So evening after evening she would read to her attentive hearers, while
little Rosemary's large, blue eyes grew larger and larger with wonder and
interest, and Henny's attention relaxed, and her head drooped lower and
lower, as she nodded over the fire, until there seemed some danger of her
falling into it.

In this manner Miss Sukey was training, all unconsciously, the mind of the
most romantic little fairy that ever lived to make a romance of her own.

When the dip candle had burned nearly down to the socket Aunt Sukey knew
by that sign that it was about nine o'clock. They had no other timepiece,
so they went by the candle, which always burned just so long.

Then Aunt Sukey would only finish her chapter before closing her book.

Then Henny would wake up, light a fresh candle, and stand waiting orders.
She need never have waited, for she knew exactly what the order would be.
It was always the same formula.

"Henny, go to the storehouse, and draw a jug of fresh cider, and cork it
tight. Then take the bread tray, and get a quart of flour, and a quarter
of a pound of lard, and a teaspoonful of salt, and bring all in here. And
don't forget the rolling board and pin, nor the hoe blade."

These would all be brought, and then Henny, having carefully washed her
hands, and set the clean hoe blade to heat before the fire, would stand up
to the table upon which she had placed her kneading tray, and there she
would knead and afterward roll out her hoe cake, and spread it on the
heated hoe to bake before the fire. She would, in fact, bake three in
succession, turning them carefully, and finally placing them near the fire
as they were taken off the hoe, to be kept hot until all was ready.
Lastly, she would carry away all the utensils used, bring the little table
to the front of the fire, and place cider, glasses, hoe cakes and china
plates from the corner cupboard upon it. And the aunt and niece would sit
down and "take a snack," as they called it--make a very hearty supper of
very substantial food, as we should certainly say. What powers of
digestion they must have had!

When they had feasted, Henny would finish what was left, clear and replace
the table, replenish the fire from the wood pile outside the door, sweep
the hearth, put up the fender, and bid her mistress good-night.

The aunt and niece would say their prayers, undress, and go to bed
together.

This was the routine, observed every evening, that Rosemary enjoyed