Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-01-11
A Kitchen Scene.

"Well, Dinah, here l come to cook the
dinner. Mamma has tucked my curls
closely under this cap, my arms are as
bare as if was going to dance, and with
this hideous apron l trust l suit your
taste"
ninah, showing the whites of her eyes
in the most extraordinary manner-"Yes,
missy but is dat cookbook in your
apron pocketI'
"No, you old lynx eye. You know we'll
that it is a very interesting novel that l
intend - read while the mea, is roasting;
and recollect, you are to say nothing about
it,"
"But, missy, you know dat l had my
orders not to touch the dinner, and if you
read dat book, de meat burn as black as
Dinah's face-what den 2"
''Oh, mind your wash-tub, Dinah, and
leave me to manage. A piece of pork to
roast, eh? Lucky 1 am no Jewess; here s
the dredging box and salt, SO I'll COM
mence operations"
Mrs. Clement-Elsie's mother-was a
thorough New England bousekeeper.
Married when a mere child, totally iguor-
ant Of domestic affairs, she had experien-
ced, of course, innumerable notifications
in consequence, and having by persever-
ance and energy made herself acquainted
with all the details of domestic economy,
she determined that Elsie should bsgin in
time to make herself useful as a house
keeper.
But return We to our heroine There she
sat with her little slippered foot peeping
from beneath her neat girgham morning
dress, her shining hair copfned uuder her
cap Of snowy muslin, and in her hands
the book referred to by Dinah. Dinah
herself stood near at the wash-tub, ever
and anon looking over her shoulder and
muttering "Eeber saw gal do two things
well at once" But after watching some
time, and seeing the salt and -four duly
applied, and the meat occasionally turned
she ceased to demonstrate.
At length, the meat and the novel be-
ing done, Elsie jumps up from her seat,
spatters handful of sOap-suds in Dinah's
face, and says:
"Look here, my dear woody pate, there's
your meat done TO turn, and your gravy
CONNIE IL fIut, which, translated into Afri-
can, means you could do it'll better your
self. Now, do your duty as have done
mine, dish it up properly, and I'll speak
good word for you to Pompey; SO now
I'll make the custard, and then prepare
the dinner"
This being done, with a skip and
bound she vanished.
The last shining curl was just arranged
to her satisfaction when Dinah presented
herself at the door, with both hands raised
and her face looking, if possible, blacker
than ever:
80, Lor. o, Lor Missy Elsie, it only
wants five minutes to dinner, and young
Alfred coming home with your papa Lor
bless my soul, it's too much for this mig
ger if he thinks I cook dat dinner-O, Lor.
U, Lori"
"What on earth do you mean ?" said
Elsie, with vague foreshadowins of some
impending evil.
30, Lor ~ said Diuah, sitting down in
q chair and wiping the perspiraiion from
her face with the corner of her apron;
"you take the cup of salaratus and you
haste the meat and season de gravy wild it
and you put peppermint in de custard
instead OBJ de essence oh lebben. Land
oh Goshen! dis niger neber SO decompo-
sed in all her life. Only wants FIVE min
utes to dinner. o, Lor! o, Lor! all for
dat novel book, Miss Elsie!'