"Some people's chariots and horses will find themselves turned into pun'kins some day; that is what I believe."
"But about the potatoes?" said Matilda, who could not catch the connection of this speech.
"Well; she let 'em be in too long. That was the trouble. If you want to have things right, you must take 'em out when they are done, honey."
"But how can we tell when they are done?"
"Why, you know by just lookin at 'em. There ain't no great trouble about it; anyhow, there ain't about potatoes. You just put some fat in a pan, and chop up your potatoes, and when the fat is hot clap 'em in, and let 'em frizzle round a spell; and then when they're done you take 'em up. Did you sprinkle salt in?"
"No."
"You must mind and sprinkle salt in, while they're in the pan; without that they'll taste kind o' flat."
"Aunt Erminia don't like them chopped up. She wants them cut in thin slices and browned on both sides."
"Laws a massy! why don't she do 'em so, then? what hinders her?" said the housekeeper, looking at Matilda. "I thought she was one o' them kind o' folks as don't know nothing handy. Why don't she do her own potatoes, and as brown as she likes, Tilly?"
"Mamma wants us to take care of things, Miss Redwood."