The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1870-03-31

$1,000. ..s...-.a... .--~..-.--.~---.-.-------
exultation, "dop't be astonishcd at any
little surprise l mayhave in store for
you tomorrow morning"
''Surprise!"
But Harry was off before the dissyl
able had fairly passed Mary's lips
ut WILDE Jolly fun" thought Harry.
With the first gray GAVIN Of tie chill
" winter morning Harry Kncller was
up and stirring, with vivid remem.
brance of the laurels he WAS to reap by
that mornings work.
"Where are the oysters?' pondered
he, carefully holding the skirts of his
morning wrapper, so that the fire
should not endangcr them. ooh, l re
member! ! left them ont on the piazza
And he made rush for tho piazza.
Frozen, by Jupiter! just my luck,
exactly frozen like a rock However,,
they're easily thawcd oul again, on a
good hot fire, and I'll put the coffee
stewing too. don't Know Just exact
ly what the regulation Iations Of coffee
arc, buff I I'll the pot half full, it can't
help being strong
Mr.. Kneller made Il liberal apportion-
ment o; coffee, filed up the pot with
water, and placed it on the hot GOALS
with countenance expressive ofgrcat
satisfaction; while close beside it the
pail Of frozen oysters was exposed to
the genial influences Of caloric.
"They'll boil like ginger pretty
soon," thought Harry. "And now I'll
stir up buckwheat or SOL know
where Matte keeps the bag Of -four"
Stir up buckwheat or So sounds
remarkably easy, but Mr. Kneller found
it moro difficult task chan he had ap
pretended.
"I-don t--see-w hcre--the hitch
is" slowly .soliloqui2ed oar hero.
ut ought to foam over, with little bub-
bles on the top--at least Mates al
ways does. Perhaps the cold weather
makes difference Halo! I've for
gotten all about potatoesN'
But not u potato could be found, and
Harry Kncller, with all The originality
ola great mind, fell bacl; on q pan i
withered yellow turnips, four in NUN
Der, which he put boiling in prodj-
gious iron pct, with the cover safely
held down By u couple of lat-mons.
1T will boil all the sooner thou. 1T
Harry, re1cctiyely cycling his oyster;
land where the -four barrel is, III be
hanged if | know "Ah-h! there it IS
under the cellar shelf"
And Harry plunged his oyster down
into the white powdery depths, bring
ing it up an obIong sphere Of snow.
CHATS the time Of day! Now, my
fine fellow, cook away at your leisure,
while l give your brothers white jack.
cts too! This is certainly romaha-
bly fine article Of -four! How fragrant
the coffee smells, Here's q little
drawback irying pan not big enough
to hold the oysters. Never mind
we'll put 'em in first aud second series,
like volume Of popular essays.
Mr.. Harry Kneller paused TO wipe
the streaming Precipitation from his
brow. Half past six! Ma1y would
soon be athomc now--tAa surprise
must really be accelerated
Il really think the oysters must be
done on one side now sgji Harry,
cycling the frying pan scientifically, and
making dive ut its contents with MS
fork. Halo. why, They're as hard It's
bullets! What on earth is the matter 2
lie stared with disc0matcl eyes at
the round aIamantiuc balls that he had
imagined juicy hearted oysters!
"rm not bewitchcd, an ? he pom
dercd. "l've heard ofmonay changing
to dry leaves, but never heard Of oys
ters being transformed to stone! II
can't be possible that By Jove! il
is possible, and I've been and gone and
lone it! I've drcdged my oysters ii
the barrel Of plaster of Paris that was
brought in for the garden, instead o.
the flour. Here's pretty bhnnder
All the oysters spoiled !-~twenty-fyc
of 'em, at five cents apiece and al
through my confounded stupidity"
And at the same moment the spou
of the Britannia coffee pot parted com
pany with its main reservoir, and tht
coffee grounds. water, and meltin!
metalpoured into the fire in conliIse'
steam. ashes and noise
While Harry Kneller gazcl at thit
chaos with dim idea that it would bt
best to eyacuate the kitchen prompt,
before the occurrence of any NOR
disasters, the two fal-irons, impellc'
by some unforeseen hydraulic pressure
few up against the ceiling, coming
noisiy down among china cups an
piled up plates, the pot-cover follow