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t h e in gr e d ie n ts. T h is she co u ld no t a b i d e.
 
    “ Lena, her e , let m e show you,” Mary said as she g e ntly lifted h e r d aug h ter ’ s h an d s f r o m t h e go o ey bread d ou g h.
    “ T h at is n o t how you k n ead bread. Loo k , y o u sprin k le some fl ou r , li k e t h is,” Mary s p rin k led some w h ite fl o u r ov e r t h e top o f t h e stic k y m ound Lena was i n eptly p u sh i n g a r ou n d o n t h e p o rce l ain-t o p kitch e n
    table.

“ A nd you take t h e h eel of y o ur h a n d , and p u sh t h e d o u g h a w ay f r om y ou. T h en, t u r n it li k e t h is, and do it again. N o w , y ou tr y .” Lena did a s her m o ther instructed, and after a few t u r n s, gaz e d u p i n wo nd e r.
    “ In a ! It feels s o s o ft an d s m oot h !”
    “ O h a n , it d o es. T h is is w h at is so m u ch fu n a bo u t m aking b r ea d ,” M ary l au g h e d t app i ng h e r d au gh te r’s d i m i nu ti v e n o se i n p lay .
    “ Now, we will let i t rise. Here, s p i n it with y o ur h a n d s un til it i s rou n d a n d t h en we will pu t a d a m p d is h towel ov er it. In a b o u t an ho u r,
    we will p un c h it do w n a g ai n , kn ead it a litt l e m o re, and then p u t it o n a
    b a k i n g s h eet. W h en it rises on e m o re t i me, we will b a k e it.” Le n a care f ully sp u n t h e d ou gh b etween her ti n y h a nd s , h e r pi n k t o ng u e sticking o u t of t h e left c o r n er of h e r m outh i n c onc e n trati o n.
    “ In a ,” s h e s i ghed, “ I l ove the s m e ll!”
    “ Oh a n, that is the yeast,” h e r m other instructed, s m iling at her v e ry willi n g p u p il.
    Lena l ov e d t h e se t i m es w it h her m o t h er. She e n jo ye d c oo k in g, a n d enj o y ed lea r ning h o w to m ake t h e f o o d s s h e a nd h e r f am ily enj o y ed. It
    m ade her feel i m portant to b e part of t h is a spect o f t h e f am il y ’s da y - t o - d ay life.
    “ In a ,” Lena queried, a g ain g l ancing up at her m o ther, “ W hen c a n I
    learn h o w t o r o ast a c h ick en ? I l ove r o as t ed c h ick e n t h e way yo u d o it. Wh e n will you teach m e ? ”
    “ C h a!” Mary c h i d ed fo nd l y, “You wa n t t o learn it all now. C h il d , you a re but eight-year s -o l d. T h ere is ti m e f o r all o f t h is.
    Lena d i d n ’t k n o w ho w to e x p r ess her u rg ency in learn i ng all she cou l d. She just knew s h e want e d to learn as m u ch as she could as
    qui c k ly as po ss ible.
    “ I’ll tell y o u what,” Mary d eci d e d , “I am go i n g to h elp Nel l ie in t h e ga r d e n t o m o r r o w . S h e li k es t o see y o u , s o y ou c a n g o w it h m e, and we will ask h e r for a n ice h en. W ou l d it p lease y o u, Little Bird ? ” h e r m o t h er ask e d, s m iling d ow n u po n her e n dear i n g d au ght e r .
    “ O h a n! B u t I d on’t h a v e to k ill it, d o I ? ” Le n a q u erie d . She l ov e d to cook, a nd she respected the ani m a l s and p l ants wh o g a ve up t h eir li v es
    f o r h er no u rishme n t, b u t s h e w as no t pre p ared yet to do t h e d ee d .
    “ No, o f co ur se n o t! I will ta k e care o f it w h i le y o u h elp Nellie with h er v e g eta b l es. Y o u k n ow h o w s h e l o v es a v i sit f r o m yo u . W h ile you s t r i ng be a n s o r s h uck c o r n t oge t h e r , I’ l l t ake care o f wh at needs t o be d o ne.”
    Evalena an d Jo se p h C o un t r ym an retired t o a h o use o n Fif t h A v e nue in t h e n ear b y t o wn o f Pee b les sh o rtly after Lena ’ s b i r t h. Their y o un g est child, Dean C o untry m an, and his wife Nel l ie, t o ok o v er t h e far m . Mary was ref e rr i ng to Nellie C o untry m an. Sweet of na t u r e , lovely of face, Mary o ften w o n d ered w h y Nellie c ho se t o b ec o m e a f a r m er’s wife. In a n y e v e n t, s h e was g lad of it, as Dean and Nellie were as k i n d and

appreciative as Jos e ph an d E v alena had