The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-10-05
THE WEDDING GOOSE.

In these days tue law of marriage was
| very strict. Fourteen days public notice
of an intention to commit ma.rimony was
required and the clergyman, or the JUS
tice, who performed the marriage cere-
sseny witiolt having received a certificate
to the effect that said public NOTICE ha0
been duly given, was liable to heavy peg
| atty.
Augustus Sebastian Walpole had long
loved and adored Mics Mary Elpira Al
lard and it had for some months been
| fixed that they should be wed on Christmas
evening, and Sebastian looked out that his
''intention" was published in due season.
He regarded it as a most Enomentops affair,
and he entered upon the preliminariss with
mach fear aud trembling.
As Christmas drew near, preparations
for the happy event were made. Mary
would not be married at her Own home,
and her stepmother was very glad when
she heard the decision so it was arranged
that the ceremony would take place at Sc
bastian's, and Nary's younger sister Polly
went over to keep Ler company, and ~
help her in the labor of preparation for
she was determined with her own hands to
prepare the wedding feast.
Christmas would come on Thursday
They were to be married at six o'clock in
the evening, and after that the wedding
feast was to be served.
There was not grown person at Day
ton Center who had not heard of Mary AL
lard's ,"Smothered .Goose.' Nobody else,
since Mary's own mother died, could smoth-
er-roast goose like her. The process was
not oily a mystery, but so exact we're the
CULINARY leQpiremep that, few could ac-
quire the art.
The .oase. cooked in this way came uoep
the table brown, sweet, tender. excessively
Juicy, and without a particle OF that pecu-
liar oily flavor that renders goose and duck
SO unpalatable to some. OF course sDoth-
cred goose was 20 be the main dish of the
feast aud that Mary might have goose
worthy of her skill, Sebastian bad selected
one several months before, from a flock
owned by a friend at the Center, and this
friend was to shut it away from its mates a
few weeks before it would be wanted, and
give it extra food.
Wednesday caiuer-the- sybessre Christ
mes-aad after dinner Sebastian hi;ched
old Dobbin to the .sleigh, and made ready
to start for the Center, there to get his mar
riage certificate, his goose, aud various
other articles too numerous to mention
one of which, however, was gallon of
good, old Madeira wine. And here let me
make remark;
Mary had suggested that they must have
some wine at the wedding. She was not
herself in favor of its use but what would
folks think ?" Sebastian scratched his
head, and hesitated.
."Plague take the ,tarnal stuff ~ he said,
styou know I've had too Much of it in my
day, Mary. I've sp,orE that I'D Geyer
bl Jug another drop into the house."
but only this time, Sebas ian. y OF
need not drink it, you know; but only
think what folks will say If we have no
wine.'
Il don't care what all the folks in .crea-
tion say, only you, Molly; and seeing as
YOU want it, it shall be had"
"Thank vou, my love-" and she kisset.
him, little thinking what a temptation SIZE
was throwing in his way.
Sebastian went to the village, which was
called DAYTON Center, and the first thing
/. he did was to Ezait upon the town clerk aud
get his.certitcate.
cts lucky you came just as you did,
Sebastian" said the clerk, as he handed
over the certificate, 'for L am gong TO
Taftsbury to spend Christmas, ana stop
the week out. ours is tue oniy ceteno"so
I've got, aud that was made out so long
ago that I'd entirely forgotten it. 1 should
have been off in half al hoqr, and "a folks
wouldn't have known anything aooSt VI.
However, it's all right now.
From, the clerks Sebastian went to his
friend Burke's and got the goose. And 1t
was .beauty-all picked and finished OF
as smooth and fair as chicken;
aTell Mary that Eve cleaned it All out
inside" said Mrs. Burke. Shell know
my work and when Susan Burke says ?
goose is clean, shell! know It's clean"
Lemons, sugar, spice, nuts. raisins; and
then came the last item in the list, Que gal
Ion of Madeira wine.
Taste of that, old fellow cried the
STORE keeper, holding up q tumbler half
fuII of the clear, blushing liquid.
That was before the days of the Maine
Law and Adultefation.
Sebastian tasted of it-tasted again
snacked his lips, and slipped again.
..oon,t be afraid of it, That's the stuff
tba at puts life and vigor into a man."
Il G t.-r;o, y II down