Polly Put the Kettle On

Polly Vance is at a loss as to where to get the next day's food. The children scream, "Polly, put the kettle on," but she finds only a few tea leaves. The kids are disappointed when they find no jam. Polly, though only eighteen, has been mothering these children a long time. Polly enters her father's workroom, where he is poring over the plans for the invention which he is confident will bring them riches. He becomes irritated when Polly reminds him of their poverty, and she leaves the room.