morning. You must! You've been neglecting us for Bob and we're jealous." "Oh, girls, I simply can't! I have just bought quarts and quarts of cherries and currants of a boy who came to the door, and I must take today to put them up!" "That's easy! Leave 'em till tomorrow!" said Alice cheerfully. "I can't do that, because they're just at the canning point and it isn't a good thing to have them a bit over-ripe. Then these are freshly picked, and that is the best way to have them." "I'll stay and help; may I?" said Ruth, who had suddenly developed a deep interest in things domestic. "Why, of course I'd love to have you, Ruth, but seeding cherries is slow work, and I believe that playing tennis would be more exciting." "But not half so interesting as to hear you tell me how you do things. I love to listen." "We'll all stay," suggested Mary. "It'll do us good. But you'll have to lend us big aprons; can you?" And she looked down at her white middy, skirt, and shoes. "Come on!" shouted Elsie. "You can lecture as we seed cherries, Bettina. How are you going to put them up?" "Well, Bob likes plain currant jelly, and plain canned cherries awfully well. I may preserve some cherries with currant juice, too, but I think I'll not do anything very elaborate today." "Goodness, that sounds elaborate enough to suit me! Will you be looking over the currants while we are stoning cherries?" "Leave the stones in half of them, girls; many people like them that way better." "What were you doing to all those jars?" "Just getting ready to sterilize them. You see I'll put them on a folded cloth, in this big kettle of cold water. Then I'll slowly heat the water to the boiling point, and fill the jars immediately with the fruit and syrup. I must scald the rubber rings, too, before I use them." Bettina was rapidly looking over currants as she talked. "Girls, do you notice my jelly strainer? See, it's a piece of cheese-cloth fastened into a wire strainer. It can be attached to any kettle. I haven't used it yet, but I know that it will be very convenient. You know it's best to strain the juice through the cheese-cloth without
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