Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-10-25

ou AcI uccUI0. u0 ucAG Uay III wa
Miss Furlong's turn and certainly, I
more bewilching picture of a cook thar
she made with her hair tied under tn,
all their dimples, and her white apror
wrapping her from head to foot, coulc
hardly be dr.wn.
Mrs. Hounslow," said young Wild
er. II never knew a jollier idea than thil
sitting in Judgment on pretty caps and
choice Dishes"
"a fine way to be stayed with fagons
and comfolted with apples" said Law
renee.
"Well," said his mother, "there are
Flora's and some others in reserve; and
after them, what do you say to dinner
by Cousin Fanny?"
1T would be peppery," said Lawrence
for the estimable lady had not YET
come down.
"And tart" said Mr.. Wilder.
"And well seasoned" said Lawrence
again.
Pastry short, and bread crusty, !" said
Mr.. Wilder.
"For shame!" exclaimed Louise and
Kate. GAS if any crumb of it would not
be dish fit for the gods j"
''But why should this affair be so one
sided z" asked Mr.. Wilder.
| 'True enough. Men command high
wages as cooks, +" said Lawrence. "Why
should we let such chance go by ? I
have made up my mind if these young
ladies are to be sequestrated, I, for one,
shall join the sequestration. Miss Fur
long, put on q paper cap and serve
with you to- day. Wilder, set your cap
| for tomorrow and Miss Maria. Not q
word to the griffin. Here she comes
You see we are waiting for you, Cousin
Fanny, and Hebe is cup bearer. They
| also serve who only stand aud wait. !"
| And so they all went out to breakfast
If the cook had assisted Louise the
least in the world, it was owing to that
young lady's witcheries. But Miss Fur
long had no witchery for cooks, and the
assistance voucbsafed her came in the
withering manner of science toward ig
norance, and was scorned. And al
| though she and Lawrence began to play
in the greatest spirits, long ere anything
approached completion Miss Furlong
had become SO heated, so flushed and
frowzy, so greasy and floury, so smirched
as SO her dainty dress, and so smeared
as to her lovely face, that the occasion
grew melancholy. Then the water
boiled away, the fire got too low-after-
wards got too strong; she burned her
arms and scalded her fingers; she grew
excited, stamped her feet, became furi
GUS when the sauce ran over, and capped
the climax by slapping the cook in the
| face, who went to Mrs. HounslOw in a
great fury. and gave warning. AS one
revelation after another of this sort of
sweetness and light unrolled itself. Law
renee looked at the beauty with wider
and wider eyes. and at last escaped,
with the cook from the disenchanting
vision. An hour after the time, dinner
was served, and Miss FurlOng, rather
cooks linen to fine lady gauZes, was
given the place of honor.
If the guests at the banquet could but
taste the salmon, it was not because
they had been sated with the soup; for,
although everybody said it was deli
ciously seasoned, and nobody said it
was burned, yet, when Lawrence, in his
chivalry, would have iaken a second
plate, it appeared that there had not
been quite enough to 60 round. There
was enough of the chickens though; for
the fire had dealt SO lightly with them
through their coats of basting that the
company could not deal with them at all.
When the sweetbreads appeared, as firm
as the best of calfskin, Cousin Fanny's
patience departed.
II thought you might have talent
for cooking" she cried.
"Why, what's the matter ?" inquired
Flora placidly. Isn't it good dinner ?
There is plenty more to come"
"Good gracious! More ?"
And then the birds, so like burned
chips, that they could not be told from
the toast on which they lay, came on,
and went off as they came.
IA swallows flight" whispered Kate.
''They dip their wings in tears and
skim away"
And thereat there appeared so extra>
ordinary dessert, the sponge cakes OF
which SO exactly resembled red flannel,
as Cousin Fanny candidly remarked,
that, vexed in soul, the worthy dame
declared, II must say, Wicked waste
makes woeful want"
II don't know what you mean," said
Flora. II call it an excellent dinner
There was soup. and fish, and roast, and
entrees" checking them off on her fin
| gers.
"Oh, there there!" said Cousin Fan,
ny, whose cue was to let the girl display
all her fine qualities, as she afterwards
said.
"a great deal more of dinner" re-
turned Flora. apgrily, "than you ever
get at home, I'll be bound"
| AS Miss Hounslow rose, Miss Furlong
swept by the astonished Lawrence.
murmuring as she tossed her head, Il
thought that would fetch her."
Slang from those perfect lips! Such
temper behind that perfect beauty =
Such incapacty in those lovely hands
Such stupidity in that lovely head !
Lawrence walked five miles in the
pouring rain, and came home with bis
incipient passion quite thoroughly wet
down.
Somehow, after that dinner, things
seemed to flag. Miss Furlong had not
quite recovered her temper and there
was no spirit in the others. In the
evenings, Lawrence did not seem to re
member that there was a conservatory.
Mrs. Hounslow and Cousin Fanny kept
exchanging glances; the old witches
were sure the philter had worked, but
they hardly dared to breathe. But, in
reality, to Louise Mandall nothing
tagged. Whether because she was iu
the house with Lawrence; because now
and then he spoke with her, listened
when she sang, took the book and read
now to look over Miss Furlong through
her, anywhere but at her; or because
her own nature was so joyous, and shs
couldn't help it-she was gayer than {
lark, and filled the house with sunshine
ut has been week of Paradise" sale
she
"To compare country house in al
easterly gale to paradise" said Mis-
FurIong.
ut would depend upon whether yor
were in it, Miss LOUISE" said Lawrence
And then Louise coiored higher aDt
higher, and grew redder than a rose, ant
Lawrence wondered why he had ueve
thought that little girl beauty before
The sun came out on Sunday morn
ing, just as the music box ran down il
the middle of Loves Young Dream,
J and Miss Furlong announced that sb
was about to leave for home. Of cours
there was all polite objection, and il
! the midst of it the surprise or a fur,
OF shippers and blushes on that beautiful
mask of hers. "Oh," she said in al
aside to Kate Farley, ''-when-when-