The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-04-22


cate satin shoe 10 the delicate foot that wears
it, as the green of the deathIess hay TO the
lofty brow that won it, as the canvass is to the
faces that startling glow upon it, as the grace
of the golden cup to the mantling wine that
fills it, as the quiverng globe of dew TO the
regal rose that distils it. as the glare of the
midsummer noon to the scented breath of Eden
as the homely and kindly earth to the grand
and star lit heaven; SO is the shome- felt blss''
which loaf of brown bread makes. to the
exquisite thrill of delight arising from brown
bread cakes; because of all this, will make
the attempt. s##s.
Let me give the moits operandi: OF fine
maize -four. yellow as the locks Of the lovely
Lenore, take-well take enougfi--I cannot tell
exactly how much; it depends upon circum-
stances. OF fresh new milk. white as the
brow of the charming Arabella, taka-well. I
don't know exactly how much of that. ether:
it depends upon circumstances, particularly on
the quantity Of meal. IF you have not new
milk, take blue milk, provided il be sweet; or
if you have none that IS sweet. sour milk will
answer; or if s'your folks don't keep COW, -
take water, clear and sparkling as the eyes
of the peerless Amanda; but whether il be milk
or water. let ii be scalding as the tears of the
outraged Isabel. OF molasses, sweet as the
tones Of the tuheful Lsette take-a great de al
if il in summer. in the winter not qnite so
much. (for the teasons therefor, see Norton g
Treotise on The Erpqasice Polcer of FluAs, vol
|, p. 175.) OF various other substances, ami
NAL. vegetable and mineral. which it becomes
not me to mention-frst. because 7 have for
gotten what they are: secondly, because
never knew; and, thirdly. because, as the i'm
mortal Toots remarks. ''it is of no conse-
quence." Take whatever seems good in vonr
sight. and cast them together into the knead-
ing-trough, and llnead with al vonr might and
main Provide yourself, then. with tin plate,
not bright and new, for 50 will your cakas be
heavy, yogr crust cracked, ard your soul sor-
rowfnl. but one blackened hv fire. and venera =
bic with time, and rough with service. With
your own roseate fingers SCOOP ont a portion of
the pulpy mass. Fear not TO touch it; it is
soft. yielding and plastic, as the heart of the
aft 7ctionate Clara. Turn il lovingly over in
your hands. Round it. Monld it. C,ress it.
Softer down its asperities. Smooth off its ap-
gularities. Represents bold protuberances =
Encourage its timid shrinkings; and when il
is smooth as the velvet cheek of Ida, and
oval as the classic face of Helen, give one
''last, long, lingering look;" and lay it tender
ly in the swart arms of It's tutelar plate. Re-
peat the process, until your cakes shall equal
the sands on the sea shore or the stars in the
sky for multitude, or as long as your meal holds
out, or till you are tired l am prescribing
for one only. ''.4b uno disco omnes"
To the Stygian cave that yawns dismally
from the kitchen stove, consign it without a
murmer. Item: said stove must have prodip-
ious crack up and down the front A philo-
sophical reason for this l am unable to give
Lrefer the curious in carse and effect to Ga
lens deservedly celebrated Disquisition on the
Relations of Fire and Metals, passim; also
Debra,sche on dough, p. 35, Appendix. / only
know that the only stove whence ever saw
Brown Bread Cakes issue, had an immense
crack up and down the 'front.'
[Since writing the above, a new stove has
been substituted for the old one, and still
Brown Bread Cakes are duly marshalled every
morning. Consequently yon need not be par.
ticular about the crack. Still, would advise
all amateurs to consult the authorities have
mentioned. II will be a good exercise for the
dog-days-if you can find them--the authori-
ties, mean, not the dog days, which are, alas!
only too palpable. J
When your cake has for a sufficient length
of time undergone the ordeal of fire. bring it
again to the blessed light Of day. If'the edge
be black and b!istered, like a giant tree blast
ed by the lghtniGg's stroke, or if the crust be
rent and torn as by internal commissions, cast
it away. tits worthless. Trample it under
foot. Item: put on your stontest boots, and
provide yourself with cork soles; otherwise,
the tramplirg may prove to be anything but
am agreeable pastime. But if the surface be
q beautiful auburn brown, crisp, brittle, and
unbroken-- os s
( = JOY, Joy, forever! your task is done'
& The gates are past, and breakfasts won;
or, as the clown said of the apple-dumplings,
"Them's the jockeys for me.n lgas 3
70 If you are an outside barbarian, ignorant of
the refnements Of civilized life, you will at
once proceed to cutaopen with your knife the
steamlng cake, as, you would an oyster, and
weeping Niobe; but if you are a gentleman
and scholar, you will gently slndsr its cling
ing sides without .Earmed Interference" and so
preserve'its spongy, porous texture. To the
uninitlated, one parts as good as another; but
let me confidently whisper in your ear, if it
shon q be your duty to pass the plate, present
to your neighhsr that side which bears the