] !> 14. 
1- Ul 
Aunt Abby’s Outdoor School Room. 
A I'NT ABBY had been taking a regu¬ 
lar course in the city school rooms, 
accompanied by the children’s mother, 
who had taken much pains to poiuc out 
all the new and wonderful methods of 
teaching and training the different grades 
and who emphasized the improvements at 
every turn, until in duty bound she had 
to turn homeward. The first school vis¬ 
ited was the high school, where Niece 
Isabel was in the graduating class. The 
course consisted of a wonderful medley of 
Batin and Greek, political economy, Eng¬ 
lish literature, etc., but the prevailing 
at all times, appeared to be graduating 
topic of conversation among the students 
dresses, graduating gifts, class pins and 
photographs, until Aunt Abby wondered 
where the real study came in. 
The next school was Tom’s; he attend¬ 
ed the grammar grade. Here the com¬ 
mon studies had more show, but accord¬ 
ing to Tom’s own version the gymnasium 
and football were the principal and most 
attractive features. Tom’s light did not 
shine particularly bright in the class 
room, but he was quite a hero at sports. 
Tom’s father consoled himself by saying 
that the boy was building up a good, 
strong body anyway, and he might get a 
job as a coal-heaver if his mind failed al¬ 
together. 
Marjorie, who attended the public 
school, a tall, delicate gill quite the re¬ 
verse of Tom, was being pushed and 
crowded along so fast that she broke 
down at the end of every school year, 
while Doris and Stanley, the two young¬ 
est, were just ready to leave the kin¬ 
dergarten. Their mother told wonderful 
tales of their progress, and when Aunt 
Abby proposed that the three youngest 
children should go home with her, she at 
first refused, for fear they would fall be¬ 
hind their class, etc. But their father 
set up his authority. He agreed with 
Aunt Abby that Marjorie was in need 
of a long holiday. It would be the best 
thing for her to be turned wild out of 
doors for a whole season, if not a year, 
and the two younger children could learn 
all about the country; their Aunt Abby 
could teach them common sense anyway, 
‘•class or no class.” So one bright day in 
May he slipped a well-filled purse into 
Aunt Abby’s hand, kissed the children 
good-bye, and hurried them off to the 
train, saying, ‘‘I’ll give these babies a 
chance to grow anyway, if they never 
graduate.” 
Ilow happy they all were! Even tired, 
listless Marjorie woke up and laughed 
and talked as she had not for many a 
day, while Doris and Stanley were fairly 
rapturous. Of course, the reaction came 
to Marjorie the next day ; but she seem¬ 
ed quite content to be out in the ham¬ 
mock among the green trees, as Stanley 
said like a sick bird in its nest, but 
Aunt Abby knew the nest would not hold 
her long. As soon as her wings were 
strong she would want to fly. 
The two younger children were allowed 
to run wild for a week ; then Aunt Abby 
proposed that they open a country school. 
Marjorie might come or not, as she chose. 
The children did not favor the plan at 
first, but it proved so delightful that 
there was no question about Marjorie’s 
joining. The first lesson was learned out 
in the old apple orchard under the beau¬ 
tiful canopy of fragrant, blooming trees. 
They first read and then recited the beau¬ 
tiful poem entitled. “Planting the Apple 
Tree,” by William Cullen Bryant. Then 
Auut Abby told them something of the 
history of the apple trees, gleaned from 
her scrap-book. “The first fruit trees 
were brought from England about 
These were all planted on Governor's 
Island, in Boston Harbor, where there 
were a few pippins. The Mayflower is 
supposed to have found room in her cargo 
for nursery plants as well as tables and 
chests. There is a tradition that when 
John Winthrop began the settlement of 
Pequot (New London), in 1646, he dis¬ 
tributed a large number of fruit trees to 
the young planters, while Governor Endi- 
cott’s orchard at Salem, Mass., is men¬ 
tioned as early as H54-B By 1(550 Mr. 
Henry Wolcott’s apple orchard, in Wind¬ 
sor. Conn., one of the first and largest in 
the Connecticut Valley, was in bearing, 
and for 20 years after, he supplied young 
trees to his neighbors, and made “syder” 
by the hogshead, which he sold to neigh¬ 
boring towns and colonies for 10 shil¬ 
Tt-IEO RURAL NEW-YORKER 
lings a boghead. Five hundred hogsheads 
were made in one year. Pippin and 
Pearmain apples seemed to be the favor¬ 
ite varieties. 
“William Blackstone, the first perma¬ 
nent white settler in Rhode Island, who 
built his cabin in the Blackstone Valley 
in what is now the town of Lincoln, set 
up his library there, and called the place 
Study Hill. The name ciung to it until 
1885, when the hill was removed to make 
way for a cotton mill. On this hill Black¬ 
stone planted an orchard, and the trees 
bore the first sweet apples that ever were 
in the new world. According to history, 
Blackstone, riding on a bull, went to 
Providence occasionally to preach, and 
often carried a sack of these sweet apples 
to distribute to the members of his con¬ 
gregation. There is no doubt that these 
sweet apples were produced on other 
stock by grafting, and that the apples 
increased and spread throughout the 
State of Rhode Island, and into adjoin¬ 
ing States.” 
Of course this history led naturally to 
a host of questions from the children 
about the early history of the colonies 
and the first settlers, while Stanley clam¬ 
ored for Indian stories until Auut Abby 
had to start both him and Doris on a 
journey around the orchard to count the 
number of trees in a row, the number of 
rows, etc., and they had an exercise in 
arithmetic, both mental and physical, 
which lasted until the tea-bell rang. 
They all agreed that Aunt Abby’s school 
room was the most delightful one they 
had ever entered. They had never 
learned so much about everything at one 
session, and "I can remember it all with¬ 
out trying,” exclaimed Stanley. “The 
best of it is we have not exhausted the 
old orchard yet,” replied Marjorie. “And 
that is only a tiny bit of even our own 
little world,” echoed Aunt Abby. 
ALICE E. PINNEY. 
Starch Beads and Damp. 
N page 1088 A. G. W. has stated 
her trouble ^vith starch beads and 
the editor asks for others’ experience. I 
made some beads according to rules that 
you had published and they appeared 
hard, pretty and quite a success, until 
worn during our damp weather of the 
Massachusetts coast, and then, alas, they 
were anything but successful. I know 
of nothing to harden them against the 
damp weather. They may be satisfactory 
inland where the air is more dry, but 
sealing wax or glass will have to be used 
by people who live near the coast, unless 
I am mistaken. I should be interested 
to see what is said on the subject. 
n. R. re. 
I make starch beads for sale, and have 
never had trouble with thei • softening. I 
have even washed them without trouble. 
Take one tablespoon of starch, 1*4 table¬ 
spoons of salt, four tablespoons of water. 
Boil hard till stiff. Then take one table¬ 
spoon of the mixture and roll out in a 
little salt. Cut even strips with a knife 
or large needle and form into beads and 
string. In about one day they will be 
ready to string if made right. I have 
made them for a long while and sell them, 
getting .”>() cents for 75 blue. 30 cents for 
75 black and 35 cents for 75 pink ones. 
I don’t furnish the small beads to go in 
between. E. J. 
Pork Spice Cake.—One cup cracklings, 
ground; one cup molasses; one cup brown 
sugar; one cup fruit; one-half cup citron; 
all kinds of spice, ground; one teaspoon 
soda; one cup boiling water; flavor to 
taste. MRS. A. n. n. 
Potato Pie.—One cup potatoes mashed 
fine, cue cup sweet milk, one-half cup 
sugar, two eggs well beaten, butter the 
size of a walnut. Flavor with nutmeg. 
Put all through a colander and put in 
a pie tin which has been lined with a 
good pie paste and bake. This makes 
one pie. mrs. ellen kyle. 
Carrot Pudding.—Two cups flour; one 
cup raisins; one enp grated carrots; two 
eggs; one cup chopped suet; one cup 
milk; one teaspoon salt; two teaspoons 
baking powder; cup sugar; vanilla; boil 
or steam. Carrots used in the same way 
as pumpkins foe pies are fine. a. n. H. 
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| 
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