and
called briskly, "Hattie, come down." A
young girl answered the summons
promptly, and Mrs. Perkins' snapping
T
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU1
black eyes softened as they rested on
her only daughter's sweet face.
"What is it, mother?''
"Same old story. Your Uncle Jacob's
sent for me to nurse the baby back to
life. No telling when I'll be home again.
It needn't make any difference with your
visit, though. Y'our things are all ready.
Y'our father wrote out your check, and
Mr. Gresham'll cash it and fix everything
up for you. Stay with Nellie to-night,
and don't miss your train to-morrow."
"llut who'll take care of father?" asked
Hattie, adding slowly, "I cau stay at
home if it's necessary, though I would
hate to miss all the good times Aunt May
has planned." . .
"No need of it. Your father'U stay at
Jacob's. His rheumatism is so bad ne
can't do much, and he needs a rest anyway.
Your Uncle Josh can do the chores
and take the milk home. It'll keep him
hustling for once in his life, on top of
his own work, and it'll do him good. No;
there won't be anything to see to. The
only thing that's rushing is the mincemeat,
and you couldn't do that if it never
got made."
"Why couldn't I, mother? I've helped
you lots of times."
"Because you haven't got judgment
enough. There'd be chunks in it the size
of a walnut and it wouldn't be fit to eat.
To be sure I could have done it at your
age, but girls ain't capable like they used
to be?more's the pity. Just lock up
good and tight and leave the kevs at vour
Aunt Maggie's.
"Oh, Hattie, put away my mince-meat
rule. I've left it laying out, and I
wouldn't lose it for ten dollars, though it
does look like I'm fated not to get to
use it this year."
Mrs. Perkins was a thorough and energetic
housekeeper, and to have anything
disturb the smooth running of the domestic
machinery was a trial indeed. But
beinjr also a notahle nmw nnrl In anOo
of her sharp tongue, a kind-hearted woman,
such interruptions were not unusual.
Hattie watched her parents set out on
their four-hour drive. "It's too bad,"
she murmured. "Mother's heart was junt
set on making her mince-meat tomorrow.
As if all the pies in the world were
equal to the dear little baby's life. But
1 hate to have her disappointed so often."
She picked up the precious recipe and
looked it over. "I don't see why I couldn't
make it," she said aloud. "It never seems
so difficult when mother does it. She'd
be so surprised, and pleased too, after it's
all done. 1 couid go Thursday as well
as Wednesday, and send a card to Aunt
Mary not to meet me till then. What if
I do have to miss a little of the good
time? Mother's always giving lip things
she wants to do because somebody needs
her help.
"I'll do it! I can make the list of
things I'd need from this recipe, and get
Nellie Gresham to drive me down to the
store this afternoon. I'll make it tomorrow?Nellie'll
help, I know."
Pull of excitement, Hattie proceeded
to carry out her plans. The Greshams
wej-e neighbors and Intimate friends, and
Nellie lent willing assistance to Hattie's
undertaking. Mr. Gresham cashed the
rH. March 17, ijog.
check which was to cover the expense
of Hattie s little trip, "and there's enough
to spare for the mince things," declaifd
Hnttie. "I'll pay for them myself, then
if I should make a failure?which I
sha'n't?nobody else will be the loser."
At dusk the two girls returned from
the village store, the bed of the buggy
well filled with a savory heap of "sugar
and spice and all things nice," as Hattie
sang, while they unloaded and stowed
away their purchases.
They were a* it bright and early the
next morning, two youthful but earnest
cooks, paring, chopping, measuring and
weighing, with frequent references to the
time-yellowed "rule," which they had
pinned out of harm's way on the shelfpaper
under the clock.
"I don't want one human being to
know it," declared Hattie gleefully, as
she stirred. "I wouldn't have mother's
surprise spoiled for anything. She always
puts it in one particular jar on one special
shelf in the cellar. She brings up
that jar before she begins her mince- '
meat, and suns it while she works. This
time when she goes down for her jar
she'll find it full, and won't she be
pleased?"
"I'd love to be a lly on the wall and
hear what she says," laughed Nellie.
"I'll watch as close as I can, and write
you all about it. Hattie, this is simply
perfect. I never tasted- better."
"It is good, isn't it, for a first attempt?
Now it's ready to be put away, and it's
only six o'clock. I think we've done
pretty wall. Don't you?"
Hrother Jacob's little baby proved to
be a very sick child, and it was several
days before his Aunt Amanda felt justified
in leaving him to other care thali
her own. "Do exactly as the doctor tells
you, Myra, and don't take any liberties,
was her parting injunction, "i don't
want to oe sent tor to undo anybody
else's carelessness. Oh, you're welcome,
as far as that's concerned. Only I'm
going to make my mince-meat tomorrow,
if the whole tribe gets sick." But
Myra, who would never forget the gentleness
of her baby's nurse, and Brother
Jacob, who remembered that he owed
his child's life to his sister-Iu-law, kissed
her good-bye affectionately and thanked
her from full heart".
"Let's stop in Westminster and get
that order filled," said Mrs. Perkins as
they neared that village.
"It's pretty late, Anmndy," her. husband
reminded her.
"I don't care if it's pitch dark, Obed.
I'm going to have those things before I
sleep tonight."
.. ? - UCUIU3 in inn. mruii^e ui
us trading in Westminster, instead of at
our own town stcre?"
"It don't make an/ difference what
Cap. Dennis thinks. His store's three
miles the other side of our house, and I
wouldn't get my order home before noon
tomorrow, and by that time somebody'll
probably have small-pox and want me to
nurse 'em. It's now or never, Obed."
It was hardly dawn of the next morning
when the work began. Mrs. Perkins
frowned a little when she saw her "rule"
still pinned on the clock-shelf. "If that's
Hattie's idea of taking care of things,
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