Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-01-02

looked at it every ten minutes /; but at
the end of three quarters of an hour,
although the top had fine hard shell
upon it, the sides had not emerged
from their original condition. Two
mortal hours, that bread stayed in the
oven, and yet the doughty aspect re-
NAMED, and then we took it out, wise.
ly concluding that if it would not bake
in two hours, it never would. We cut
it open. 1t was moist, heavy mass,
which de6es description. If its value
had been determined by its weight, we
should have made our fortunes While
We were celebrating what to do next,
an angel Of deliverance came to me in
the form OF o bakcr-prebably one OF
those | had dreamed Of the night be-
fore.
But dinner the most difficult meal
of all, even to the experienced. Here
new trials awaited US; but " necessity
is the mother of invention" aud %
great many other virtues, We got
some meat Of the butcher, and having
recourse once more to the Frugal
Housewife" succeeded in cooking it
without making any very GORGEOUS
plumbers. l did not like to try my hand
at making gravy, but Lucy, always
ready for an emergency, brought forth
a bowl, which she sail her mother had
left a day or two before. Our vegeta-
bles cooked velour potoes we're but
slightly burnt. not by any means spoil
cd. and it was not without feeling of
pride that we summoned Mr.. Jones to
dinner. | observed that our gravy
cooled very quick, and thought it had Il
peculiar taste also observed that MIR.
Jones made the principal part Of his
dinner Of vegetables and bread (ba-
ker's.) He made no comments, how
ever, but conversed about things in
general with his usual good humor.-
The peculiar taste Of the meat was ac-
counted for, when afterwards discov-
cred that the gray Lucy brought me
was fdHow.
In the meantime, Mrs. Jones grew
worse. The Doctor had visited her and
ordered cruel. The plot thickened
but then, if l had never made Cruel, it
was nothing but meal and water boiled
anybody could make that. When it
was presented to the invalid, she took
two or three spoonfuls, then laid weari-
ly back on her pillow, and said she did
not feel much appetite.
Said the Doctor one day, CA little
veal broth would be good for Mrs.
Jones have you anything in the house
to make it Of" 80, certainly" said
l, "we have some veal left, that was
cooked for dinner" The Doctor laugh
ed outright. People do not usually
make broth of veal that has been
cooked" said he.
The next day Mr.. Jones broug hit
home a good, strong, pleasant looking
woman, who was not above work. l
could have embraced her as she came
in at the door. Our troubles were end
ed for this time, but when I left that
house, had gained two new IDEAS
One was, that there is not time enough
to learn to cook when you are obliged
to the other that a knowledge Of
housework may be convenient even to
those who are not married. You may
think the degree Of ignorance I have
described unusual, but cooking does
not " come by nature" I have some
times thought that the inhabitants Of
those beautiful islands in the Pacific,
of which travellers tell us, must have
delightful time-where a house is a
mere shelter from sun and rain, and
suggests no ideas of brooms and dust
pans, and semi annual cleanings; where
one needs scarcely any more drapery
than a Greek statue, and where, conse-
quently, the weekly basket of mending
never comes round! But for us, there
is no getting rid Of the necessity Of
Homework, until eating and drinking
60 out of fashion, or the temperate
zones take a journey South. In our
climate, a comfortable home must al
ways be thought an essential of civili-
zed life.
After all, there is no picture that
goes to my heart, like that Of kitchen
with white floor, q fireplace, with a
blazing fire and singing tea-kettle,
the table spread for tea, and a sweet,
domestic looking woman, watching and
waiting for the Footsteps of her "good
man." I am aware that this picture is
about as romantic as the a" vine-cov-
cred cottage" but even with the real
life of cooking stove, and an oil-cloth
carpet, the spirit Of the piece remains
the same.
/ believe there is more of what is
called compensation" in life, than
1--WE are apt to imagine. If housework
Is fatiguing, and sometimes puts to
flight all ones more potent ideas, it al
ways brings with it feeling Of salts
faction. The variety which interests,
without overtaxing mind or body, is
Both healthful and cheerful. And now,
! to sum up the whole, homework has got
p be done = and girls, if you are not
do it, who is? S. MARJoRAM
Chester, N. H., Oct. 1857.
inns Evr NIrW or TILE SOLAR SYS-