88 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



It contained rye rusks, brought from Holland, and 

 however much the barrels of American rice and Scotch 

 oatmeal might look down upon those hard brown 

 squares, the children of the house had unanimously 

 voted them to be infinitely superior to pudding and 

 porridge. The shelves over the casks were filled with 

 jarSj bottles, baskets, and tins. Some of these were 

 labelled, but the greater number were so characteristic, 

 and had been in their places so many years, that even 

 the children who were too young to spell, knew by the 

 shape or other distinctive marks what each contained. 



On a dresser which filled up the space in front of the 

 window stood scales, tins, knife and spoon, for weighing, 

 measuring, and portioning out various " raw material." 



Before Wildie had done more than sigh as she 

 surveyed her new domain, a maid appeared from the 

 adjacent kitchen bearing empty scolls (a scoll, you must 

 know, is a Norwegian wooden bowl), and then began 

 Miss Wildie's rei^n of terror. 



CHAPTER III. 



The young housekeeper filled Gonga's scolls, and 

 followed her to the kitchen to share in the work of 

 converting raw material into eatable viands. 



The kitchen had no grate, only a wide chimney, 

 with peat-fire on the hearth. A bar of iron, passing 

 from one side to the other, supported a huge kettle 

 containing hot water, and a large pot in which the 

 porridge was soon simmering. 



