Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-12-25
AUNT PRUE'S DINNER.

"Sour preau again, uehI, hA" v
rather growled Walter Allison, a rls
Ing young lawyer NJ he pashed hi
plate away.
"Do you think it il sour Wallyf i
seems to me only to taste u little o.
the yeast"
"Yeast 7 There's is always an OK
cuse yon know. 1t wasn't yeast thai
made the coffee bitter yestcr-
day."
"But it hasn't been bitter before iol
months"
sit should never be. 1t seems TO
Inc n woman has time enough to at
tend thoroughly to these tria'ng mat
ters. Inever knew my Aunt Prue to
make u mistake. Pray write to he'
and get her receipt for bread 1t was
the lightest, sweetest--"
He looked up in astonishmcnt. Bes
sy his loving little Bessy, had rushed
from the room.
"Alwaya Aunt Prue Always
Aunt Prne !" cried Bsssy w"lL+ss the
floor Of her, chamber. ..dlstractedly. I'm
so tired of fault,fnding, when ! am dc
ing my best. I'm almost sorry
But no II will not say that for, better
for worse Oh dear me | will write
to Aunt Pruc, and tell her all abou,
| it."
As she sat down TO her little writ.
ing desk a thought occurred to her
which provoked a perplexcd and yet
amused smile, and her pen was speed
ly at work. We will only copy sen
tence or two.
"I know that 'Wally' Is the apple OF
your eye, as indeed is mine, but has beer
so accustomed to your excellent house
keeping, to 'be cooked and cared for ai
he says by his dear Aunt Prue, that he
is a little, just little, exacting. ! know
was Il poor hOusekeeper when we were
married, then he was SO very patient that
could but try and do my best to improve,
and having put heart and will into the
wolk, 1 think my Efforts have been sue
cessful. Indeed do my best to please
him, but
You cannot tell with what delight l look
forward to your long-promised visit. We
have talked Of 1t for weeks-baby, Walter
and land our little one has learned some
sweet words of welcome for Aunt Prue.
They sound so prettily from her cherry
lips!
But to the point Walter Is q good
husband, Oh, don't think that like to
speak of q single fault but I mrst tell
you how he disheartens me. When think
have seasoned some: favorlte dish en-
tirely to his liking, he is sure to find that l
full in something. 'Wait till Aunt Prue
comes Just ask Aunt Prue how she does
this or that or I'D give halfIm worth,
which amt much, poor fellow-'to taste
one of Aunt Prue's nice dinners, Now
Aunty as we expect you here next week
for the New-Year's holiday have been
thinking Of asking you II you will cook
the New Years Day dinner, without Wal
ter's knowledge Of course,
'Saucy miux! fancy you will be
tempted to say and indeed II believe it is
little impertinent; but nevertheless,
hope you will accede to the request,
because you see ON almost desperate.
There Is some humor in the arrange
ment, too, as / look at it, and I know
you enjoy fun; so please say Yes When
we shall see If Walters criticisms are Just,
or whether that odious wolf-habit has
fastened his fangs so strongly upon my
dear good husband, that he Is almost or
quite UNCONSCIOUS Of his fault"
Such was part of the letter re-
ceived by Miss Prue Webster aud
which waa read by her cheerful open
crate.
'The poor child !" she murmured
over per spectacles "rhe pretty,proud
little thingl Wally must have trans
gressed, iedeed, to bring out q plant
like that, for under all the playtulness
there is cry that goes to my heart.
] know how it is for his father was so