Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-03-19


one of his mothers chicken. pics, so
m going to make one for him.
with thousand injunctions about the
ist, and the gravy, and tho fire, and the |
en-, and With many misgivings, Mrs.
entice withdrew, and Kate, her daugh-
reigned in her stead.
strange day was that, Kate's first inthe
chen. She knew no moro about house
rk than child, or, say by way Of con-
st, than she did about chicken pic. But
stlessness had possessed her of late, that
med to delight in impellng her into all
is Of queer frerlis, and this was one.
had scorned word Of advice when
ther was there, but once she was gone,
nbly and helplessly she sought the one
k-book the house afforded, and with its
by some means or other, when night
ne the pie was done. In spite of torif
ss, and burned apron, and steam
ded wrist, and certain other disagreea-
evidences of awkward working, Kate
radiant with happiness as at last she
k the pie from the oven. She thought 4
'kod spiendidiy, though II was DaasssS
Drched on one side.
That had happened while she had in pro-
IS Of watching the baking, dropped into
hair TO rest, and thus dropped into
rerie, and had thought how if it only
Puld be true, which she half suspected,
so earnestly hoped, that Charley did
Q her, and If he should tell her so, and
y should get married and go to house,
Pping in just the coziest little house, even
harley was poor so they couldn't afford
Keep girl, how nice it would be to do
work all herself, and how because he
ed it so she would every day of the year
ie chicken pie.
Oh, myl it's burningr' And the rever-
topped, and the oven door came down,
out came the burned pie but as Kate
Sed at it proudly, though u little sadly,
went back to the last sentence of the
erie and modified it somewhat. Il think
ont have it but once week, and even
is burned think he would like it if 1
de it,
fr. Prentice returned at evening with
wife, and was told by her of the events
the day. They went together to look at
pie.
ph Mr.. Prentice, never can have such
polking pie go on to my table, said the
del housekeeper.
Yh, yes, mother, it might look good
deal worse; but I'll just step down early
to the market, and have some nice things
sent home, which you will make all right
you know. We mustn't let Kate spoil all
her chances by poor dinner.
The next day came, and with it Charley
Adams, and the dinner was one of Mrs.
Prentice's best, so that Charley was in cap
ital humor when he reached the pie, and
declared at was years since he had eaten
such chicken PIER He might, with equal
truth, have said he never had eaten such
chicken pie for the crust was tough as well
as burned, and Kate had been in a reverie
somewhat while making as well as baking,
so she had forgotten the salt, and 1t was in
deed worry poor pie. But what is it Nir-
gil says-"Love seasons all things" ?-even
chicken pie.
so Charley ate 1t just az If it was kis
mothers best, and Kate was radiant with
happiness.
After dinner, Mr.. Prentice said slyly to
his wife. ITS all right. A man must be
pretty thoroughly in love with a woman tc
eat such pie as that with so good grace.
| And Mrs. Prentice said, IT'S just as I al
ways told you, Kate's no faculty
Tut tut said Mr.. Prentice once more
never you fear. You'll see the woman il
her yet
And it was all right. Out under the star
that night, Kate's reverie came true-an(
Charley told her once more that he loveC
chicken pie, and her great deal better, ant
that she, and she only, must make it 70
him all his life, and they decided about tn
cottage and Kate's dreams that night wer
a medley of cottages, and bridal dresses
and chicken pies.
They had been married a year, and til
honeymoon had shone as steadily as if
had been heightened by special dispensi
tion. But it waned at last, as it alway
does, and the conflict of life began.
Let the honeymoon be longer or shorte
the first few months that followit are as IL
crucible in which every woman's heart
tried as by fire, and they prove most abunt
antly of what metal she is. When she fir
wakens from the rosy dreams of love to
a consciousness of some of the hard facts
, life-when it dawns upon her that
4 'Iife's not precisely
a The thing that her fancy pictured 80 nicely"
her hero is not exactly as she had draw
/ him, that he is very material after all, al
cbiaNv Iilas 10 ba ,noda axcaadin1ly 40,
t Portable, and considers that he got wife
Il make him so and if she does not succe
= in doing so he has been ill-used Of fate, al
v usually expresses himself pretty energ,
It ically upon the subject; the fire turns m,
q women TO dross. A few tears are sh
}. when they realize the fact that their loy
RI has passed with the days that made h
d such, and then they lapse into indifleren
X and turn back to the world, and its Pile
d ures, and seek for the light of other ey
q and all the old fond dreams of "love in
s| cottage" are buried forever.
;. But Kate was pure gold. She shed
tears like other women, and then she sal
At Shall win his love and not keep itH
fail Of happiness now, it is lost for all !
l. life; 1t shall be mine And bravely did
struggle for II.
Id Kate's great grief was that Charley
tn had mother. Not but that in the cou
as Of nature he would have been expected
n have, but this mother was great cook, q
IS. Charley had become wholly possessed W
he the idea that no one could cook like
mother. Now Kate had made long V
I to the mother soon after her marriapa ,