Do you remember the three barrels of sugar in the dark place under the
stairs--or were they in the big pantry just off the kitchen?
Well, anyway, there were three, you recollect--two of white and one of
brown.
Always the brown sugar--and each Autumn the same colloquy:
"Mr. Van, don't you think we can get along without the brown sugar this
year?"
"Now, Mrs. Van, you've got to have a little brown sugar in the
house--and it comes cheaper by the barrel."
"Yes, so it does, Mr. Van ..... We can use it, I suppose, in something
..... And we always have had it, and ..... Well, do as you think best."
White sugar was good when you had something to go with it.
But brown sugar stood alone--sticky, heavy, crumbly lumps that held
together until a fellow could tip back his head and drop one of the
chunks in his mouth.
And after school grandmother could be persuaded to cut a full-size
slice of bread (thick) and spread it with butter (thick) and you'd
start away with it (quick)--just nibbling at one edge, not really
biting--and you'd sneak into the dark place under the stairs (or into
the pantry)--and reach deep down into the white sugar barrel--and grab
a handful--and sprinkle it over the bread-and-butter--and shake back
into the barrel all that didn't stick to the butter--and then do it all
over again--and pat it down hard--and then sprinkle just a little bit
more on hurriedly, (because grandfather's cane could be heard tapping
down the hall)--and then you emerged with dignity, but with no
unnecessary commotion--and just faded away into the Outer World so
softly, so gently, so contentedly! .....
(Have you tried any bread-and-butter-and-sugar recently? Did it taste
the same as it used to? ...
No? ... Perhaps you broke it into pieces instead of beginning at one
side and eating straight through?
Or maybe you got hold of the cooking butter ... Or did you try it with
baker's bread? ...
No? ... Well, why didn't it taste the same?