Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-01-31


There was the best parlor and the best
kitchen opening from it numbers of
1 pantries, closets and cupboards, and
stairs behind the old dresser, leading
! right up to Mrs. Williams own room.
1t Was over the porch, and had VIM
dOws on three sides, which gave her a
view of all who came or went. Her
accounts were kept there in an old
fashioned ash desk, SO were her choice
recipes, and she had them for making
everything. m 81
There was a cupboard set in the
thick walls, its doors not to be distin-
guished from the rest of the wainscot,
in which Mrs. Williams kept the most
rare and curious of her stores. l was
| once permitted to see them as a great
privilege, for she never trusted the
key to any hand but her own. There
| were spices and essences, costly at the
time of my story, but not common yet,
old China which had been brought in
| by the first of the East India Com
pany's ships; mixtures for taking out
stains, powders for destroying moths,
and a poison for rats invented long ago
by some of the Cornish people, and of
terrible nature. So Mrs. Williams
told me, and | cap remember now that
the poison resembled nothing | ever
saw but red pepper, an expensive lux
ury at that time, and kept in the cup
board also. Nf
1t may be believed that / was in
great favor. for not only were her
frnn sy1 r,ac oh hit fnn
with Mrs. Williams in the porch r0clss
every evening. She took kindly to
me from the first, because i exerted
myself to learn housekeeping, which
my mother said was the principal
thing for young woman expecting to
have a home of her own, and still
more because l kept quiet and sober,
and had no looks of levity. Nothing
of that kind would have been allowed
at the Golden Sheaf, inn though it
was, the house being kept with the
greatest propriety. There were no
jokes, and very little gossiping. plenty
of work, for almost everything was
made at home, and a great deal Of
coming and going. Our quietest time
was about the middle Of November,
just before the winter fairly begun.
Then Mrs. Williams got her cattle
killed, and her meat sailed, and most
of the servants were busy about the
work in the yard and buttery.
One close, cloudy day, such as come
so often at the Martinmas time, was
sitting in the best kitchen, close by
the window, doing some needlework,
and Mrs. Williams was in her own
room, settling the accounts, for it was
in the afternoon. The sound of a
horses hOofs upon the road made me
look out, and there was gentleman
handsomely mounted, with servant
after him, as gentlemen had in those
days. They looked as if they had
travelled far, and were coming to rest
at the inn. IEn ~
When the gentleman alighted, saw
he was tall and handsome, somewhere
about thirty-five, and had a jovial,
good natured look, like one who was
well pleased with himself and every
thing about him. He walked in not at
all strange like, and asked me in the
most civil and courteous manner if
Mrs. Williams lived here, and if he
and his servant could have dinner.
The first question was in a low tone,
the second in a louder Key; and before
| could answer it, Mrs. Williams came
down. Judging from her look, he was
quite a new conner. l thought the
gentleman glanced curiously at her at
first, and then. seemingly satisfied that
all was right, repeated his question
about the dinner, saying that he was a
stranger in that part of the country,
but that he had heard so much of the
Golden Sheaf that he wished to stop
and dine at the house.
never saw Mrs. Williams receive
any gentleman with more respect and
ceremony. She courtesied him into
her best parlor, called her hostlers to
help his servant with the horses, took
! his orders for his dinner, and set about
cooking it herself, for the cook was
hard at work in the buttery. My first
notion was that she had discovered
| him to be some great person travelling
in disguise. and half expected to be
| tola of it. Mrs. Williams used to talk
to me good deal when we were alone
| in quiet afternoons; but now she went
on cooking and making things without
saying a word, and there was queer,
| fixed look in her face which | could
not understand, but it kept me from
| talking i laid down my work a1d
rose to make the eel soup, it was one
of those things for which the house
was famouS-a Cornwall dish, | be-
lieve-and had been trusted with the
making of it of late to my great eX-
ultation, but now she stopped me.
"No, Mary; finish your sewing;
| those linens will be wanted. I'll make
the soup myself.
l sewed away, wondering who the