Six little cooks

At the appointed time our three little women, with Aunt Jane at their head, proceeded to the kitchen, in the newest of aprons, the cleanest of hands and the gayest of spirits. " I think it would be a good plan to make something to-day in the way of a dessert," said Mrs. King; " that will be nice to have cold for dinner to-morrow." " Oh, do let us make tipsy-cake," said Grace. " I love tipsy-cake! Don't you, Aunt Jane? ' " I generally save my love for my friends," replied her aunt, laughing, " but I like tipsy-cake very much. Yon may make the custard, Grace, and Rosy the cake; and as your mamma said she wanted some jelly to send to some poor sick women, Edith shall tiy her hand at that" "Which kind of sponge-cake shall I make?' asked Rose, " the mock or the other? " " Either is very good, but I think to-day we will make the simpler kind, as it is only to put in custard. That is a very good way, too, to use sponge or any other kind of light cake that has grown a little dry. Take one of those yellow dishes to stir the cake in; it is never as well to use tin for any such purpose. Edith, I had your gelatine put to soak before dinner, or it would not have been ready now. That is something one must always think of beforehand. Don't beat the whites and yolks separately for the custard, Grace; and set the tea-kettle into the stove, so that the water will be boiling when you need it. That is one thing which should always be ready for use in the kitchen. One must have plenty of hot water. n " What do I want hot water for, Aunt Jane? " " Oh, didn't I tell you? Any thing in which milk and flour or milk and eggs are to be boiled together, has to be very carefully treated to prevent its getting lumpy. We always set the vessel in which custard is to be made, into another containing boiling water; or, what is still better, have one that will fit into the top of the other, and so heat it by the steam." " How long shall I beat the eggs ? " asked Grace. " I think you have whipped them long enough — they don't require much beating for custard. Let me see how they look. If there is the least suspicion of an 'eye' in them they must be strained; but these seem all right. Now stir in the sugar and vanilla, and then pour slowly into the warm milk, and keep stirring until it is as thick as good rich cream. How I wish my garden were near enough for me to step in and get you a handful of fresh peach leaves! " "What would you do with them, Aunt Jane?" said Rose. " I would boil them in the milk first, or rather, not let it actually come to a boil, but just heat them together to bring out the taste of the peach leaves, and then let it cool before stirring in the eggs. I think there is no flavor more delicious." Then Mrs. King showed Edith how to make her jelly, first rolling the lemons on the table, so as to break up the hard inner walls and squeeze out the juice more easily. "You may leave out the cinnamon," she said; "as the jelly is for sick people, they might not relish the taste. When it is ready, you must dip the flannel bag you are going to strain it through into hot water and wring it out as dry as possible, so that the jelly may run through easily." " Shan't I squeeze the jelly-bag a little?" asked Edith,