CHAPTER XXII.
DOLLARS AND CENTS.
Molly reached the end of her first month’s housekeeping, and now could see exactly where she stood, and could plan for the coming month to advantage. Referring to her note-book, she found she had spent 53 cents less the second week than the first, 75 cents less the third, and 60 cents less the fourth. She had, therefore, in hand nearly $2, and provisions in the house for a couple of days. She had also salad-oil, olives, Worcestershire sauce, cooking-wine, pepper, salt, mustard, corn meal, and vinegar, to last a month at least. There was also over a pound of coffee left; and she would need only three pounds of lard in place of five, as there was nearly half left, and two instead of four pounds of coffee. She had, therefore, that much to deduct from her second month’s grocery bill, and several additions to make to it, for she had so far done without many articles she liked to have in the house; she found, too, that the twelve pounds of sugar she had allowed must be increased to fifteen, twelve granulated, three cut loaf.
Her order for the grocer stood for the second month thus:—
Molly had carefully saved the peels of all lemons used in the past month, which had not been grated. As they were squeezed, the pulp was scraped out, and then they were dropped into a gem-jar of salt and water, a handful of salt to the quart. She meant to do the same with oranges, through the winter, and to candy them. A cup of candied lemon or orange peel is a great addition to a fruit cake or to many puddings; and, as the only cost was the sugar used in candying it, she would always keep a good supply in her store-closet. The alcohol was to make lemon flavoring; and, as soon as it came, she took a fresh lemon with a coarse rind, and with a sharp knife carefully pared off the yellow as thin as possible; this, cut into small pieces, she put into the alcohol, then corked it tightly. In two or three weeks this would be very fragrant extract of lemon, growing stronger the longer it was kept. The extract of rose, of vanilla, and of almond, she bought of the druggist; they were much stronger than those put up in bottles, and of course very much cheaper, and the ten cents’ worth would last months. The extract of rose was to take the place of rose-water in flavoring cakes or icing; a very few drops would suffice.
“Now,” thought Molly, as she surveyed her new stock of provisions, “I can have some variety in dessert and cakes, and these little bottles will work wonders in my commissariat. Charlotte and I will have a real good time when she comes.”
“Charlotte” was Mrs. Welles; and she was to come the second week in October, when the hills would be in the full glory of autumn color; and Molly was full of anticipation of pleasure in having her old friend in her own house.
“That alone pays for all the extra care and work of housekeeping,” she had said to Harry,—“the pleasure of asking your friends to your own house instead of some one else’s.”
“Oh, it’s a paying thing in every way,” said Harry. “I confess I’m completely converted.”