Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-04-27
AsHTABULA OHIO, FRIDAY, April. o. 1871

contain all there was to know, ex-
eept some dry facts and figures that
defed it-such as the multiplication
table. He was looking back at the
group of girls round Mrs. Hounslow
telling their fortunes.
'Flies around honey" she said,
"all eager for a mother-in -law;" and
she looked up at him and laughed.
i hate mother-in-law," she added
presently. 81 am so glad nv moth
er died when l was born-mv hus-
band will never have that to com
plain of !' They were sweet lips for
such brutal sentiments. Lawrence,
in his historical parallels, did not
think that possibly Lucrezia Borgia's s
were as sweet.
elbow it rains!" she said, as the
sleet struck the panes.
Sand l suppose every variation of
the weather affects person sensi-
lively strung as you are"
"Oh yes" said Flora. lifting her
great eyes. "AGd it does so spoil
your boots"
1t was only beauty that filed the
gaps of such conversation. Present.
ly some one was calling, ''Flora =
where is she? Such a capital idea!
What do you think =? We are each
one to get up dinner" cried Kate
Farley, looking in. "Come and hear
about it-only l stipulate that mine
shall be last"
81 protest, said Lawrence, as they
joined the group, against the prac-
tice of any such mysteries, Wilder
and me excluded"
'That's right" chimed in Wilder,
the young millionaire, who had been
added to the party for the sake of
equipoise.
"Mr. Wilder" said cousin Fanny,
sepulchrally, ''some day.when you
are cast away on a desert island and
your wife cannot even make john
ny-cake-"
"Does that desert island mean
matrimony?" asked Louise, slyly, of
cousin Fanny.
"And when cast away on it," said
Mrs. Hounslow, "is it that the cook
and the house-maids have struck
hands and struck work ?''
"Well, if this is to be-" said Law.
renee, "yOu will at any rate inter
sperse puddings with picnics, roasts
with rides, marmalades with moon
light-are there any more allitera-
tives, Miss Louise?"
GAS much," said his mother, Gas
you can intersperse in a weeks
gale"
'Gt's ridiculous" said Flora, turn
ing away, now with young Wilder.
81 wish there wasn't any such thing
as a kitchen"
"And yet" said Mrs. Hounslow,
looking after her refectively, 81
should think she would have a ge-
MUS for cookery; she has cooks
build-the typical cooks" !"
Lawrence's eyes were blazing, but
his mother went calmly on. 'Well,
it's an experiment; we shall have to
suffer for it-nOaGs aastres. What a
farce Kate's dinner will be!-salt in
the whipped cream, and sugar in the
msyonnaise-but Flora's will be
go&d."
"Good enough" said cousin Fan
nv. with a sniff. "AnV plutton must
cook"
The storm setting in Justify, there
was a fine season for the amateur
cooks, who were going about with
culinary literature next day, like
nuns with their missals, Lawrence
said. ''Enchanted into book-worms,
we are to eat our way through these
volumes," he said.
The first dinner, was of course, an
absurd failure, being Kate's; but
|. they made so merry over it that 1t
seemed, as Kate declared, better
than if it had been good. Louise re-
placed it on the following day by
one as exquisite as any little French
dinner, so perfectly prepared and so
perfectly served that Lawrence look
ed with an amazed respect at the
little being in his mothers place,
whose genius had ordered it all, and
who was as composed as if she had
merely threaded her needle. The
next day it was Miss Furlong's turn,
and certainly more bewitching pic
ture Of cook than she made, with
her hair tied under the prettiest of
caps, her soft arms bare, with all
their dimples, and her white apron
wrapping her from head to foot,
could hardly be drawn.
"Mrs. Hounslow, never knew a
iollier idea than this sitting in judg-
ment on pretty caps and choice dish
es," said young Wilder.
"a fine way to be stayed with
fagons and comforted with apples"
said Lawrence.
"Well," said his mother, "there
are Flora's and some others in re-
serve; and after them what do you
say to a dinner by cousin Fanny"
'It would be peppery," said Law
renee, for the estimable lady had not
yet come down.
"And tart" said Mr.. Wilder.
"And well seasoned" said Law
renee, again.
Pastry short and bread crusty, :"
said Mr.. Wilder.
'For shame!" exclaimed Louise
and Kate. "As if any crumb of 1t
ould not be a dish fit for the
gods y''
"But why should this affair be so
one-sided?" asked Mr.. Wilder.
True enough. Men command high
wages as cooks" said Lawrence,
"wbv should we let such chance go
by {? have made up my mind: if
these young ladies are to be seques-
trated, for one shall join the Sc
ouestration. Miss Furlong, l put on
a paper cap and serve with you to-
day. Wilder, set your cap for te-
morrow and Miss Maria. Not word
to the griffin. Here she comes. You
see we are waiting for you, cousin
Fanny, and Hebeis cup-bearer; they
1 l. nd u0Tf -