Cook the tomatoes with the onion, parsley, sugar, and salt for twenty minutes. Mix in the soda and stir well; the soda prevents the milk from curdling. Make the milk and flour and butter into white sauce as usual; strain the tomato, mix the two, and strain again. Sometimes add a stalk of celery to the other seasoning as it cooks. Cream of Clams 1 dozen hard clams, or one bunch of soft ones. 1 quart of rich milk. 1 tablespoonful butter. 1 tablespoonful flour. 3 shakes of pepper. Chop the clams and drain off the juice and add as much water; cook till the scum rises, and skim this off. Drop in the clams and cook three minutes. Heat the milk and thicken as usual; put in the clams and juice, cook for one minute, and strain. Notice that there is no salt in this soup. A cup of cream, whipped, either put on top or stirred in, is very nice. Oyster Soup 1 pint oysters. 1/2 pint water. 1 quart rich milk. 1/2 teaspoonful salt. Drain off the oyster juice, add the water, boil it for one minute, and skim it well. Heat the milk and mix it with this; drop in the oysters and cook one minute, or till the edges begin to curl, and it is done. This soup is not thickened at all; but if you like you may add two tablespoonfuls of finely powdered and sifted cracker-crumbs. Meat Soup or Bouillon Made from Extract This Margaret made from beef extract, before she learned to use the fresh beef. 2 teaspoonfuls of extract, or 2 capsules. 1 quart of boiling water. 1/2 an onion, sliced. 1 stalk of celery. 1/2 teaspoonful salt. 2 shakes of pepper. 2 sprays of parsley. Simmer this for twenty minutes, strain, and pour over six thin slices of lemon, one for each plate. Serve with hot crackers. Cream Bouillon Make this same soup, and pour it over a half-pint of thick cream, well whipped. Do not put any lemon in it. Serve with hot crackers. Meat Soups You can make meat soup, or stock, out of almost any kind of meat, cooked or raw, with bones or without. Many cooks never buy fresh meat for it, and others think they must always have it. It is best to learn both ways. Plain Meat Soup 1 shin of beef. 5 quarts of water. 1 small tablespoonful of salt. 1 head celery, cut up. 1 onion. 1 carrot. 1 turnip. 1 sprig of parsley. 2 bay-leaves. 6 whole cloves.