The daily gazette., 1878-07-06
A ROmanceOf the Kitchen

l used to like to play in the kitchen
when Cassie was there. The cook was
cross, but Cassie never. She helped me
to bake the loaf of bread for my doll and
to make soup in tiny kettle / had given
me. She used to dust my dolls furniture
in the baby house, every day, and often
she used to tell me that l must learn to
be neat and careful, for some day should
have house of my own-some day
when | was grown lady and mar
ried.
"Have you ever been married, Cas-
sie," used to ask, and she always an
swered:
"No; Miss, but hope to be when the
| right man comes along"
One evening when mamma was out
and had been allowed to sit up later
than usual, went down into the kitchen.
Cook was not there but Cassie sat by
the fireplace knitting, and very near
her a big young man with red face
| When he saw me his face grew redder and
| Cassie said
| ''NIiss. Lizzie, this is Mr.. Peter, Mr..
Crosses coachman, who has come to spend
an evening with me-"
| | told Mr.. Crosses coachman that /
hoped he was very well, and that it was
1 liic evening, anu llt ltpliCN'
"Same to you, Miss"
But it was not so pleasant in the kitch-
en- as usual, and / went up stairs very
soon. After that Peter came very often,
and when asked Cassie whether she
ever thought of getting married, she used
to answer:
"The Lord willing, yes, Miss"
One Sunday she went to church with
Peter, and gave him a geranium flower
to put in his buttonhole and one day
she asked me what l thought of her
looks.
"Well Cassie" l said, 'you are not
as pretty as mamma, but you are very
nice"
| "AIr. Crosses coachman, Mr.. Peter, has
very high opinion of my appearance,
Miss" said Cassie, s'I've always called
myselfplain, it's singular how opinions do
differ"
"Do you think Mr.. Peter handsome,
Casse?" | said.
"Oh, yes, Miss, he's generally so ac-
counted" said Cassie.
Giles very red," said /, "and very
big"
'Open air driving Injuries the skin,
Miss said Cassie, ''but Mr.. Peter is
accounted handsome because Of his
size"
That was the day the new waiter girl
came. She was pretty creature; with
fair hair and blue eyes, her aprons were
miracles of whiteness and tluting, and
she wore the brightest ribbons. She made
Cassie look very middle-aged and plain,
indeed, by contrast; but they were great
friends apparently. There was great
deal of laughing in the kitchen, and once
when went down stairs to give message
mamma had sent me with, | caught Mr..
Peter kissing some one behind the cellar
door.
thought it must be Cassie, but just
then she came down stairs. She looked
oddly, | thought, and she snapped at
Lucy the waitress, and told her that
''Missus had rung for her three times"
That evening there was long talk in
the area, and | saw Cassie with her apron
to her eyes, and heard Mr.. Peter say:
"Wtll, now, you are too touchy, Cassie
Iyou show temper too easy. L didn'
mean anything"
| Then there was n smack, and all neX1
day Cassie looked happy. She began e
make a white bonuet up in her own room
soon after, and asked Inc if L were bride
I'd wear corn color or seal brown;
said, "whlte," but then she told me tina
a working-woman ought TO have some
thing useful, SO l said "brown," then sh'
asked me If / thought "Mr. Peter was on'
to make home happy"
Ii was such "a curious question, l
seemed TO me that such large, red, grui
lperson was rather alarming, so l answer
ed vaguely that l supposed she knew
best, and at that Cassie cried out:
ooh, what witch you are, Miss Liz
zie," but l had not meant to be witty.
After awhile she remarked that sh
supposed most men were IL great trial, Du
that one must not expect too much, am
IL that she had heard that the widest settl
down as thev grow older.
This was mysterious to me, and beg
ged bit of white silk to make bonne
for my doll and went away.
,re A good while after this Cassie was haI
,e py, but before Christmas came she bega
to go about with "A rueful countenanc
and swollen eyelids, and TO scold Luc
fearfully.
One day going into the kitchen say
Mr. Crosses coachman, Peter, sltnng b
C' the fire and beside him not Cassie bt
t Lucy.
"Well nowp cried Lucy. al decar
children are always poking around"
"Pll tell Cassie" L said meaning to te
= that she dared to scold me; and then P'
ter said:
. "Now don't, Miss, ana here is cand
for you"
But the candy taken from MS pocke
= smelt of tobacco, and he smelt of whlsk.
The next day l did tell Cassie.
"Lucy scolded me, said L.
"What for, DEAR" asked Cassie.
I ",Just for going down stairs" said
4 "And l said would tell you; and Nj
Peter said not; and l should have candy
- and didn't want his nasty candy: and
would tell. l don't like Lucy. don
see what Mr.. Peter wants to hug and ks
her for"
II "Ohw said Cassie Then she asked IN
more questions, and l answered the sin
ple truth. "Mr. Peter often hugged Ll
, cy, and once l met them walking togetl
er. How could any one like such CIR
Just then the dinner-bell rang, and
saw Iucy going across the hall with
tureen OF soup 1t was all like flash
lightning. Cassie flew across the ha
j, and seized the girl by her white apro
a. o. OFF il came, over went the soup.