The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-05-19

tea; tea helps settle anybody's head, I
have heard mother say. That's all,
believe-no, there's the sauce; there
must be some kind of sauce. Shall it
be apple or cranberry2 For this once.
cranberry; it's an abominable job to
pare apples, and it stains ones hands So
shockingly; and Horace can't endure
stained hands. I'll go and roke fire
now."
And suiting the action to the word,
Nellie, after some search, found the
coal shovel, and put into the stove peck
of coal and an ignited bunch of friction
matches, then stood quietly awaiting the
conhagration which was to ensue. Moth
ing alarming occurred; there was con-
siderable smoke and powerful, strong
smell of birthstone, but no great fire.
She concluded that the matches didn't
get fairly burning, so she tried another
"',nch; and believing this could not fail
of accomplishing her design, she retired
to the pantry as the next field OF opera
ton. After considerable thought on the
subject, she decided to make the pud-
ding first; it would be the most difficult
job, she argued. Well, how was it to
be made9 1.-THE Revised American
Cook Book and Delicate Housewives
Especial and Valuable Friend in Need"
was called in play. There was para
graph on the cover to the effect that you
would find everything worth knowing
within the lids of that invaluable casket
of diamonds; and Nellie fondly believed
that people in general prefer speaking
truth to lie! So she opened the book
in full faith touching its veracity.
"Rice pudding. Put the rice to soak
in luke-warm water, having picked it
clean of all impurities and milk, sugar,
and salt to your taste. A little nutmeg
and a couple of eggs improve it."
Goodness me !" CALCULATED Nellie,
chow am 1 to know anything about it, l
wonder2 How much is little nutmeg9
And how much rice, and milk, and
sugar, will be enougha And, as live,
if there amt the awfulest smut spot upon
my skirt 1 must wash that out the first
thing" And, forgetful of pudding and
dinner, she flew to the wash bowl, and
scrubbed the soiled cambria till its gap
ing threads cried eloquently for quarter.
BY the time this was cleansed she
espied second spot, located on the
sleeve of her dressing. gown, and this
must undergo the same elaborate pro-
cess as the former blemish. When this
much was gone through with, she saw
that the rose on her bosom was in dis
abled condition-the rose itself being
among the missing, and the two delicate
buds broken and wilted. So Nellie had
to go up stairs and get fresh blossom.
Horace admired flowers, and thought
Nellie became them amazingly.
"Now the pudding must be mixed,
for certain" said she, assuming an air
of pretty Importance, which, unfortun-
ately, no one was there to see. Let
me read that recipe over again. Pick
it clean of all impurities l wonder if
that means the water, or the rice. 1t
can't mean the rice, assuredly, for that
is as clean as it possibly can be it is the
double refned-no, double distilled
mercy strange that should forget the
label on the box Well, it is pure rice,
that don't need any picking, any way.
How much rice will it take9 Goodness
1 wish the cook book was little more
definite. Some time, I'll write one my
self, that will give all the particulars to
a teaspoonful. Well, we shall want the
large white dish full; I'll measure it,
and see how much it holds"
And away few Nellie to gauge the
pudding dish, in order to calculate the
quantity needed for the pudding. She
found the plate capable of containing
two quarts, and from this she concluded
that two quarts of rice would be quite
enough. The extravagant item was
measured out, and committed to tin
pan full of water to undergo the soak
ing process, and Nellie surveyed with
dismay what remained in the box.
"Dear me it must be terrible ex-
pense to keep house-here's every bit
of that rice gone for pudding; and
Horace only having $700 year. 1
must try to be very saving. 1 won't
use as much sugar as intended to; and
the recipe says little nutmeg-and L
won't put in so much as that. Economy
is real virtue"
Soliloquizing thus to herself, Nellie
mixed the rice, wnter and all, with q
cupful of milk, teacupful of sugar, two
unbeaten eggs, half cup of salt, and
few grains Of nutmeg. This precious
compound she put into the oven of the
stove and then proceeded to examine the
fire. This was not so easily done, as
there was no fire to be examined. Mel
lie thought she never did see such con-
trary stove in her life; and by way of
improving its contumacious disposition,
she poured two or three spoonfuls of
burning fluid on the coal, and then
touched lucifer to it. The effect was
astonishing; the covers OF the stove
were blown off like beaver hat in a
nor 'wester, and the fire proved to be a
mere +" fash in the pan"
Never mind" said Nellie, in a con-
solatory tone; "I guess it will kindle; !;
there seems to be a small blaze under
neath."
The potatoes were brought next. and
having carefully peeled them, she placed
them in q kettle with some water and
put them over the stove. Then she cut
the steak-and her finger at the same
time and the extraordinary gyration
which she made under the influence of
the pain upset the -four bucket into the
slop-pail and entangled her crinoline in
the hooks of the steelyards which de-
pended from the wall. 1t was long
time before she could break clear from