CREAM PEA SOUP.—­Soak three fourths of a pint of dried Scotch peas over night in a quart of water.  In the morning put to cook in boiling water, cover closely and let them simmer gently four or five hours, or until the peas are very tender and well disintegrated; then rub through a colander to remove the skins.  If the peas are very dry, add a little water or milk occasionally, to moisten them and facilitate the sifting.  Just before the peas are done, prepare potatoes enough to make a pint and a half, after being cut in thin slices.  Cook the potatoes until tender in a small amount of water, and rub them through a colander.  Add the potatoes thus prepared to the sifted peas, and milk enough to make three and one half pints in all.  Return to the fire, and add a small head of celery cut finger lengths, and let the whole simmer together ten or fifteen minutes, until flavored.  Remove the celery with a fork, add salt and a cup of thin cream.  This should make about two quarts of soup.  If preferred, the peas may be cooked without soaking.  It will, however, require a little longer time.

CREAM BARLEY SOUP.—­Wash a cup of pearl barley, drain and simmer slowly in two quarts of water for four or five hours, adding boiling water from time to time as needed.  When the barley is tender, strain off the liquor, of which there should be about three pints; add to it a portion of the cooked barley grains, salt, and a cup of whipped cream, and serve.  If preferred, the beaten yolk of an egg may be used instead of cream.

GREEN CORN SOUP.—­Take six well-filled ears of tender green corn.  Run a sharp knife down the rows and split each grain; then with the back of a knife, scraping from the large to the small end of the ear, press out the pulp, leaving the hulls on the cob.  Break the cobs if long, put them in cold water sufficient to cover, and boil half an hour.  Strain off the water, of which there should be at least one pint.  Put the corn water on again, and when boiling add the corn pulp, and cook fifteen minutes, or until the raw taste is destroyed.  Rub through a rather coarse colander, add salt and a pint of hot unskimmed milk; if too thin, thicken with a little cornstarch or flour, boil up, and serve.  If preferred, a teaspoonful of sugar may be added to the soup.  A small quantity of cooked macaroni, cut in rings, makes a very pretty and palatable addition to the soup.  The soup is also excellent flavored with celery.

GREEN PEA SOUP.—­Gently simmer two quarts of shelled peas in sufficient water to cook, leaving almost no juice when tender.  Rub through a colander, moistening if necessary with a little cold milk.  Add to the sifted peas an equal quantity of rich milk and a small onion cut in halves.  Boil all together five or ten minutes until the soup is delicately flavored, then remove the onion with a skimmer; add salt if desired, and serve.  If preferred, a half cup of thin cream may be added just before serving.  Celery may be used in place of the onion, or both may be omitted.