Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-06-17
business is done I'II be off in two or three

Gays.
Well, Betty says the mistress " 90
back, and when the gentlemen begin to
sit down, do you stand by the head of the
table, and whisper to some gentleman that
wish a vacant place left at the head Of
the table for Judge Crane, and then do
you hasten back and see that John has
the cider and other liquors in good order.
And Mary do YOU'LL two more tureens
with gravy, and put one at each end Of
the table. And Martha. do YOU see that
all the clean plates for change are ready
and that the tarts and pies, &c. are in
good order" Betty again repaired to her
post at the head Of the table. and softly
informed gentleman of the request q
her mistress. -" Certainly, says the gen.
tleman and Betty fastened back to as.
slst John. The gentleman now sat down
to an excellent repast, and after short
elacniatory address to the throne of grace,
delivered by Judge Crane, in which he
adored the Father of all mercies for feed
ing all his creatures throughout the i'm
menslty OF space-invoked a blessing on
that portion of earthly bounty then before
them, and duplicated divine mercy
through the merits of our Redeemer the
gentleman carved and served around in
usual form.
I But as the Judge was of singular turn
in almost every thing, and had taken a
fancy that if person eats light food at the
same meal, and that which is more solid,
and harder of digestion, that the light food
should be eaten first; he therefore filled
his plate with pudding, made of milk, rice,
and eggs, and placing himself in rather
an awkward situation, with his left elbow
on the table and his head near the plate,
began to eat according to his custom,
which was very fast, although he was not
a great eater. And some of the gentle.
men near the Judge, following his exam
pie, as to partaking of the pudding before
the meat, of course large deep vessel,
which had contained that article was near
ly emptied when Mary approached with
her two additional tureens of gravy, ac-
cording to the commandment of her mis-
tress, and as she sat down the last near the
Judge, he said to her in an austere man.
ner, "Girl, bring me clean plate to eat
some salad on" The abrupt manner in
which he addressed her, and her disgust
at seeing him there in that position, so
disconnected the poor girl that she did not
observe that any one excepting the Judge
had partaken of the pudding, nor did she
know what he meant by salad but she
observed that the large pudding-pan was
nearly empty and then fastened back with
the utmost speed to her mistress, and adj
dressed her with "Lord madam, that old
fellows there yet, and he is certainly era
zy or drunk, for he is down at the table,
and has eaten more than a skipple of the
rice pudding already, and has his nose
right down in plateful now shovelling
it in like hog and told inc as if he was
lord of the manor, to bring him clean
plate to eat salad on. Bless me, where
can we get salad this time of the year
And the gentleman have not done carving,
and not one has began to eat meat, much
less to eat tub full of pudding"
Aye, he'll get a clean plate" says
Martha, before gentleman want clean
plates" "FIi clear him out" says the
mistress, and starts for the dining room
burning with indignation.
The Judge was remarkable for not
giving unnecessary trouble to any body
where he put up, and generally ate what
ever was set before him without making
any remarks: and seldom made use of
more than one plate at meal ; but at this
time he observed near him, dish of beau
tiful raw white cabbage, cut up and put
into vinegar, (Which the low Dutch at
Poughkeepsie call cold slasc, and which he
called saltad,) and he wished for sepa-
rate plate to prepare some of it for his own
fancy. The carving and serving were
not vet finished, when he expected clean
plate, and when the landlady arrived at
the door of the dining room determined to
drive him out. She advanced with firm
step to the door, and fixed her keen eye
sternly on the Judge, when he turning his
eye that way and observing her, mildly
said. {" Landlady, can l have clean plate
to eat some salad on 2" (" A clean plate
and salad !" retorted the landlady indig-
nantly. "I wish you would come into the
kitchen until the gentleman have dined ;
I had reserved that seat for Judge Crane"
The company were struck with astonish-
ment. and fixed their eyes alternately on
the landlady and on the Judge; and sat
or stood in mute suspense-when the
Judge gracefully raised himself up in his
chair carelessly folding his arms across
his breast, then putting his head arkward-
" on one side, "You reserved this seat
for Judge Crane, did you Landlady 2"
9 Indeed | did, says she. L was very
kind says he, in an ironical tone, " but