for the winter, fermentation
had taken place.

"And the peaches, too, as I live!" she added on examining another jar.
"Run, Hannah, and bring me my preserving kettle. I shall have to do
them all over."

"Mrs. Tompkins borrowed it, you know, yesterday," Hannah replied.

"So she did, I declare! Well, you must run over to Mrs. Tompkins,
Hannah, and tell her that I want my preserving kettle."

Hannah departed, and Aunt Mary proceeded to examine jar after jar of
her rich store of preserves, and, much to her disappointment, found
that all of her quinces and peaches, comprising some eight or ten jars,
had commenced working. These she took from their dark corners in the
closet, and, placing them on the large table in the kitchen, awaited
patiently Hannah's return. In about fifteen minutes her help entered.

"But where is the kettle?" inquired Aunt Mary, eagerly.

"Why, ma'am, Mrs. Tompkins says as how she ain't quite done with it
yet; she's finished her pears; but then she has her mamlet to do."

Aunt Mary Pierce was a good woman, and her heart was full of kind
feelings towards others. But she had her foibles as well as her
neighbours, and among these was an almost passionate admiration of her
beautiful bell-metal preserving kettle, which was always kept as bright
as a gold eagle. Nothing tried Aunt Mary more than to have to lend her
preserving kettle. But as in reading her Bible she found it
written--_Of him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away_--she
dared not refuse any of the applications that were made for it, and in
preserving time these were enough to try the patience of even a better
woman than Aunt Mary. The fact was, that Aunt Mary's preserving kettle
was the best in the village, and there were at least a dozen or two of
her neighbours, who did not think their sweetmeats good for any thing
if not prepared in this favourite kettle.

"Ain't it too bad!" ejaculated Aunt Mary, lifting her hands and then
letting them fall quickly. "Ain't it too bad! But it is always so! Just
when I want my own things, somebody's got them. Go right back, Hannah,
and tell Mrs. Tompkins that my preserves are all a working, and that I
must have my kettle at once, or they will be ruined."

Hannah started off again, and Aunt Mary stood, far less patiently than
before, beside the table on which she had placed her jars, and awaited
her return.

"Well," she asked eagerly, as Hannah entered after the lapse of some
ten minutes, "wh