New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-04-17
nanny DoWncy's Pies.
Bret Harte in Scribnar for April.

Bret Harte in scribnar for April
The pies and cakes made by the
old woman were, | think, remark
able rather for their Inducing the
same loyal aud generous spirit than
for their intrinsic excellence, and it
may be said appealed more strongly
to the nobler aspirations Of humailii-
ty than it's vulgar appetite. How
belt every body ate Nanny Downey's
pies, and thought Of his childhood.
Take EN-, dear boys, the old lady
would say: 1T does me good to see
you eat 'em; reminds me kinder of
my poor Sammy, that, eff he'd lived,
would hey been ez strong and big ez.
you be, but was taken down with
T lung fever at Sweetwater. [ kin
see him yet; that's forty years ago,
dear? comm out O. the lot to the
bake house, and snlillin such beau
tifpl smile, like yours, dear boy, as
| handed him a mincc or a lemnling
turnover. Dear, dear, how do run
on! and those days is past! but [
seems 70 live in you AGAIN." The
wife Of the hotel-keeper, actuated
by a low jealousy, had suggested that
she Seemed to live of them but
as that person tried to demonstrate
the truth Of her statement by refer
ence to the cost of the raw material
used by the old lady, it was consid-
cred by the camp as too practical
and economical for considerations
"Besides. added Cy Perkins, "ef
old Nanny wants to turn an honest
penny in her old age, let her 90 it..
flow would you like your old mother
to make pies on grub wages? ch?''
! A suggestion that SO affected his
nearer Iwho had no mothcr) that he
bought three on the spot. The
quality Of these pies had never been
discussed but once. 1t is related
that a young lawyer from San Fran
| cisco, dining at the Palmetto Restau-
rant, pushed away one Of Nanny
Downey s pies withscvery expression
ct disgust and dissatisfaction. AT
this jnncture Whisky Dick, consid-
er;lbly affected BY his favolito stin-
nlant, approached the stranger S
table, and, drawing I'D a cIlair, sat
unlimited before him.
"Meb5cc, young man, he began
0raycIy ssvn iior7I l;l,c NI,r,nrr},u-
hey $ pics?"
The stranger replied curtl;, and
IN some establishment, that he did
not as rule, eat pie.
"Io Dung man. continued Dick,
with drunken gravity, 'nebbce
you re accustomed to Charlotte rusls
and blue mango; Encbbc ye can eat
unless your grub is got up by one o
them French cooks? Yet we-us
boys var in this canqp-cals that pie
"a gQod--a competent pic!'
The stranger again discl;tinlad any
thing but general dislike Of that
form Of pastry.
Young man. contilued Dick,
utterly nnhccding the explanation,
young man, Hebbee you onct
had an OLGA very ole mother, who,
tottel'ing down the vale O years,
made pies. Mcbbee, and It's like
your blank eticurcan soul, We
turned up your nose on the Gle wo-
man, and went back on the pies,
and On her! She that handled We
when ye wcz baby, a little baby
IMebbee We went back on her, and
shook her, and played of: on her,
and gave her away-dead away! and
Thow, mebbee, young mani would
not hurt We for the world, but meb-
bee, atore ye leave this yer table,
ye' II eat that pie!'
The stranger rose to his feet, but
the muzzle OF dragon revolver in
the unsteady hand Of Whisky Dick
caused him to sit down again. He
ate the pie, and lost his case like
wise, before a Rough and Ready
jury: