Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-11-26


was genuinely polite, and endured the minister.
Piooaoiy as conducive to the coming weight OF
glory.
They went at last: Cord and Chench ob.ur-
ateiy refusing to be protected from the cool
night ali, and fighting rebcllously VITA cloak
and hat-suiugs; Phebe Nash having secured
inc recipe for the chicken ointment, aad MIS-.
Muscher the opportunity 20 sing.
lplled up basket of eatables for Jim Niles
and Sandy Crup; and, shutting the door upon
the last guest, turned upon John and said, Sc
yerely, /" Those pigs came" as II their arr val
was the last feather in the back-breaking pro-
cess.
Johns reply was foreign to the subject:
% believe that Hobbs is a rascal, Berenice.
The man tell me they have, not been paid for
some time, and everything Is at loose ends"
"what does Hobbs says
" He is plausible, and makes the worst appear
the better reason. He wishes to defer matters.
But am determined to push inquiries"
Six months-a year-passed away; and one
fine morning in October Hobbs was among the
missing. The funds of the company were at
the lowest ebb. IL was ascertsined that the
mine at Greaser's Flat had been mortgaged by
the fraudulent manager far beyond its value,
and affairs looked discouragingly blue.
oohns immediate supervision had rendered
that at Yankees Forge remunerative. But ex-
lenses were so heavy, repairs were so frequently
demanded, and money was obtained at such
high rates OF interest, that the pecuniary reali-
cations were small, in comparison with the for
ties of making at the Bay.
felt as if we were deteriorating every day,
from the want of moral instruction, and intel
shocked me. and became accustomed to habits
OF expression which were unrefined and inele-
CANT. Music was neglected, and the only draw
ings devoted my time to, were caricatures, for
l meant to prepare, a Christmas present for
John, an illustrated manuscript, to be entitled
Cream" a country sketch, embodying nv
domestic mishaps-which were amusing in the
abstract, but demoralizing to my AVAILABILITY.
Realities pressed hard upon us both; but we
were young and hopeful, and found many re-
deeming points in the lite we had chosen. We
tramping over the hills, gun In hand, beside
John, shouting quail and rabbits or gallOping
with him on my fleet little pony, had become a
daily exercise. The longing to return to the
city was less unfortunate: and, but for an acct
dent, we might still have been INDUCED in great
expectations at Yankees Force.
Neighbor Miles had promised to lend her ready
help when killing-time came. The first pig had
been sold, and replaced by another, who waxed
fat as hts end drew near.
Hobbs's man having returned to the Forge,
we hired him to butcher the poor thing; and at
ter a day spent at the mine, we came back, to
find the corpse stretched from q rafter In the
barn, with CHASTITY slit cut iengthwise through
its carcass, and corn-cob inserted tantalizingly
across its mouth.
"Miss Niles said Is how she'd be oyer in the
m0rnin," maam, an III see that she's cut up"
OF course, he meant the pig; but Hobbs's man
was not choice in his modes of expression.
Alas for human expectations! In the morn
ing Jim Niles was struggling with cholera NOR
that he and Tandy Crup had Toasted on canned
lobster, big slice of fruit cake, cheese and
olives, which they had buried, after his mars
the sepulchral flavor of which rather upset Jim,
but left Tandy no bilious twinges. The poor
little chap was brought round at last. and in
constant attention to him, had quite forgotten
the dead thing at home waiting to be converted
into winter stores. A severe indSposition pros
trated Mrs. Niles, and L searched Yankee
Forge over for help remembering mother
having TO do all her own chores, with fearfrI
forebodings of disappointment. The only wO-
man in the place who went out had mort ally
offended by not asking to partake at my table
when employed her. and Hobbs's man had
gone up to the canon for a week, having first
cut her up
Fragments of pork were laid out in every con-
ceivable shape in the ktchen-hams Shoulder,
head and feet, chine and spare rib; slices OF
white Fat were piled in tub, and a large iron
caldron had been borrowed from the butcher to
bile down the lard
60 Is this all one pig. john"
Certainly, my dear. l always told you hsw
profitable il was to keep hog"
wish we had continued to keep her, then
for I'm sure don't know how to cure her, now
she is dead"
An idea seized my good liege: "You make
the lard and sausage, and the butcher can DO all
''Thst is just it; all we have to do is to melt
the fat and put plenty OF sage i'm the sausage"
Wo Sin began to gather up what was to be
sent DulCueT, Wnlle L TOOK ptlue the
thought that was quite equal to the prepare
ton of the rest. A large package of pulverized
herbs hung I'm the store room, and carefully Sc
lecting one marked, sage" l awaited the chop
ped meat, with which my handy Chinaman ere
long returned. Emptying the contents of the
package into ;t, with abundance of salt and
pepper, / made little Cakes OF sausage, with
confidence i'm their excellence, directing them
cooked for supper, and leaving the lard for next
mornings work.
81 hope you are hungry, John. We are go
some to neighbOr Niles, and to the minister, and
all round; We have such quantity"
Hungry as a hunter" was the response, as
the sizzle from the frying pan and the smell OF
coffee permeated the whole house.
We sat down. A successful achievement in
culinary matters was always an event to me, for
in this respect was self made, and had as much
cOmplacency as a self-made man.
Phebe Nash came in as1we drew UP to the ia
bic, and urged her to stay, for she was such a
tattler knew she would tell how good they
were, and had not forgotten her enjoyment OF
the chicken gravy, We had ever since called
John helped literally, and 1 watched for his
verdict.
1t was given in sudden contortion of counte-
nance, followed by spasmodic heave, which
induced precipitate retreat. Phebe tasted,
and followed, though thought it strange she
should run after my husband in that way. But
heard John exclaim: Tansy anC rue! by all
that's good" Uplifting my mOrsel on the fork
exercised my sense of smelling upon the aspi-
IdliOn Vi the udy 1dIlSy anu sure enough.
And the bitterness did not eliminate here. Nv
rapid Thought dwclt for an instant on each
neatly covered dish had sent round with my
compliments and imagination pictured the
commiseratIng tones Of" Poor Mrs. Blank
man! she never did know anything about cook
ing; OF, " That's what comes of bein' literary
or. worse still, cts no wonder Blankman
don't make good livin' with a woman ALWAYS
DRAWN and paintin and leayin' things about
the house to her Chnaman." 1 thought l
should sink, and although John tried to cover
ny modification, il was evident his appetite for
home made sausage was gone forever.
flew to the pantry to inspect the herb-bag
There was the sage neatly marked, while sig
nificant ~ reminded on the torn wrapper con-
tanning what was left of my seasoning.
"ODly mistake. Don't YOU feel glad il was
not pOson?" was the charitable comment of
Neighbor Niles. But no one else alluded to
sausage in my presence, and the empty dishes
were returned without thanks.
The lard ruined US, or liberated us, l have
scarcely made mp my mind which At all
events, if ended the experiment of living in the
country, and was the indirect cause of John
selling out his mining interests at Yankees
Forge.
WO Sin had set 1t away in an immense crock
to cool, and finding tin cans more easily man
aged. told him to melt and pour it into them.
The process was going on. But Just as he was
dipping the first ladleful into his can, I hap
TO- l. - :