The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-29
surprised"

The evening train was just starting for |
its Journey out into the solitudes OF conn
try wilds. when tall handsome man of
seven or eight and twenty darted franiically |
into the depot and swung himself, after a |
rather pcrilous fashion, upon the platform
of the moving cars.
~ Il saved myself!' was his complacent |
remark, as he settled hihself on the velvet
cushion, under the lamp.
"Yes-eXactly- commented gem
tleman who sat opposite 81 tell you what,
Harry Knrler, shouldn't repeat that kind
of experiment very often, if | were you"
'Wel YOU see, v as in n greet hurry
have been getting little surprise for my
wife, and somehow | got behind time"
"A surprise. eh
.'Y III See went IN Mr.. Kneller, CON
fidentially leaning over toward his friend,
'she's exceedingly fond of fried oysters
and up in this county we never set any Of
that sort of thing
$50 that's the secret of the pail, chr
said George Arden, 'Gughng good humor-
edly."
Mr.. Kneler, on getting home, deposited
his precious burden carefully in the corner
of the porch and walked in with q noncha-
liant air.
man came to meet him, and put up a roay
mouth to be kissed; 'supper ready?"
'Ycs-anl am so glad you come home
earl, Harry, for Mrs. Evarts is sick, and
they want me to sit up with her tonight"
''All right" said Harry. $50 by all
means, my pet!
And he rubbed his han $, thinking glee-
fully of the fine field he should have for
his surprise
81 will be back before seven tomorrow,
Harry" went on Mary Kneller, making a
musical clinking among the china tea cups
and saucers, sand you shall have your
breakfast in time for the train
"Shall ~ thought Harry, nearly chok-
ing himself with scalding tea, in his strong
sense of the implied joke.
Couldn't have happened better" he
pondered, as he toasted his slipper soes
before the fire, while Mary was washing
the china, and lowering about the apart
ment on household thought intent-for Mr..
and Mrs. Harry Kneller were young peo-
pie of limited income; and had not yet as
pired to the dignity of "holp'-"no; it
couldn't possibly have happened better
A fair field and no favors and when Mat
tie comes back tomorrow morning, she'll
find breakfast ready, fried oysters and all,
or I'm uncommonly mistaken! Won't it be
Jolly surprise?"
"Good gracious, Harry what are you
doing?" CALCULATED Mary, as her husband
gave vent to a very audible chuckle. "What
pleases you so much?"
"Pleases me? Nothing said Harry try
ing to look austere all of a sudden, and ut
tering, "I-I was thinking how lonely l
should be without you"
So Mrs. Harry Kneller tied little white
cashmere hood over her brown ringlets,
and enveloped hersclfi in prodigious Scotch
plaid shawl, and tripped away under her
husbands arm to Mrs. Evart's abode.
"Good night, darling!' said Harry,
STOPPING to kiss her rosy checks at the
door,
"Good night, Harry
Sand / say Mattie,' pursued Kneller,
don't be astonished at any little surprise
may have in store for you tomorrow morn
ing"
"Surprise?"
But Harry was off before the dissyllable
had fairly passed Mary's lips.
ut will be jolly fun!" thought Harry
With the first gray dawn of the chilly
winter morning Harry Kneller was up and
stirring, with vivid remembrance of the
laurels he was about to reap by that morn
ings work.
"Where are oysters?" pondered he, care
fully holding the skirts of his morning
wrapper, SO that lhe fire should not endau-
ger them. ooh, remember left them
out on the piazza"
"Frozen, by Jupiter Just my luck ex-
actly frozen like rock. However, they
are easily thawed out again on a hot fire
and | will put the coffee stewing too. /
don't know just exactly what the regulation
patiOnq nf nnttaa but if I All ba
half full it can't help being strong"
Mr.. Kneller made liberal appointment
of coffee, filled up the pot with water, and
placed it on the hot Goals with counter.
ance expressive of great satisfaction; while
close beside it in the pail the frozen oysters
was exposed to the genial influence of ca
loric.
They'll boil like ginger pretty soon,"
thought Harry. A"nd now I'll stir up
buckwheat or SOL know where Matte
keeps the bag of flour"
"Stir up buckwheat or so" sounds re-
markaby easy-but Mr.. Kneler found it a
more difficult task than he had apprehend-
ed.
"I-don't- see-where- the-hitch is.
1t ought to foam over, with little bubbles
on the top-at least Maities always does.
Perhaps the cold weather makes Il differ
encc. "HalloO! I've forgotten all about
potatoes
But not a potatoe could be found, and
Harry Kneiler with all the originality of a
great mind, fell back on pan of wthered
yellow turnips, four in number which he
put boiling in prodigous iron pot, with
the cover safely held down by couple of
hatirons.
SIT will boil all the sooner" thought
Harry. Nothing like economy of heat.
Now then for the oysters!"
The frying pan was literally Amounted
with butter and placed on the fire, and
Harry began operations by impaling a fat
halftrozen oyster on the prongs of a fork.
"They dredge 'em in flour first, thought
Harry, renechvely cycling his oyster; ''and
where the flour barrel is, I'm hanged If |
know Ah-h there it is under the cellar
shelf"
And Harry plunged his oyster down into
the white powdery depths, bringing it up an
oblong sphere of snow.
"That's the time Of day! Now my fine
fellow cook away at your leisure, while
give your brothers white jackets too. This
is certainly remarkably fine flour. How
fragrant the coffee smells Here's a little
draw back-frying pan not big enough to
hold the oysters. Never mind; we'll put
'em in first and second series, like volume
of popular essays"
Mr. Harry Kneler paused to wipe the