The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1855-05-16

to prepare, and looked as if stunned by
some unexpected blow.
She could not collect her ideas, and il
was not till she head the hall door close,
that she recollected how much she might
have learned from Biddy, had she put her
wits about her sufficiently to have asked.
There was a mine of energy in Emily-s
character which had never been worked for
want of necessity,so without stopping to be.
wall the unfortunate circumstances any long.
er, she proceeded at oRce to the kitchen.-
| There upon the larger waiter, which Biddy
always used for such purposes, lay a pair
of fine chickens, with amputated legs, and
in the half prepared state in which they
were when she had Ieceived the news.
The poor, little housekeeper gazed at
them for a moment, Eno more knowing what
to do with them than the Indian did with
The syllabub, til happy tho't flashed a.
cross her bewildered brain, and, with some
thing like smile, she got her cook book
But, alas! there were "chicken patties," and
"chicken gumbo," and "chickcn friccasees,"
but never word about preparing and roast
ing chickens. She took the fowls up and
studied their anatomy as attentively as ever
Cuvier did that Of some precious, unknown
animal, but it was of no use; dress them size
could not, and with sigh, and hearty in.
clination to cry, she sat down to reflect up
on what was to be done.
She picked up the waiter and carried it
to the cellar, and during her explorations in
the safe, she discovered fine roasting piece
of beef, which had been sent home with the
marketing. She could almost have danced
for joy. A nugget of gold cleaning upon
the eye Of California adventurer was nev.
er half SO welcome. Here at least there
could be no difficulty; no preparation nor
filling was necessary here. She was uncer-
tain, however, how long it should roast, so
she again applied to her cook book. But
with no better success than before. There
was "beef a-la.mode," and "baef bouilli, :"
"French beef" and "beef olins," but new
Ell word about plain, ol1-faShined roast.
Still as there was a chance Of getting some
thing for dinner, Emily would not be totally
discouraged, so she hunted up pan. and
put the beef i'll the oven, determined it
should be done enough; but knew nothing
of the necessity of seasoning.
The potatoes were hel next trouble
Were they to be put in hot water or ccld?-
And secretly thinking that washing them
was about as dirty work as she ever did,
she dropped them into a large boiler of OF
water.
The mental debate then was, ''Spinach
versus cold ham," The former carried the
day, but as she looked at the basket full
of crisp, dark green leaves, she wondered
if Louis, when he marketed, he intended
they should live on spinach for the next
week. So she threw o couple of handsful
into a pot Of water, aud wondered how long
il took eggs to boil hard enough to eat with
it.
"The dinner will look somewhat frugal,
to be sue, but mdther Wharton will excuse
it under the circumstances, know, !" thought
Emily, as she gazed at the clock, and found
it was just twelve. They dned at two, and
the dessert was yet to be made. But what
was it to be? She did not know what Bid
dy had intended doing with all the milk
which she saw in the cellar, but she was SO
out of patience with her cook book, that she
never thought of consulting it again. Here,
howey er, she defed circumstances. Sic
had some fine preserves which her mother
had put up for her, and cheese, and a.
monds, and raisins, and the dessert for this
day should consist of these.
4 With mind very much relieved. she
proceeded to arraege the dinner-table, and
after dozen unnecessary excursions to the
pantry, it was completed with the exception
Of spoons for the vegetables, and the castor
Emily thought it was now time to see
how her dinner was coming on. She open
ed the door Of the range, and to her dismay
she found that the splendid piece Of beeI
had whitish, sickly look, and thattLe oven
was as cold as charity. With tears in hel
eyes she tried the pot toes. They lay snug.
ly huddled together far down in a gallon o
water, as hard as when they were put in
The Two handsful Of spinach had diminish.
ed fiightfully, and as Climax to the disas.
ters, she now. for the FIRST time, noticed that
the bright fire in tie range had become
dusky white ashes, which gave forth no. heat.
Her previous anxiety had made Ler ner-
vous, and now she took hearty cry. But
she soon went to work again right bravely.
She applied the poker vigorously to the
CRATE. but nothing except dust and cinders,
which nearly choked her, followed She
lifted the lid from the range and looked in.
There was still little fire left, and deter
ming to have good one when she made it,
she threw on whole scuttle full of COAL
She went on raking away, covering herself
with fine white ashes, the tears coming oc.
casionally in spite of herself, when the door