set to the soldiers; and that since the Mexican war the young officers are
more inclined to indulge than they used to be; that he feels such a
responsibility in the case that he can't bear the sight of a bottle in the
house."

"Well, honey," said Aunt Polly, "he says he likes my mince pies, and my
puddins, mightily; and does he 'spect me to make 'em good, and make 'em out
of nothin, too?"

"That's what I say, Aunt Polly, for you know none of us like to drink. The
captain belongs to the Temperance Society; and I don't like it, because it
gets into my head, and makes me stupid; and you never drink any thing, so
if we could only manage to get him to let us keep it to cook with."

"As to that, child," said Aunt Polly, "I mus have it to cook with, that's a
pint settled; there aint no use 'sputin about it. If he thinks I'm gwine to
change my way of cookin in my old age, he's mightily mistaken. He need'nt
think I'm gwine to make puddins out o' one egg, and lighten my muffins with
snow, like these ere Yankees, 'kase I aint gwine to do it for nobody. I sot
out to do my duty by you, and I'll do it; but for all that, I aint bound to
set to larnin new things this time o' day. I'll cook Carolina fashion, or I
wont cook at all."

"Well, but what shall I do?" said Mrs. Moore; "you wouldn't have me do a
thing my husband disapproves of, would you?"

"No, that I wouldn't, Miss Emmy," said Aunt Polly. "My old man's dust and
ashes long ago, but I always done what I could to please him. Men's mighty
onreasonable, the best of 'em, but when a woman is married she ought to do
all she can for the sake of peace. I dont see what a man has got to do