This she carried out to serve. At the kitchen door she turned to
speak to the help.
"Sary, bring out the bread and jam, will you?"
Sary had filled a deep dish with dry cereal and held it in one hand.
She took up the coffee-pot with the other and' ran to get out of the
screen-door which had been flung open by her mistress. But the door
slammed to sooner than Sary had calculated and struck the coffee-pot in
its violent closing, throwing it upon the floor.
"Consarn th' pesky door! Now thar hain't nuthin' on arth fer Mr.
Brewster to give thanks fer but jes' toast and jam. Ah cain't bile
another pot of coffee on Sunday!" Sary stood contemplating the disaster
until Mrs. Brewster called out:
"Sary, will you bring that bread and jam?"
The help brought the desired edibles and explained about the coffee.
Eleanor laughed out loud, but Anne kicked her warningly under the
table.
Mr. Brewster turned to explain to his guests. "Ranchers never work on
the Sabbath. The less we cook the better it is, for we do penance to
our material desire for food. I have never been so severe as to forbid
cooked food on my table, but many of the families do. This morning,
however, we are compelled to sacrifice our weaknesses to Sary's ways."
So the bread and jam was eaten with the omelette, to the accompaniment
of cold water, and then the master prepared to leave the table.
"Girls, don't waste much time fussing with your toilette; we are behind
time as it is.
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