A pretty neighbour, indeed!" Sally, who understood her mistress's mood, knew very well that her orders were not to be literally obeyed.

So she took the preserving kettle from the fire, and poured its contents into a large pan, instead of the slop barrel.
"Here's the kettle," said she, bringing it in and handing it to Hannah.
It was black and dirty on the outside, and within all besmeared with the marmalade, for Sally cared not to take the trouble of cleaning it.
"There, take the kettle!" said Mrs.Tompkins in an excited tone, "and tell Mrs.Pierce that it is the last time I'll borrow any thing from her." Hannah took the kettle, and started for home at full speed.
"So you've got it at last," Said Aunt Mary, when Hannah entered; "and a pretty looking thing it is! Really it is too bad to have a thing sent home in that predicament." "But ain't she mad though!" remarked Hannah, with something of exultation in her tones.
"What in the world can she be mad about ?" asked Aunt Mary in surprise.
"Mad because I would have the kittle.

Why, there she had her mamlet on the fire, boiling away, and said you couldn't have the kittle.

But I told her you must have it; that your preserves were nearly all spoiled, just because you couldn't get your own kittle.

Oh, but didn't she bile over then! And so she told Sally to pour the mamlet into the slop barrel, as it would all be spoiled any how, by your unneighbourly treatment to her." Poor Aunt Mary was dreadfully grieved at this.