ing aprons and washed their hands, then carried in the hot part of the lunch, all the rest having been previously placed on the table or the sideboard. " Some time when we have company at home, and Rhoda gets the lunch," said Aunt Jane, " I'll show you girls how to set a table as beautifully as your mother does, if I can. See how every- thing has been provided for — not a fork or spoon forgot- ten! That's one of the great secrets of making any meal go smoothly." The bell rang; Mrs. King took her seat among the guests, and the " three Hebes," as one of the ladies called them, waited on the table very gracefully and prettily, according to their previous instructions, which we will not stop to detail here, as Aunt Jane repeated them on another occasion. When the grown people had retired, the waiters took their places at the table, and though their excitement had prevented them from fueling hungry while the lunch was in preparation, when they did finally sit down to it, you would have thought thej had had nothing to eat for a week. T6 SIX LITTLE OOOK8. SIXTH DAY. " You said you would show us how to make pie-crust, Aunt Jane," said Grace one day. " Can't we learn to- day? " " Just as well as any other day," answered Mrs. King, who was always glad to give pleasure, and was delighted to find that the interest of the little people in cooking was still kept up. " But as that is something that re- quires not only judgment, but strength, it will not be best for the little ones to attempt it for another year or two yet. You three older ones may begin this morn- ing." What was the astonishment of the amateurs when Aunt Jane gravely directed them to take all their mate- rials into the cellar! "To have perfect paste," she said, "you must have a cool place to make it in. To-day the kitchen is very hot, and although your pies would taste just as good, the paste would not be so flaky nor look as handsome if it were made so near the fire. In winter it would do very well." AUNT JANE'S COOKING GLASS. 77 Fortunately, Mrs. Yernon's cellar was dry, airy and well- lighted, so that it was a very pleasant place to be in on a hot day. " There's only one thing more I should like to have," said Mrs. King, " and if I lived next door I would send in and get it; and that is, a marble slab to roll the paste on. I always keep one expressly for the purpose." " I know the very thing, Mrs. King," said Edith, " and there is one next door! When our hall-table slab was broken, Papa had it set out in the shed, and there it is now, just as large as life! May I go in and get it?" " It would be rather heavy for you, I think; but if you think your mother would not object to our using it, you and Grace may go and bring it, together." Off flew the girls, and in a few minutes came back in triumph, lugging between them an oblong piece of pol- ished marble, with a great corner broken off, to be sure, but large enough for their purpose. In the mean time, Mrs. King had told Rose to weigh out the materials for the following recipes. No. 64 — PUFF PASTE. One Ib. flour, three quarters of a Ib. butter, one quarter of a Ib. lard; salt, ice-water✪ Puff Paste. 78 BIX LITTLE COOKS. No. 65 — PLAIN PIE-CRUST. One Ib. flour, a quarter of a Ib. butter, a quarter of a Ib. lard; or, one cup butter, one cup lard, one quart flour✪ Plain Pie-Crust.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

ing aprons and washed their hands, then carried in the hot part of the lunch, all the rest having been previously placed on the table or the sideboard. " Some time when we have company at home, and Rhoda gets the lunch," said Aunt Jane, " I'll show you girls how to set a table as beautifully as your mother does, if I can. See how everything has been provided for — not a fork or spoon forgotten! That's one of the great secrets of making any meal go smoothly." The bell rang; Mrs. King took her seat among the guests, and the " three Hebes," as one of the ladies called them, waited on the table very gracefully and prettily, according to their previous instructions, which we will not stop to detail here, as Aunt Jane repeated them on another occasion. When the grown people had retired, the waiters took their places at the table, and though their excitement had prevented them from feeling hungry while the lunch was in preparation, when they did finally sit down to it, you would have thought thej had had nothing to eat for a week. SIXTH DAY. " You said you would show us how to make pie-crust, Aunt Jane," said Grace one day. " Can't we learn today? " " Just as well as any other day," answered Mrs. King, who was always glad to give pleasure, and was delighted to find that the interest of the little people in cooking was still kept up. " But as that is something that requires not only judgment, but strength, it will not be best for the little ones to attempt it for another year or two yet. You three older ones may begin this morning." What was the astonishment of the amateurs when Aunt Jane gravely directed them to take all their materials into the cellar! "To have perfect paste," she said, "you must have a cool place to make it in. To-day the kitchen is very hot, and although your pies would taste just as good, the paste would not be so flaky nor look as handsome if it were made so near the fire. In winter it would do very well." Fortunately, Mrs. Yernon's cellar was dry, airy and welllighted, so that it was a very pleasant place to be in on a hot day. " There's only one thing more I should like to have," said Mrs. King, " and if I lived next door I would send in and get it; and that is, a marble slab to roll the paste on. I always keep one expressly for the purpose." " I know the very thing, Mrs. King," said Edith, " and there is one next door! When our hall-table slab was broken, Papa had it set out in the shed, and there it is now, just as large as life! May I go in and get it?" " It would be rather heavy for you, I think; but if you think your mother would not object to our using it, you and Grace may go and bring it, together." Off flew the girls, and in a few minutes came back in triumph, lugging between them an oblong piece of polished marble, with a great corner broken off, to be sure, but large enough for their purpose. In the mean time, Mrs. King had told Rose to weigh out the materials for the following recipes. No. 64 — PUFF PASTE. One Ib. flour, three quarters of a Ib. butter, one quarter of a Ib. lard; salt, ice-water. No. 65 — PLAIN PIE-CRUST. One Ib. flour, a quarter of a Ib. butter, a quarter of a Ib. lard; or, one cup butter, one cup lard, one quart flour.

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Six little cooks