Away went my doubts and fears, and I tripped merrily down the street to
Jeanie's, feeling the happier for a letter from mother, which I found at
the post office.

Our candy was to be sold for a cent a stick, but the sticks were not
scanty little snips by any means. Mrs. Cartwright made us a present of
the molasses, Lois brought the sugar from home, Al Fay brought the
saleratus, Patty remembered about the vinegar, and Marjorie produced the
butter.

These were the ingredients: a half-gallon of New Orleans molasses, a cup
of vinegar, a piece of butter as large as two eggs, a good teaspoonful
of saleratus dissolved in hot water.

We melted the sugar in the vinegar, stirred it into the molasses, and
let it come to the boil, stirring steadily. The boys took turns at this
work.

When the syrup began to thicken we dropped in the saleratus, which makes
it clear; then flouring our hands, each took a position, and pulled it
till it was white.

The longer we pulled, the whiter it grew. We ate some of it, but we
girls were quite firm in saving half for our sale.

Then we made maple-sugar caramels. Have you ever tried them? They are
splendid. You must have maple sugar to begin with; real sugar from the
trees in Vermont if you can get it. You will need a deep saucepan. Then
into a quart of fresh sweet milk break two pounds of sugar. Set it over
the fire. As the sugar melts, it will expand. Boil, boil, boil, stir,