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Mary Frances Cook Book

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<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> <div class='chaptertitle'>JACKET-BOILED POTATOES</div> <div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i036a.jpg" width-obs="106" height-obs="534" alt=""Good-bye!"" title="" /></div> <div class='cap'>"GOOD-BYE, Billy! 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.</div> <p>"I'm off to the mill-race, with the boys, Sister,—catch!" cried Billy, tossing Mary Frances the key.</p> <p>"All right," she called, "be sure to come home to lunch—twelve o'clock."</p> <p>Mary Frances suddenly felt very lonesome.</p> <p>"But I'll go home to my Kitchen Folks—they'll be good company," she thought.</p> <p>When she let herself into the house, how big and empty it seemed! She was almost afraid to go in, but she bravely locked the door behind her.</p> <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i036b.jpg" width-obs="316" height-obs="194" alt=""Good-bye!" "Good-bye!"" title="" /></div> <p>She thought she heard a noise. Surely the curtain moved! Her heart went pit-a-pat! The curtain moved again. Out sprang Jubey, and scampered off into the kitchen.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</SPAN></span></p> <p>"Oh, you darling kitten!" she cried, running after her. "How you scared me, Jubey!"</p> <div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i037a.jpg" width-obs="135" height-obs="652" alt=""How you scared me, Jubey!"" title="" /></div> <p>Everything was as neat as a pin. All the Kitchen Folks were in their places, prim, and quiet, and scared, just as Aunt Maria had left them, but when they saw her they brightened up, and smiled a welcome.</p> <p>"How do you do, Kitchen Folks?" she said.</p> <p>"How do, little Miss?" merrily sang Tea Kettle.</p> <p>"H-o-w d-o?" ticked Mantel Clock.</p> <p>"What in the world shall I have for lunch?" mused the little girl. "That boy will be as hungry as two bears,—and I don't know many things to cook yet. Toast is all right for a sick person, but it isn't much for a hungry boy,—and I ought to make something new. Let me see what my little book says," and she fetched it out of its hiding place.</p> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i037b.jpg" width-obs="366" height-obs="222" alt="As hungry as two bears." title="" /></div> <p>"Oh, I know! I'll make everything! I do hope I get through the book before Mother comes back! Let's see,—here's 'How to Cook Potatoes,' and 'Eggs'; here are 'Biscuits,' and even how to make 'Tarts' and 'Cakes,'—and Goody! Candy! Oh, how I'd love to make candy right away, but Mother said I must make<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</SPAN></span> the things in the order they come in the book. So to-day I make</p> <div class='center'><span class="smcap">No. 4.—Jacket-boiled Potatoes.</span></div> <div class="blockquot"> <p>1. Scrub rather small potatoes well.</p> <p>2. Pare a ring around each the long way; drop into cold water.</p> <p>3. Drain; cover with boiling water; add 1 tablespoon salt.</p> <p>4. Let boil about 35 minutes, or until a fork will easily pierce the largest.</p> <p>5. Drain off all the water, and set pan at back of stove to dry off the potatoes.</p> <p>6. Serve in their jackets.</p> </div> <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i038a.jpg" width-obs="107" height-obs="289" alt="Jacket boiled potatoes" title="" /></div> <p>"I wonder how many Billy will eat," she thought, as she brought the basket. "I guess about—about—I don't know. He has an e-nor-mous appetite. I guess I'll cook a hundred."</p> <p>"He'll never eat a hundred!"</p> <div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i038b.jpg" width-obs="305" height-obs="199" alt=""He'll never eat a hundred."" title="" /></div> <p>Mary Frances looked around. Boiler Pan was climbing down from the closet shelf.</p> <p>"Hello! How do you know?" asked Mary Frances. "You never saw him eat."</p> <p>"Hear that! Hear that!" cried Boiler Pan. "As though I hadn't cooked potatoes before you were born.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</SPAN></span> Eat a hundred? Why, I can't hold a hundred—so there!"</p> <p>"Ho, ho!" said Mary Frances, "that must be so. How many can you hold?"</p> <p>"Oh, about thirty, I guess," swelling with pride.</p> <p>"Well," said Mary Frances, "you've no notion how many that boy can eat, and there isn't much else for lunch. I guess I'll cook about twelve,"—and counting them out, she began to wash them.</p> <p>"Be sure to get all the sand out of their eyes," laughed Boiler Pan. "But first, will you help me jump up on the stove, and fill me?—then I can boil while you're 'ringing' the potatoes."</p> <p>This done, he was very quiet, while she finished the potatoes.</p> <p>Just then the clock struck eleven.</p> <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i039a.jpg" width-obs="122" height-obs="275" alt="The clock struck eleven." title="" /></div> <p>"Why, I must hurry," exclaimed Mary Frances.</p> <p>"I'm ready," bubbled Boiler Pan.</p> <p>"Oh, yes, I'm coming," and she dropped the potatoes in one by one.</p> <p>"Now, put on my hat," said Boiler Pan, and Mary Frances put on the lid.</p> <p>"Are they all right?" asked the little girl.</p> <div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i039b.jpg" width-obs="251" height-obs="202" alt="Swelling with pride." title="" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</SPAN></span></p> <p>"All right!" he answered in a muffled voice.</p> <p>Mary Frances then went in the dining-room, and busied herself about setting the table.</p> <p>Soon, she heard a "rumpus" in the kitchen. She ran out. Bubbles were sputtering over the sides of Boiler Pan, and the lid was dancing a jig.</p> <p>"What shall I do? What shall I do?" cried Mary Frances, jumping up and down.</p> <p>"This hat's crazy! Take it off, quick!" Boiler Pan besought her.</p> <p>Without thinking, she seized the lid with her fingers, but dropped it with a cry of pain.</p> <p>"I'm scalded, I'm scalded," she sobbed. "What will I do for it?" and she ran for some cold water.</p> <p>"Don't do that, child," said Aunty Rolling Pin. "Butter it and then powder it with baking soda the way your mother does."</p> <div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i040a.jpg" width-obs="93" height-obs="393" alt=""Don't do that child."" title="" /></div> <p>"I'm so sorry," said Boiler Pan, "but I really couldn't get my old hat off. I should have told you to take a holder."</p> <p>"Never mind, it's better now. Those potatoes must be done. Yes," as she tried them with a fork, "even<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</SPAN></span> the biggest is done in the middle. I'm so glad, for I expect that boy any minute."</p> <p>"So'm I," said Boiler Pan, "for I feel the effect of this stren-u-os-i-ty."</p> <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i040b.jpg" width-obs="303" height-obs="222" alt=""This hat's crazy!"" title="" /></div> <p>Mary Frances pretended not to notice this speech, but carefully drained the water from the potatoes, and shook Boiler Pan over the fire to dry them off.</p> <p>"I—I—learned—that—that—wor—word—after year—years—of—stud—study," he said between the shakes, "and you—nev—never—notic—noticed——"</p> <p>But Billy was knocking.</p> <p>So Mary Frances, hastily putting Boiler Pan on the back of the stove, ran to let him in.</p> <p>"Hello, Sister! Here we are! Lunch ready?"</p> <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i041a.jpg" width-obs="109" height-obs="220" alt=""Hello, Sister."" title="" /></div> <p>"Yes, all ready. I'll put it on. You sit in Father's place, and we'll play we're grown up."</p> <p>"Scrumptious!" exclaimed Billy, as Mary Frances set the smoking dish of potatoes on the table.</p> <p>"What an excellent cook you must have, Madam," he said, after his first taste. "Such good potatoes!"</p> <p>"I have ten," said Mary Frances.</p> <div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i041b.jpg" width-obs="287" height-obs="201" alt=""Let's give it to Jubey."" title="" /></div> <p>"Ten! You are fortunate, indeed, Madam," said<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</SPAN></span> Billy, for all the world as though he were a grown-up young gentleman. "How quiet they keep."</p> <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i042a.jpg" width-obs="114" height-obs="268" alt="cat" title="" /></div> <p>"Yes," laughed Mary Frances, "but they're 'most always busy," and she held up her ten pink little fingers.</p> <p>"Oh, Billy," she added earnestly, "I'm so glad you like them—the potatoes, I mean. There is only one left—won't you have that?"</p> <p>"Oh, let's give that to Jubey—Jubey might be hurt if you didn't let her try them. I would,—if I were Jubey."</p> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i042b.jpg" width-obs="545" height-obs="487" alt=""I have ten," said Mary Frances." title="" /></div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</SPAN></span></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />

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