Aunt Sarah’s sweet, lovable face was the first beheld by many a little, new-born infant; her voice, the first to hush its wailing cries as she cuddled it up to her motherly breast, and oft, with loving hands, softly closed the lids over eyes no longer able to see; whom the Gracious Master had taken into His keeping.

One day I overheard Aunt Sarah quote to a sorrowing friend these fine, true lines from Longfellow’s “Resignation”:  “Let us be patient, these severe afflictions not from the ground arise, but celestial benedictions assume the dark disguise.”

[Illustration:  The old spring house]

CHAPTER II.

Mary’s arrival at the farm.

The day preceding that of Mary’s arrival at the farm was a busy one for Aunt Sarah, who, since early morning, had been preparing the dishes she knew Mary enjoyed.  Pans of the whitest, flakiest rolls, a large loaf of sweetest nut-brown, freshly-baked “graham bread,” of which Mary was especially fond; an array of crumb-cakes and pies of every description covered the well-scrubbed table in the summer kitchen, situated a short distance from the house.  A large, yellow earthenware bowl on the table contained a roll of rich, creamy “smier kase” just as it had been turned from the muslin bag, from which the “whey” had dripped over night; ready to be mixed with cream for the supper table.  Pats of sweet, freshly-churned butter, buried in clover blossoms, were cooling in the old spring-house near by.

The farm house was guiltless of dust from cellar to attic.  Aunt Sarah was a model housekeeper; she accomplished wonders, yet never appeared tired or flurried as less systematic housekeepers often do, who, with greater expenditure of energy, often accomplish less work.  She took no unnecessary steps; made each one count, yet never appeared in haste to finish her work.

Said Aunt Sarah, “The lack of system in housework is what makes it drudgery.  If young housekeepers would sit down and plan their work, then do it, they would save time and labor.  When using the fire in the range for ironing or other purposes, use the oven for preparing dishes of food which require long, slow cooking, like baked beans, for instance.  Bake a cake or a pudding, or a pan of quickly-made corn pone to serve with baked beans, for a hearty meal on a cold winter day.  A dish of rice pudding placed in the oven requires very little attention, and when baked may be placed on ice until served.  If this rule be followed, the young housewife will be surprised to find how much easier will be the task of preparing a meal later in the day, especially in hot weather.”

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