And so they did. You ought to have seen those muf- fins, or popovers, or whatever else you like to call them, when they came out of that oven. How they had risen and over-topped their boundaries, and how they bulged out over the sides, and flowed about in waves of brown crust I Mabel fairly danced with delight, clapping her hands and throwing her arms round Aunt Jane's neck in an ecstasy of gratitude. In the meantime, Ehoda quietly filled the rest of the tins and set them in the oven to be ready when the second installment was called for. The three cooks marched into the supper-room in triumph, and when the excellent appetites of the family showed their full appreciation of what was set before them, you have seldom seen a prouder set of girls than ours were after their first day's efforts at cooking. 16 BIX LITTLE OOOKB. SECOND DAY. What do you think was the first question Mrs. King heard the next morning, almost before she had opened her eyes? It was, " Oh, Aunt Jane, are we going to cook again to-day?" " Cook?" said Aunt Jane, sleepily, " cook what? Oh, yes, I remember. I can tell you better after I have had a cup of coffee, I never know anything before break- fast." She relented so far, however, as to tell Grace at the table, in order to set her mind at ease, that she thought it would be best to postpone the next lesson until another day, and devote her energies to the making of aprons. "One apiece will be enough," said she, "for you couldn't very well be in the kitchen on washing and iron- ing days ; so when the apron is soiled it can be made clean in the early part of the week, and you can use it again in the latter part. You may go in and ask Aunt Carroll and Mrs. Lane if they would like to have their AUNT JANE'S COOKING GLASS. 17 little girls join the cooking-club, and then we shall know how many aprons will be needed." There was not mnch doubt about the answer, but to make matters sure, all those invited came instantly rush- ing in, out of breath, to say that their mammas were very much obliged and when should they come and what should they bring with them and what kind of cloth would be needed for the aprons and how much? As all this was without a pause, of course the truthful historian is not allowed to introduce any punctuation, " Oh, I'll attend to all that," said Aunt Jane, as soon as she could get in a word, " The aprons shall be my present to the club. Ill go down town now and get the materials, and if you like, we'll have a sewing-bee after- wards, and you can help make them up. Many hands make light work, you know." Agreed to on all sides. Three pretty ginghams were chosen, two of each color, so that they could easily be distinguished; Mrs. King cut them out and ran them up on the sewing-machine, and the children finished them off under her direction. Good, serviceable aprons they were, high in the neck and coming down to the very bottom of the dress — loose and 18 SIX LITTLE OOOK8. easy, yet not clumsy. They had sleeves gathered into a wristband and buttoned at the wrist, so that in summer they could be worn without a dress, if desirable, while in winter they would cover a close sleeve. When the little circle were waiting for their work, Aunt Jane said:

AI-modernized reading of the original text

And so they did. You ought to have seen those muffins, or popovers, or whatever else you like to call them, when they came out of that oven. How they had risen and over-topped their boundaries, and how they bulged out over the sides, and flowed about in waves of brown crust I Mabel fairly danced with delight, clapping her hands and throwing her arms round Aunt Jane's neck in an ecstasy of gratitude. In the meantime, Ehoda quietly filled the rest of the tins and set them in the oven to be ready when the second installment was called for. The three cooks marched into the supper-room in triumph, and when the excellent appetites of the family showed their full appreciation of what was set before them, you have seldom seen a prouder set of girls than ours were after their first day's efforts at cooking. SECOND DAY. What do you think was the first question Mrs. King heard the next morning, almost before she had opened her eyes? It was, " Oh, Aunt Jane, are we going to cook again to-day?" " Cook?" said Aunt Jane, sleepily, " cook what? Oh, yes, I remember. I can tell you better after I have had a cup of coffee, I never know anything before breakfast." She relented so far, however, as to tell Grace at the table, in order to set her mind at ease, that she thought it would be best to postpone the next lesson until another day, and devote her energies to the making of aprons. "One apiece will be enough," said she, "for you couldn't very well be in the kitchen on washing and ironing days ; so when the apron is soiled it can be made clean in the early part of the week, and you can use it again in the latter part. You may go in and ask Aunt Carroll and Mrs. Lane if they would like to have their little girls join the cooking-club, and then we shall know how many aprons will be needed." There was not much doubt about the answer, but to make matters sure, all those invited came instantly rushing in, out of breath, to say that their mammas were very much obliged and when should they come and what should they bring with them and what kind of cloth would be needed for the aprons and how much? As all this was without a pause, of course the truthful historian is not allowed to introduce any punctuation, " Oh, I'll attend to all that," said Aunt Jane, as soon as she could get in a word, " The aprons shall be my present to the club. Ill go down town now and get the materials, and if you like, we'll have a sewing-bee afterwards, and you can help make them up. Many hands make light work, you know." Agreed to on all sides. Three pretty ginghams were chosen, two of each color, so that they could easily be distinguished; Mrs. King cut them out and ran them up on the sewing-machine, and the children finished them off under her direction. Good, serviceable aprons they were, high in the neck and coming down to the very bottom of the dress — loose and easy, yet not clumsy. They had sleeves gathered into a wristband and buttoned at the wrist, so that in summer they could be worn without a dress, if desirable, while in winter they would cover a close sleeve. When the little circle were waiting for their work, Aunt Jane said:

Six little cooks