1-1/2 small cups of vinegar.
1-3/4 pints of sugar.
2 teaspoonfuls of powdered cinnamon.
1 teaspoonful of powdered cloves.

Boil till thick; about an hour and a half.

In making spiced grapes, prepare them exactly as for jam, and use
pulp and skins.

Their mother did not know they were making this new kind of preserve,
and she was delighted when she was shown all the little glasses of it.

"All spiced fruits are especially nice with meat," she said, "and with
this rule you can spice almost any kind of fruit; pears, or peaches, or
apples, or plums--"

"Or strawberries, or pineapple, or raspberries," said Brownie.

"Oh, no! I ought to have said any kind of _autumn_ fruit--that is a good
way to remember which ones to use. And, Mildred, Norah divided this rule
for you, to make it easier, but when I put up spiced fruit, I take twice
as much of everything."

"What a pity I'm so stupid about arithmetic!" sighed Mildred. "Think of
having to take twice one and three quarter pints of sugar, and twice one
and a half cups of vinegar! I'll never get them right."

"Mildred, you remind me of a story some one told me the other day, about
a girl who had just come home from college; it's a true story too, and
the girl lives right in this town. She thought she would like to learn
to cook, so she found a rule for cake in the cook-book and read it to
herself; it began something like this: Three cups of flour, two cups of
sugar, three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and so on. Presently her
mother went into the kitchen and found on the table three cups, all
filled with flour, two more cups filled with sugar, one cup of milk,
another cup of raisins, three teaspoons in a row, all filled with
baking-powder, and so on. Think of that!"

"I s'pose they didn't teach multiplying in that college," said Brownie,
sympathetically.

Mildred and her mother laughed. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to learn
to do fractions in my head!" said Mildred.

"There isn't any other way, if you are going to be a good cook," her
mother replied. "You can't guess at things, or you will spoil them; you
have to measure exactly. Now that you have finished these grapes, I'll
give you some more receipts, if you want them."

The girls hastened to bring out their pretty red-covered books. "Just
see, Mother Blair," said Mildred, turning over the leaves, "how many
pages are filled up--with _such_ good things, too!" And she gave a sigh
o