The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-08-13
THE MINISTER'S STORY.

AhE TIN 'AolNhs
Mrs. Deacon Farrell brushed the flour
from her hands, casting meanwhile n
complacent eye over the well-filled
kitchen table, with the generous array
of unbaked pies and cakes the plump
turkey stuffed and trusscd for the NOR
rows baking, and the big chicken pie to
which her fingers had put the finishing
touches, as she repeated more decided
ly:
"Look here, Sally There's enough
chicken left with the giblets-that I
never put in my own pie, because the
deacon don't relish 'em--ter make q
Thanksgiving pie for the minister's folks.
"Twont need to be very large" she
added, in reply to Sally's doubtful look.
"Only the minister and his wife-and
you can bake it in that smallest yaller
dish"
"Now, I'm going up stairs to look
over them rags, nm you make an bake
it right off, SOS I can send it over by
the deacon. He's to go out ter the corner
this afternoon, and can take it along as
we'll rs not"
She bustlcd out Of the door, but the
next moment, seized perhaps with a
sudden pang Of conjunction, SHE put
her head in again to say warningly:
"Be sure You put in q good parcel of
gravy; that'll keep it from being dry, if
it's half giblets"
"Yes'm," answered Sally, briskly; and
catching up tho rolling-pin she brought
it down with s.n emphasis upon lump
of dough Oh the moulding board.
AS the stairway door closed behind
her mistress, Sally dropped the rolling
pin and q look of pcrplexity crept over
her dull face, making it ten times more
stolid than usual, while she repeated, in
ludicrous bewilderment
"Giblets What, in all creation, if
anybody can tell mo, does she mean by
them?''
Involuntarily she took step forward,
but checked herself as quickly, while
a cunning smile replaced the look of
perplexity, and she muttered triumph
antly
'T guess I amt agoin' to confess my
ignorance to the deacons wife and let
her have her say as she always does !:
Two terms to the 'cademy, Sally, and
not know that I No, ma'am not while
there's n dictionary in tic house p
SO, softly creeping into the adjoining
sitting-room, Sally hastily opened big
dictionary on the deacons writing desk
and began her search for the mysterious
word
"G-i-b-here 'tis !" and she read aloud
to herself, with an mir of triumph, the
following definition
"Those parts of n fowl that are re-
moved before cooking-.t the heart giz-
zard, liver, &C."
"That's it-heart, gizzard, liver, and
so FORTH" she repeated joyfully, as she
retraced her steps to the kitchen, and
began with alacrity to fill, according to
directions, the minister's pic ; keeping
up, meanwhile, n running fire of COM
ment for her own special benefit.
"Six gizzards Well, that is rather
'steep,' as Dan Watson would say. But
guess tho deacon's wife knows if she
don't 'tain't none Of my business. Six
hearts Thcm's small, and tuck into
the corners handy. Six livers Seems
ter mo they don't fill up much," and she
glanced, with perploxcd air, at pile
Of denuded chicken bones that formed
her only resource"
"Now, I wonder, with sudden inspi-
ration, what that and 80 forth means ?
Here's hearts, gizzards, and liver, plenty
Of 'em, but no and so forth, and the
pie amt moro than two thirds full yet.
It must be" and she cast bewildered
look at the half-filled pie, "the chickens
legs I never knew anyone to put 'em
in pie, but that must be what it means,
an they'll just fill up"
No sooner thought than done. In
went three pairs Of stout yellow legs
upon which their unfortunate owners
had strutted about so proudly only the
day before; on went tho well-rolied
dough, covering them from sight, and
into the oven went the minister's pie,
lst as the mistress of the house re-