Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-02-16
VOLUME XXVI

huge market basket, and then eyed tn
large pile of shells on the floor.
"You boil them, of course" was George
answer
"Oh, suppose we go down."
"Well, come along" said George, takin!
| up the basket.
The fire burned brightly; Jennie ha,
| left all in good order, and the prospect wa
| not bad for the amateur cooks.
What do you boil them in, George !?
"Oh, anything"
But where is it?'
:" In some of the closets, guess"
Susy would certainly have tainted coult
she have seen the overhauling of he
neatly arranged closet that followed.
"This ?'' Minnie dragged forth po
large enough to boil about twenty pounds
of meat in.
eyes"
In they went, unwashed.
"Hot water or cold?"
EITHER"
"All right; that's done"
Now the asparagus. How do you fix
ite"
"I wonder if you roast mutton in thi:
thingr sail, George, holding up a lare!pud
ding dish.
81 guess so. Put it on in the oven DOM
you2''
ayes" George determined to find q
book on cookery, written by man, the
very next day.
"You boil asparagus, don't you, George ?'
Yes; here's tin thing that's long and
shallow; guess that's for such things.
And dripping-pan came forth from the
closet.
The asparagus fitted in like charm, as
both men declared, aid water was added
and all set on the range The mutton next
went, on the pudding dish, into the oven
Come let us go up stairs again; its fear
fully hot here,' said George.
But the dinner?"
"Oh, that's got nothing to do but cook
till three o'clock"
ooh, George, here's the potatoesr'
Another pot was produced, and the po
tatoes, with about two gallons of water to
the half peck of Murphies, put on the
fire. Smoking, chatting, reading. though
George declared it was "horrid slow,
and Minnie wondered what ON earth
women did with themselves. Halt past
two brought home three hungry men to
dinner Leaving the cook to dish up
they all adjourned to the parlor to cool
themselves. That it was rather dusty
there was not noticed. Jennie had made
the beds before she left, but dusting the
parlor was Susy's work, and her early
start had prevented her from doing it.
George"-Minnie's voice was doleful
"What?''
"The fires outp
~ wonder if anything is cooked?"
1.-The asparagus is burnt fast to the
pan"
$50 is the meat"
The potatoes ?"
" Broken all to pieces, and floating about
in the water"
"These peas are all mush, Minnie"
Punctuality is the soul of dinner,
cried Joe, from the parlor; ait is ten
minutes past three"
"Go set the table" growied George.
1t was unique in its arrangements, that
table, as the gentlemen set down to din
ner. The meat figured On an enormous
dish, with an ocean of white china sur.
rounding its sunken proportions. The
potatoes, in little Jumps, unskinned, were
piled in a fruit dish; the green mass which
Minnie had with difficulty fished from the
big meat pot was served on a red earthen
plate, and the stalks of asparagus were in
the salad bowl. The table cloth was
awry, and the napkins were omitted al
together.
"Where's the gravys" was Joe's first
question.
"There wasn't any"
The meats burned"
cts stone cold," cried one voice.
What's this?' said third, digging
into pile of peas
:" Faugh!" followed daring attempt te
eat some asparagus.
-
made in day. Give us some bread an6
butter and pickles, George"
No, not pickles, preserves" said Char
ley.
Susy locked both up,' cried Harry, in
dignantly. She declared woman made
them, and if we wanted them we must pre-
pare them ourselves"
Minnie produced the strawberries anG
some sugar, and the gentlemen declared
they had dined superbly.
:" You fellows clear away" said Minnie
"we're tired"
+" You wash up, don't you ?" queried Joe
eyes"
"Where's the water?"
In the hydrant.'.
"What do you wash them in ?"
Pan, l guess"
Away went Joe on voyage of investi
cation, and returned soon with dish full
of cold water. The "leavings," as Harry
termed the remains of their sumptuous re
past, were thrown from the window into
Susy's flower-bed, and armed with bar O
soap and fine damask napkin, Joe begar
to wash up.
How the grease sticks"
Perspiration streaming from every pore
he rubbed manfully at the greasy plates
and if the water was cold he certainly wa.
not
"rve wet my shirt 'front.' Splash
No. 1.
"Good for the white pantsr' Splash
No. 2.
"That went into my eyes; somebody
wipe them my hands are wet. Don't ruf
them out, Halr'
"Come, some of you, and wipe up,'
The table was cleared at last. Five
damp, greasy napkins in the corner O
the room, testified that the dishes wer,
washed and wiped. The water followed
the "leavings," and the quintette sa
down to "cool off" (Do cigars assis
that operation?
Spite of the superb dinner, five inne
men called, like Oliver Twist, for NOR
about seven o'clock
"What's for tea!' Somebody startet
the question.
What's for tea?" Four voices ech
| oed it.
"Let's have coffee; can make coffee,
said George.
And a steak can cook it." said Joe
There's bread and butter" said Harry
George went for the steak; Minnie un
dertook to make the fire; Harry cut tn,
bread Joe set the table, while Charlie,
cleared the kitchen by sweeping the pot
and pans used at dinner into closet
washing being omitted in the operation.
Minnie, blowing and putting making tn
fire, is saluted with:
How it smokesp'
What ails the fire, MINI
Harry discovered the cause, pulled ou
the damper, and merry blaze repaid him
The coffee boiled, the steak sputtered il
the pan, and the men painted, perspired
whistled and used improper words owe
| the heat.
It was good supper, and, piling up tn
dishes which it was "too hot to wash,
the bachelors returned to the parlor.
1t was involuntary, but each pa r of eye
for a moment. rested on the seat Susy wa
wont to occupy. A little music, NOR