on of fruit and pastry called pie is thought to be of
American invention. Material for pies at a trifling cost were
furnished the early settlers in Bucks County by the large supply of
fruit and vegetables which their fertile farms produced, and these
were utilized by the thrifty German housewives, noted for their wise
management and economy.

The Professor's wife taught Mary to make superior pastry, so flaky and
tender as to fairly melt in one's mouth; but Mary never could learn
from her the knack of making a dainty, crimped edge to her pies with
thumb and forefinger, although it looked so very simple when she
watched "Frau Schmidt" deftly roll over a tiny edge as a finish to the
pie.

Mary laughingly told the Professor's wife (when speaking of pies) of
the brilliant remark she made about lard, on first coming to the farm.
Her Aunt Sarah, when baking pies one day, said to her, "Look, Mary,
see this can of snowy lard, rendered from pork, obtained from our fat
pigs last winter!"

"Why, Aunt Sarah!" exclaimed Mary, "is lard made from pork fat? I
always thought lard was made from milk and butter was made from
cream."

The Professor's wife possessed, besides a liking for pies, the
German's fondness for anything pertaining to fritters. She used a set
of "wafer and cup irons" for making "Rosen Kuchen," as she called the
flat, saucer-like wafer; and the cup used for serving creamed
vegetables, salads, etc., was similar to pattie cases.

"The 'Wafer and Cup Irons,'" said Frau Schmidt, "were invented by a
friend of mine, also a teacher and an excellent cook, besides; she
gave me several of her original recipes, all to be served on wafers or
in patties. You shall have a set of the irons when you start
housekeeping. Mary. You will be surprised at the many uses you will
find for them. They are somewhat similar to Rosette Irons, but I think
them an improvement. They are pieces of fluted steel fastened to a
long handle and one is cup-shaped. This latter is particularly fine
for making patties. Then the cup may be filled and served on
saucer-like wafers, which I call 'Rosen Kuchen,' or the 'Rosen Kuchen'
may be simply dusted with a mixture consisting of one cup of sugar,
one teaspoonful of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoonful of powdered
cardamon seed, and served on a plate, as dainty cakes or wafers."

Aunt Sarah, when cooking fritters, always used two-thirds lard and
one-third suet for deep frying, but "Frau Schmidt" taught Mar