Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-06-22
The Minister'S Story.

complaeent eye over the well-filled
kitchen tables, with the generous array
of unbaked pies and cakes; the plump
turkey stuffed and trussed for the NOR
rows baking, and the big chicken pie to
which her fingers bad put the finishing
touches, as che repeated rather more
decidedly:
Look here, Sally! There's enough
chicken left with the giDlets-that 1
never pat in my own pie because the
decon don't relish 'em-ter make a
Thanksgiving pie for the minister's
folks. 'Twont need to be very large,
she added, IN reply to Ssllie's doubtful
look. Only the minister and his wife
and yoI can bake it in that smallest
yaller dish.
Now, Pm going upstairs ter look
over them rags, an you make an bake
it right of SOS l can send it over by the
deacon. He's got ter go out ter the
corner this afternoon, and can take it
along as well as not.
She hustled out Of the door, but the
door, but the next moment. seized per.
haps with a sudden pang of compunc-
ton, she put her head in again 10 say
warnirgly:
BE sure you put in good parcel Of
gravy: thatll keep it from being dry, if
It's half giblets.'
'Yes'm,' answered Sally, briskly :
and catching up the rolling-pin she
brought it down with an emphasis upon
lump OF dough, on the moulding board.
AS the stairway door closed behind
her mistress, Sally dropped the rolling
pin and a look of perpiexity crept oyer
her dull face, making it ten times more
stelid than usual, while she repeated, III
ludicrous bewildeiment:
'Giblets! What, in all creation, if
anybody can tell me does she mean by
them?'
Involuntarily she took step forward
but checked herself as quickly, while a
cunning smile replaced the look OF per-
plexity, and she muttered triumphantly:
4 guess 1 amt agoin' ter confess my
ignorance to the deacsn's wife and let
her have her say, as she always does
Two terms 10 the 'cadeny, Sally, and
not know thatu No ma'am not while
there's dictionary in the house y
So, softly creeping into the adjoining
sitting-roon, Sally hastily opened a big
dictionary on the deacon's writing desk
and began her search for the mysterious
word.
'G-l-b-here tits = and she read aloud
to herself, with an air OF triumph, the
following definitions:
Those parts Of a fowl that are re-
moved before cooking-the heart,
gizzard, liver sc.
That's 1t heart, gizzard, liver, and
and so FORTH she repeated joyfully, as
she retraced her steps to the kitchen,
and began with alacrity, TO gil, accord
ing to directions, the minister's pie =
keeping up, meanwhile, a running fire
of comment for her own special bene-
fit.
SIX glzzards! Well, that is rather
steep as Dan Watson would say. But
guess the deacon's wife knows if she
don'l faint none of my business. Six
hearts! Them's small, and tuck into
the corners handy. Six livers! SEEMS
ter me they don't Gil up much, and she
glanced, with a perplexed air, at pile
Of denuded chicken bones that formed
her only resource.
Now 1 wonder, with sudden inspira-
ton, what that and so FORTH means ?
Here's hearts gizzards and liver, plenty
of 'em, but no and so FORTH and the
pie amt more than two thirds full yet.
1t must be, and she cast bewildered
look at the half filed pie, the chickens
legs! 1 never knew anyone to put 'em
IN a pie. but that must be what it means
an they'll just ill 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 the well-rolled
dough, covering them from sight, and
into the oven went the minister's pie,
just as the mistress Of the house re-
entered the kitchen, and with an ap-
proving look at the snowy pastry, re-
marked encouragingly:
That pie looks real neat, Sally. 1
should not wonder if, in time, you came
to be quite cook
1t was Thanksgiving morning, and
Miss Patience Prlngle stood at the
minister's back door. To be sure, it
was rather early for callers, but Miss
Pringle was, as she often boasted, 'one
fthe kind that never stood ON cere-
mony.' IBdeed, see didn't even con
slider 1t necessary to knock before she
opened the door, although she was
thoughtful enough to opea it softly
The minister's wife was just taking
from the oven newly warmed chick
en- pie, which she nearly dropped from
her hand, so startled was she by the
sharp, shriH voice that spoke so close
to her:
'Geod mornln', Miss Graham. Good
mornin'. Hain'tbeen to breakfast yet
| see. We had ours half an hour ago.
| know smy mother used to say that it
anybody lost an hour in the mornin'
they might chase it all day and not
ketch up with it then.
vrhafja , vood lookinO Die-nretty