"Oh," said Mary Frances, "it's a secret! I'm so
glad you told me — I came so near telling Mother about
Toaster Man — I might have, only "
Then the door-bell rang.
CHAPTER V
AUNT MARIA
6i
F
OR the land's sakes!" cried Aunt Maria.
"For the land's sakes! Where in the world
has that child been? Look at those hands!
Have you been playing in the coal?"
"I put coal on the fire/' said Mary Frances.
"I guess I'll take a look at that fire, myself," Aunt
Maria continued, as she started toward the kitchen.
Just then, she caught sight of the tray which Mary
Frances had brought downstairs.
"Milk Toast," she sniffed. "Who sent that in?"
"I — I made it," Mary Frances began.
There was one tiny piece left. Aunt Maria looked
at it hard.
"It's wonderful," she said, "wonderful; who showed
you how?"
"Who showed you how?" she demanded, as Mary
Frances stood silent.
" N-no-body, — at least, no real person. I read about
how to make it in my cook book."
[3o;
''^-no-tody.'
Aunt Maria
31
" Your cook book — you mean your mother^ s cook
book."
^^No," said Mary Frances, "I mean my cook book
Mother's been making for me. I'll show it to you/'
and she ran to get it. ''See! — in Mother's writing —
'Mary Frances' First Cook Book!'"
"Well," said Aunt Maria, "you may turn out of
some account, after all. It's about time to call for a
ref-or-ma-tion."
"Yes, ma'am," said Mary Frances, not un-der-
stand-ing the big word — "do you want me to call for
it now?"
"Don't be saucy!" snapped the old lady.
Then she set about washing the little girl's hands
and face, rubbing so hard that it made the tears come,
finishing off with the towel until Mary Frances felt
her face shine.
"Wonder if she thinks I'm a stove," she
thought. "Maybe she'll black me some day by
mistake! I don't believe she knows how old I
am — she treats me like a baby, for all the world
sometimes, yet she thinks I ought to know more.
Queer!"
'Wonder if she thinks ^rm a stove!
1
V
s^
^
? i
32
The Mart Frances Cook Book
While Aunt Maria was busy getting dinner, she
ran up to her mother's room.
'^Mother/' she asked, ''Aunt Maria will be gone
home most of the day time, while you're away, won't
she?"
"Yes, dear," said Mother; ''you and Brother are
to go to her house to lunch."
"Mother, dear," begged Mary Frances, "can't I
get lunch for Brother and me? I was going to tell you
I read — I found the recipe for the Milk Toast in my
little cook book you've been making for me. I came
up and found it while you were asleep — I just know I
can get our lunches. Please, Mother, can't I try?"
"Well, dear," said Mother, smiHng, "I really beheve
you may. I've just been thinking about the toast,
and what a woman my dear little girl is."
Just then Aunt Maria called:
"Dinner!'
ashi na the little airls hands
and face.
CHAPTER VI
JACKET-BOILED POTATOES
66
G
OOD-BYE, BiUy! Take good care of Sister.
Good-bye, little Housekeeper!" said Mother,
leaning from the car window. The children
waved "good-bye," and watched the train until it was
a speck in the distance.
"I'm off to the mill-race, with the boys. Sister, —
catch!" cried Billy, tossing Mary Frances the key.
"All right," she called, "be sure to come home to
lunch — twelve o'clock."
Mar^ Frances suddenly felt very lonesome. ✪ Jacket-boiled Potatoes
Page 6 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1912. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
"Oh," said Mary Frances, "it's a secret! I'm so glad you told me — I came so near telling Mother about Toaster Man — I might have, only "
Then the door-bell rang.
CHAPTER V
AUNT MARIA
F
OR the land's sakes!" cried Aunt Maria. "For the land's sakes! Where in the world has that child been? Look at those hands! Have you been playing in the coal?"
"I put coal on the fire/' said Mary Frances.
"I guess I'll take a look at that fire, myself," Aunt Maria continued, as she started toward the kitchen.
Just then, she caught sight of the tray which Mary Frances had brought downstairs.
"Milk Toast," she sniffed. "Who sent that in?"
"I — I made it," Mary Frances began.
There was one tiny piece left. Aunt Maria looked at it hard.
"It's wonderful," she said, "wonderful; who showed you how?"
"Who showed you how?" she demanded, as Mary Frances stood silent.
" N-no-body, — at least, no real person. I read about how to make it in my cook book."
[3o;
"N-no-body."
Aunt Maria
" Your cook book — you mean your Mother's cook book."
^^No," said Mary Frances, "I mean my cook book Mother's been making for me. I'll show it to you/' and she ran to get it. ''See! — in Mother's writing — 'Mary Frances' First Cook Book!'"
"Well," said Aunt Maria, "you may turn out of some account, after all. It's about time to call for a reformation."
"Yes, ma'am," said Mary Frances, not understanding the big word — "do you want me to call for it now?"
"Don't be saucy!" snapped the old lady.
Then she set about washing the little girl's hands and face, rubbing so hard that it made the tears come, finishing off with the towel until Mary Frances felt her face shine.
"Wonder if she thinks I'm a stove," she thought. "Maybe she'll black me some day by mistake! I don't believe she knows how old I am — she treats me like a baby, for all the world sometimes, yet she thinks I ought to know more. Queer!"
"Wonder if she thinks I'm a stove!"
s^
^
? i
The Mart Frances Cook Book
While Aunt Maria was busy getting dinner, she ran up to her mother's room.
'^Mother/' she asked, ''Aunt Maria will be gone home most of the day time, while you're away, won't she?"
"Yes, dear," said Mother; ''you and Brother are to go to her house to lunch."
"Mother, dear," begged Mary Frances, "can't I get lunch for Brother and me? I was going to tell you I read — I found the recipe for the Milk Toast in my little cook book you've been making for me. I came up and found it while you were asleep — I just know I can get our lunches. Please, Mother, can't I try?"
"Well, dear," said Mother, smiling, "I really beheve you may. I've just been thinking about the toast, and what a woman my dear little girl is."
Just then Aunt Maria called:
"Dinner!'
[illustration: washing the little girl's hands and face.]
CHAPTER VI
JACKET-BOILED POTATOES
G
OOD-BYE, BiUy! Take good care of Sister. Good-bye, little Housekeeper!" said Mother, leaning from the car window. The children waved "good-bye," and watched the train until it was a speck in the distance.
"I'm off to the mill-race, with the boys. Sister, — catch!" cried Billy, tossing Mary Frances the key.
"All right," she called, "be sure to come home to lunch — twelve o'clock."
Mar^ Frances suddenly felt very lonesome.
Records on this page
Jacket-boiled Potatoes