Nothing tried Aunt Mary more than to have to lend her preserving kettle.

But as in reading her Bible she found it written--_Of him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away_--she dared not refuse any of the applications that were made for it, and in preserving time these were enough to try the patience of even a better woman than Aunt Mary.

The fact was, that Aunt Mary's preserving kettle was the best in the village, and there were at least a dozen or two of her neighbours, who did not think their sweetmeats good for any thing if not prepared in this favourite kettle.
"Ain't it too bad!" ejaculated Aunt Mary, lifting her hands and then letting them fall quickly.

"Ain't it too bad! But it is always so! Just when I want my own things, somebody's got them.

Go right back, Hannah, and tell Mrs.Tompkins that my preserves are all a working, and that I must have my kettle at once, or they will be ruined." Hannah started off again, and Aunt Mary stood, far less patiently than before, beside the table on which she had placed her jars, and awaited her return.
"Well," she asked eagerly, as Hannah entered after the lapse of some ten minutes, "where is the kettle ?" "Mrs.Tompkins says, ma'am, that she is very sorry that your preserves have commenced working, but that it won't hurt them if they are not done over for three or four days.