The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-12-28

pany, tnls ulteruoon! Anu NV uih-
ner, too p Hot dinners are Injuries
nowadays. See here, will youl" pull
ing from out his basket a round OF
beef.
Uncle William eyed it gloomily.
"Beefsteak for New Years dinner !"
muttered he.
"Beefsteak isn't to be despised-not
if it's tender and juicy as this, replied
Joe, making an incision in the beef with
his pocket-knife, and watching the Juice
start out with an expression of keen
qualification. -
mot in our present situation, / know
it, Joe that's The sting of IL. don't
blame you, Joe but L can't help think
ing how it used to be with me.
Here Uncle William attempted NOV
ing one of his limbs, hit his foot against
chairback, and cried out with pain.
Joe slapped his steak upon the table,
brought Uncle William his liniment,
and then pirouetted off into his bed
room-three minutes, and he was back
again, in suit the patches whereof at
tested the fact that he did his own mend
ing, as we'll as cooking. ~
"Now, we must have dinner in
iify, uncle. Then I'm going to give the
room thorough cleaning up; and after
that, if Mrs. Dowd brings up the wash
ing, I'll sew up the holes in the stock
ings, while you read aloud"
"You know can't read aloud, Joe !; it
puts me out of breath, " snapped Uncle
William.
''No more you can't. How forgetful
in me Well talk, then, and have
good time just the same"
Uncle William grunted derisively,
and fingered his swollen and bandaged
toes
Joe shook down the ashes in his stove,
turned on pile of coal, brushed out
the oven and tumbled in half dozen or
more potatoes From suspicious-look
ing depths beneath the table he drew
forth gridiron, which he began scrap
ing vigorously, meanwhile talking
briskly-whether to himself or Uncle
William it would have been difficult to
decide.
I" It's miserable way to leave grid
iron, without cleaning; but what can
fellow do who has as many irons in the
fire as I have ?-breakfast to get and
clear away, rooms to tidy up, dinner to
be laid out, Mrs. Dowd's water to be
brought, Uncle Williams feet and legs
to be bound up, and may be run to
the druggists or the doctors. Hang it
all fellow can't be as nice about all
these little particulars as he'd like to be.
He must once in while neglect his
gridirons. .--.r.
Joe soon had his steak sputtering on
the iron, it's grateful odor mingling
with that of the coffee on the stove, and
overpowering the perfume of Uncle
Williams liniment. He then jerked the
table a few inches from the wall, spread
over it stiffly-starched and highly-blued
"best" tablecloth, set on the dishes
spasmodically, and, just as the little
mantel-clock rang out IL, he announced
dinner, and offered to assist Uncle
William to the table.
The process of getting Uncle William
to the table in good order was no mean
one. First, the two chairs in which his
limbs reposed were one after the other
moved slight distance; the large chair
in which he sat followed them carefully;
then the small chairs made another for
ward move, and by degrees the entire
establishment was brought alongside
the table.
cts all piping hot, and I've had
splendid luck with the gravy y cried
Joe, sitting down and helping Uncle
William with a liberal hand.
"Joe," said Uncle William, peevishly,
So amt up near enough"
Joe hoped up, and drew the three
chairs gently, one after another, an inch
or two nearer the table, then bobbed
down Ia his place again.
You'll take two potatoes, l think,
Uncle William, and"
"Joe," interrupted Uncle William,
"won't you just hist up those pillows
at my back, and put the big one at the
bottom and the little one at the top ?"
"Dear me, uncle p cried Joe, flying
at the pillows. "How careless L am
1t seems to me 1 never shall remember
about those pillows You see I'm think
ing 50 much as to whether you'll like
the dinner or not the pillows slip my
mind"
Joe, said Uncle William, as soon as
Joe was again seated, 81 wish you'd
just take that cushion out from under
my left leg and slip it around under the
right one."
Joe dropped his gravy-ladle and
whisked around to the cushion.
Careful, now-careful, Joe," said
Uncle William, dividing his attention
between Joe and the forkful he was
making up. "Now, under the other
one-not so high up-a little lowerdown
oh, dear Can't you get it right
There, now And won't you Just wrap
that corner Of the shawl around them
again?"
Back came Joe, and, not in the least
discouraged, began his dinner.
Uncle William, as he the second time
passed his plate, groaned CT can't
help thinking of the New Years dinners
I've eaten in years gone by-such DIM
ners as you never dreamed of, Joe. Lit
tie did L anticipate should ever come
to this"
But just think how much better
this is than nothing We're going to
have biscuit and grapes for dessert; and
you've the best thing yet to learn, I'M
Gle, cried Joe, exultantly. "This isn't
our regular New-Year's dinner. This is
only an installment. We're going tn