"Who dare deny the truth, there's poetry in pie?"
--Longfellow.

There are plenty of women capable of choosing good husbands (or, if not good when chosen, of making them good); yet these same women may be ignorant on the subject of making good pie. Ingenuity, good judgement, and great care should be used in making all kinds of pastry. Use very cold water, and just as little as possible; roll thin, and always from you; prick the bottom crust with a fork to prevent blistering; then brush it well with the white of egg, and sprinkle thick with granulated sugar. This will give you a firm, rich crust.

For all kinds of fruit pies, prepare the bottom crust as above. Stew the fruit, and sweeten to taste. If juicy, put a good layer of corn starch on top of the fruit before putting on the top crust. This will prevent the juice from running out, and will form a nice jelly throughout the pie. Be sure that you have plenty of incisions in the top crust; then pinch it closely around the edge; sprinkle some granulated sugar on top, and bake in a moderate oven.