and
still suffered in consequence.

One day, Mrs. Renwick, a lady who lived next door, sent a message to
Mrs. Evering, requesting that she would lend her a pot of red currant
jelly, as she was quite out of that article, of which she shortly
intended making a supply; and as Mr. Renwick had invited some company to
dinner, some jelly would be wanted to eat with the canvass-back ducks.

Mrs. Evering lent her a pot, and as soon as currants were in the market,
Mrs. Renwick sent her in return some jelly of her own making. It was not
nice, and Mrs. Evering observed to her sister, Mrs. Norwood, who
happened to be present: "I do not think Mrs. Renwick has been very
successful with her jelly. It is so thin it is almost liquid, and so
dark that it looks as if made of black currants. I suspect she has
boiled it too long, and has not put in sugar enough."

Next day as they were coming from school together, Mrs. Renwick's little
daughter, Marianne, said to Rosamond, "My mother made some currant jelly
on Tuesday, and yesterday when it was cold, she gave me a whole
saucer-full to eat with my slice of bread, at twelve o'clock."

"She might well give you a whole saucer-full," replied Rosamond, "for I
do not think it was worth saving for any better purpose. She sent in a
pot to my mother, in return for some she had borrowed of her. Now _my_
mother's jelly is always so firm that you might cut it with a knife, and
so bright and sparkling that it dazzles your eyes. I heard her tell my
aunt Norwood, that Mrs. Renwick's jelly was the worst she had ever seen,
that it was as thin and sour as plain currant juice, and dark and
dirty-looking beside."

Marianne Renwick was much displeased at the disrespectful manner in
which her mother's jelly had been spoken of. She let go Rosamond's arm,
and turning up another street, walked home by herself, swelling with
resentment, and told her mother all that had passed.

Mrs. Renwick was a lady very easily offended; and she always signified
her anger as soon as she felt it. She immediately sent to a
confectioner's for a pot of the very best red currant jelly, and had it
carried into Mrs. Evering; accompanied by a note implying "that she
regretted to hear that her jelly had not been so fortunate as to meet
the approbation of so competent a judge of sweetmeats; but that, as she
would be sorry if Mrs. Evering should lose any thing by it, she had sent
her a pot made by one of the very first confectioners in