<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2>
<div class='chaptertitle'>THE SICK NEIGHBOR</div>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i113a.jpg" width-obs="108" height-obs="276" alt=""Mary Ann Hooper is very ailing."" title="" /></div>
<div class='cap'>"MARY ANN HOOPER is very ailing," said
Aunt Maria at the lunch table. She had
invited the children over to lunch that
day. "She needs nourishment more than anything
else, I should say. That cook she has can't make a
decent thing. No wonder she's weak!"</div>
<p>"If only," thought Mary Frances, "if only I could
cook something for her! Wait until I look in my book.
I wonder if she could eat to-day's lesson."</p>
<p>She laughed aloud—that seemed so funny.</p>
<p>"Well," snapped Aunt Maria, "of all things; to
laugh at a poor sick neighbor in such a pre-dic-a-ment."</p>
<p>Mary Frances blushed, but she didn't say anything.</p>
<p>After lunch, she started home as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Once in the house, she ran to the kitchen for her
book.</p>
<p>"Of all things! As Aunt Maria would say," she cried,
"it comes next!"</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i113b.jpg" width-obs="215" height-obs="209" alt=""Of all things!"" title="" /></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class="center"><span class="smcap">No. 20.—Soft Custard.</span></div>
<div class="blockquot">
<div class='center'>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="ingredients">
<tr><td align='left'>1 cup milk</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>1 egg</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>2 tablespoons sugar</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>dash of salt</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>nutmeg</td></tr>
</table></div>
<p>1. Heat the milk smoking hot.</p>
<p>2. Beat egg. Add sugar and salt.</p>
<p>3. Pour the hot milk on, beating well.</p>
<p>4. Pour into upper part of double boiler, or set pan in boiling water.</p>
<p>5. Cook until it thickens, or until a coating will be formed on a
clean spoon when dipped into the custard.</p>
<p>6. Sprinkle with a few gratings of nutmeg.</p>
<p>7. Serve cold.</p>
</div>
<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i114a.jpg" width-obs="111" height-obs="225" alt="Soft Custard" title="" /></div>
<p>"How perfectly lovely!" exclaimed Mary Frances;
"I'll make soft custard for Mary Ann Hooper. But
that isn't very much. Oh, isn't this too good? I can
serve it on the next recipe. It's</p>
<div class="center"><span class="smcap">No. 21.—Steamed Rice.</span></div>
<div class="blockquot">
<div class='center'>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Ingredients">
<tr><td align='left'>½ cup rice</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>2 cups boiling water</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>½ teaspoon salt</td></tr>
</table></div>
<p>1. Wash rice. This may be easily done by putting in a strainer
and shaking in a pan of cold water.</p>
<p>2. Put with the salt and boiling water, into the upper part of a
double boiler.</p>
<p>3. Pour boiling water into lower part, and cook 1 hour.</p>
</div>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i114b.jpg" width-obs="221" height-obs="150" alt="Steamed rice" title="" /></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class="blockquot"><p>4. To test whether it is done, press several grains between the
fingers. If not perfectly soft, cook longer.</p>
<p>5. If it becomes hard and dry, add a little boiling water from time
to time.</p>
<p>6. A few raisins are sometimes cooked with the rice. Add these
during the last fifteen minutes of cooking to prevent discoloring.</p>
<p>7. Serve with soft custard or cream and sugar.
Plain cooked rice may be served as a vegetable.</p>
</div>
<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i115a.jpg" width-obs="108" height-obs="182" alt="Drain through a colander." title="" /></div>
<div class="center"><span class="smcap">No. 22.—Boiled Rice.</span></div>
<div class="blockquot">
<p>Use a plain boiler and a large quantity of salted boiling water.</p>
<div class='center'>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Ingredients">
<tr><td align='left'>½ cup rice</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>5 cups boiling water</td></tr>
<tr><td align='left'>½ teaspoon salt</td></tr>
</table></div>
<p>1. Wash rice by putting it in a strainer and shaking in a pan of
water.</p>
<p>2. Drop a few grains at a time into boiling water, stirring well to
prevent sticking.</p>
<p>3. Boil rapidly 25 minutes, or until soft when pressed between
the fingers.</p>
<p>4. Drain through a colander. Pour over it 2 cups boiling water.</p>
<p>5. Set in a warm place to dry off, until ready to serve.</p>
</div>
<p>"Yes," said Mary Frances, putting the rice on to
boil, "I'll make both. Oh, won't Mary Ann Hooper
be pleased!"</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i115b.jpg" width-obs="260" height-obs="212" alt="Use a plain boiler." title="" /></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"Who's that?" asked Aunty Rolling Pin. "A new
kind of cooking pan?"</p>
<p>"No, no, Aunty Rolling Pin," laughed Mary
Frances; "she's an old lady who is sick. Aunt Maria
told me about her at lunch. She's such a funny old
lady."</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i116a.jpg" width-obs="110" height-obs="272" alt=""A sign for them to read"" title="" /></div>
<p>"It isn't funny to be ill," said Aunty Rolling Pin.</p>
<p>"No," answered Mary Frances, seriously, "but I
meant she does such funny things: Last summer, she
told Elvin Phelps if he didn't keep his bees from stealing
honey out of her flowers, she'd shoot them—she (oh,
dear!)—wanted—him—to tie each one—by his hind
leg—to keep—them—home—oh, dear," laughed Mary
Frances.</p>
<p>"What did he do?" asked Aunty Rolling Pin,
anxiously.</p>
<p>"He told her (excuse my laughing—but it's so
funny!) he would rather—put a 'No Trespassing' sign
up in her garden for them to read! Ho-ho! Tee-hee."
Mary Frances shook with laughter.</p>
<p>Silence in the kitchen until Mary Frances felt a
tug at her tug at her dress.</p>
<p>Looking down, she spied Toaster Man.</p>
<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i116b.jpg" width-obs="324" height-obs="217" alt="She spied Toaster Man." title="" /></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"Yes, you may speak," she smiled.</p>
<p>"Thank you,—I don't like to suggest, but a
Dropped Egg on Toast would——"</p>
<p>"Be grand!" finished Mary Frances. "I'm sure
I saw that recipe; yes, this is it!"</p>
<div class="center"><span class="smcap">No. 23.—Poached Eggs.</span></div>
<div class="blockquot">
<p>1. Put a pint (2 cups) boiling water into a shallow pan. Add ½
teaspoon salt.</p>
<p>2. Break egg in a saucer.</p>
<p>3. Whirl the water 'round and 'round with a spoon, and draw
pan back on stove where it will simmer, but not boil hard.</p>
<p>4. Slip the egg into the whirling water.</p>
<p>5. Cook until the white is coated over the top.</p>
<p>6. Serve on toast.</p>
</div>
<div class="blockquot"><p><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class="smcap">Note.</span>—It is best to cook only one egg at a time.</span></p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i117a.jpg" width-obs="107" height-obs="214" alt=""Ready!"" title="" /></div>
<p>"Ready!" hummed Tea Kettle.</p>
<p>"Ready!" exclaimed Sauce Pan, and Mary Frances
poured the hot water.</p>
<p>"Ready!" cried Toaster Man, and Mary Frances
made the toast.</p>
<p>"Oh!" cried the little girl suddenly, her fingers
crushing through the eggshell, "what a shame!"</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i117b.jpg" width-obs="303" height-obs="209" alt=""Ready!" "Ready!"" title="" /></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"A sharp rap with a knife and a quick pull with
the thumbs," somebody said.</p>
<p>"Thank you," smiled Mary Frances, too busy to
discover who was her helper.</p>
<p>Very soon she had lifted the poached egg with
Per-for-at-ed Skimmer on the piece of toast.</p>
<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i118a.jpg" width-obs="109" height-obs="414" alt="Teapot on cloth" title="" /></div>
<p>When she had arranged the tray, she brought it
out for the Kitchen People to see.</p>
<p>She had used her mother's daintiest china plates,
and had scattered violets here and there over the cloth.</p>
<p>"Beau-ti-ful!" they exclaimed in one voice, as
though that was all that could be said; but this is what
Mary Frances heard as she closed the door:</p>
<p>"Wish I could eat," sighed Toaster Man.</p>
<p>"I know Jube'll want some of that," he added
after a moment. "That cat can eat any time of
day! I envy her appetite."</p>
<p>"Humph!" exclaimed Sauce Pan, "Jube won't get
any of that. This time Jube'll get</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i118b.jpg" width-obs="521" height-obs="299" alt="A GREAT BIG ROUND PIECE O' NOTHING!" title="" /></div>
<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</SPAN></span></p>
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