Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-10-30

hurt her delicate hands a great deal, even If she should
wash the dishes"
In consideration of its being washing day, George had
sent home beefsteak for dinner, and Pedy. the same as
she always did, had made some pies on Saturday, and
placed them in the refrigerator, for Sunday and Monday.
Deborah had not been much accustomed to broiling
steaks, as the family where she had been living consid-
cred Il more economical, when butter brought such a high
price, to fry them with slices of pork ,ut knowing the
celebrity Of her predecessor in everything pertaining TO
the culinary art, she exerted her skill TO the utmost, and
succeeded in doing them very well, and in tolerable sea
son, so that George, after he came home, had to wait Tor
dinner only ten minutes, which passed away very quick
ly, as time always did, when he was with Emily.
"Deborah's first attempt at pastry, was a decided fail
ure. II was plain that she had never been Initiated into
the mysteries Of making puf paste, nor did she when
telling over what she called her grievances to a friend,
think il worth while, she said ''to pamper the appetite
by making pies as sweet as sugar itself, when there was
thousands OF poor souls in the world who would Jump at
a piece of pie a good deal sourer than what Mr. Brenton
and his idle, delicate wife, pretended wasn't Mt TO eat
She was sure she put two heapin' spoonfulls Of sugar into
the gooseberry pie, and half as much into the apple PIE,
and Miss Brenton might make her fruit pies as she called
them, herself, next time, for twas a privilege she didn't
covet by no means"
But Mrs. Benton did not coyet the privilege any more
than she did, and after a great show of hrmness on the
subject, declaring To herself, and intimate friend, that
she never would give up, and that there was no use
talking about il, she concluded she would try again, II
Mrs. Brenton would stand right at her elbow and tell
her the exact quantity OF ingrediences she must put INTO
each pie. .1s
II HSDOSc YOU calculate 10 u II IOuiuE : NV saib' "
Emily, Saturday morning.
"No, am sure I don't, I" was Emily's reply. 81
thought you had done it,"
"Well, / havn'tI expected you were going TO do It,
Miss Hodges, the woman / lived with before l came here,
always did, and she was the richest and genteelest wo-
man in the place. She used to say there wasn't that girl
on the face OF the earth, that she would trust TO iron and
wash her fine linens and muslins, and lace"
Emily merely said that she was not in the habit oil do
ing such things herself, and that she would expect her to
do them.
Deborah went about her task very unwillingly. She
told Emily that she knew she would spite the whole lot;
and she proved a true prophecies. The shirt bosoms and
collars bore indisputable evidence that she was not stin-
ted for fuel, the hot fat-iron having left its full impress
upon some, while charcoal Sketches OF a kind never
dreamed OF by Neal were conspicuous on others. As
for muslins and laces, being OF a Trailer fabric, they gave
way beneath the vigorous treatment to which they were
subjected. and exhibited mere wrecks of their former
selves. Not a single article was wearable which passed
through the severe ordeal OF being staIched and lrOned
by Deborah, and what was still more lamentable, many
Of them could not even, like an antique painting or stat
ne, be restored.
I" This is too bad, )" said George, as he contemplated
his soiled and scorched linen. 1t appears to me, EN-
lily, that you might have seen what the girl was about
before she spoiled the whole"
How could l. " said Emily, " when she was IN the
kitchen and was in the Notwithstanding your lin
en- handkerchiefsl Pedy never needed overseeing"
Some linen Of a coarser texture which had passed
through Pedy's hands, was obliged to be resorted to on
the present occasion, while Emily concealed her cha grin
~ O1DAS ~ vi VI Nh~
sells lace, the gift of the same generous uncle, who gave
her the harp. She silently made up her mind that for
the future, she would not trust such articles TO the I'M
skillul Deborah.
Hitherto, George who probably had recalled to mind
what he had said to Emily previous to commencing
housekeeping, had never, except in a playful manner,
alluded to the addressed food which daily made its APP
Pearance on the table. To-day, however, when they
returned from church and sat down to dinner, probably
owing to being a little sore on the subject of the soiled
linen, Emily saw him knit his brows in rather a porten-
tuous manner, while in no very amiable tone OF voice he
said
"It appears to me that this girl don't understand how
to do any thing as it ought TO be done-not even TO boil
a piece Of corned beef. this IS as salt as the ocean and hard
as a flint. II the girl has common sense, | am sure she
could do better if you would give her a few directions.
/ confess that l am tired of eating i'll cooked meat, half
done vegetables and heavy bread, and Of drinking a GER
tain decoction, dignifed by the name OF coffee"
" Such food is, OF course, no more PalataDle TO me
than to you, but l thought, by what l have heard you
say, that you would not be pleased, when you come home
to dinner, to see me with a flushed face, and in an unbe-
coming dress, which must be the case if I undertake to
do the principal part Of the cooking myself, and to
superlntend the whole"
" We must try and get some one, that Will do better,
said George.
b" don't think that it will be of any use, " replied En-
lily. We may as well try her another week"
The truth was, she had had, for several days a dim
perception, that the Incidence she had INDUCED in since
released from her mothers influence, was not so delight.
full as she had anticipated. Her physical and mental
energies had renamed so entirely qulescent that she be-
gan to think il would be rather a luxury TO he a little
latigued. She moreover half suspected that Deborah
might, and would do better, if not embarrassed with that
feeling Of hurry and perplexity, which so many OF what
in %colloQuial phrase, are sometimes termed slow moul-
ded people, experience, when obliged 10 divide their at
tention among a variety Of objects.
Monday morning, Emily determined that she would
turn over Il new leaf, and a bright leaf il proved to be.
She told Deborah, that for the future, she should take
care OF her own room, prepare the dessert, and starch
and iron all the nicer articles.
81 am glad to hear you say so, maam, ! am sure /"
said Deborah, "for when l have TO keep going from one
thing to another, my head spins round like a top, and /
Pedy Breck got along so smooth and slick with the work,
/ do not know, and never shall. i can make as good
light bread as ever was-I won't give up to anybody
but when | made the last, my mind was all stirred up
with a puddin' stick as 'twere, and l couldn't remember
whether l put any yeast into it or not"
From this time, all went well, Deborah in her slow
way, proved TO be a treasure. She told Emily that
apple-dumplngs, or a loaf OF bread, I" and the result
proved that her words were no vain boast.
81 have concluded to follow your advice, )" said Emily,
the next time she saw her mother 8 and look into the
kitchen occasionally"
81 am glad to hear it, and / have no doubt but that
you will enjoy yourself much better for it."
81 am certain that I shall-I do already. You can't
imagine what queer, fretful looking lines were begin
ming to show themselves on Georges brow. He would
have looked old enough for a grandfather in a few years,
If l had gone on trying TO realize the hope he expressed,
that i would abstain from the performance of all house
hold tasks, And | should have looked quite as old as
ne, / suspect, for | believe that the consciousness OF neg.
lected duties Is one OF the heaviest burdens which can be
The Stranger.