or apples. In fact, any tart
fruit may be used, and steam, closely covered, or place large
tablespoonful of any fruit, either canned or stewed, in small custard
cups, place tablespoonfuls of batter on top and steam or bake, and
serve with either some of the stewed fruit and fruit juice, sugar and
cream, or any sauce preferred."

"The varieties of puddings which may be evolved from this one
formula," continued the Professor's wife, "are endless, and, Mary, I
should advise you to make a note of it. This quantity of flour will
make enough to serve two at a meal, and the proportions may be easily
doubled if you wish to serve a large family."

"Then, Mary, I have a recipe taken from the 'Farmers' Bulletin' for
dumplings, which I think fine. You must try it some time. Your Aunt
Sarah thinks them 'dreadfully extravagant.' They call for four
teaspoonfuls of baking powder to two cups of flour, but they are
perfect puff balls, and this is such a fast age, why not use more
baking powder if an advantage? I am always ready to try anything new I
hear about."

"Yes," replied Mary, "I just love to try new recipes, I will
experiment with the dumplings one of these days. Aunt Sarah says I
will never use half the recipes I have; but so many of them have been
given me by excellent and reliable old Bucks County cooks, I intend to
copy them all in a book, and keep for reference after I leave the
farm."

CHAPTER XX.

OLD POTTERIES AND DECORATED DISHES.

One day, looking through the old corner cupboard, Mary exclaimed,
"Aunt Sarah, you certainly possess the finest collection of quaint old
china dishes I have ever seen. I just love those small saucers and
cups without handles; yes, and you have plates to match decorated with
pinkish, lavender peacock feathers, and those dear little cups and
saucers, decorated inside with pink and outside with green flowers,
are certainly odd; and this queerly-shaped cream jug, sugar bowl and
teapot, with pale green figures, and those homely plates, with dabs of
bright red and green, they surely must be very old!"

[Illustration: Old Earthenware Dish]

"Yes, dear, they all belonged to either John's mother or mine. All
except this one large, blue plate, which is greatly valued by me, as
it was given me many years ago by a dear old friend, Mary Butler, a
descendant of one of the oldest families in Wyoming Valley, whose,
forefathers date back to the time of the 'Wyoming Massacre,' about
which s