Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-02

Major Flint says, ma'am,"
she continued hesitatin gly, "that am
to show you some about the work. But
if you try to do it alone, unused to hard
work as you are, it will make you
sick"
"I think very likely it would, Mrs.
Burns. But I have not the slightest
idea Of doing the work. At all events,
you must not secure another situation
until you hear from me again. I am
very confident" she added, smiling.
"that if Mr.. Flint sends you away,
Mrs. Burns, he will be glad to take you
back"
The week passed quickly.
'Mrs. Burns leaves tomorrow" said
the major, at the tea-table.
"Then you have decided upon it p
eyes believe I announced the fact
to you some days ago."
II thought it possible that my OBJ
iections might have weighed with you
and induced you to change your
mind"
II never change my m;nd," said her
husband. loftily.
"But I warn you that I have little
experience as cook"
"You can learn"
"Perhaps I may not cook to suit your
taste," she persisted.
"That is my affair.""
Had he been aware of the plot form
ing in the lady's fertile brain, he might
not have felt SO confident in regard to
the quality of his bread and butter
and he retired for the night all uncon-
scious of the discipline to be meted out
to him.
SO the following morning Mrs. Burns
received her wages and was sent of. At
ten o'clock the marketing was brought
home. At the usual dinner hour Major
Flint made his appearance. The table
was laid with more than its usual neat.
ness. Major Flint congratulated him
self upon this fact as personal triumph
on his part. But he hardly felt SO COM
placent when the dinner came up. The
beef was terribly overdone; the vege-
tables, on the contrary, were not half
cooked. In short, there was nothing
fit to eat on the table. This Major
Flint rather angrily remarked.
II dare say I am not very good
cook" said his wife.
With his appetite only half.satisied,
he arose from the table.
The following morning, breakfast
was delayed more than half an hour ;
and wnen it was ready, it was scarcely
eatable. Major Flint was quite out OF
humor; but in reply to his remonstrances
his wife said,-
~ warned you that might not cook
to suit your taste"
And so matters deteriorated rather
than improved. The tea and coffee
prepared by his wife were nauseating te
him, while the bread was not only sour
but hard and clammy, requiring con
siderable effort to masticate it. And
what rendered it all the more exasperat
ing was that, no matter how inferior il
quality or distasteful to himself, hi
wife professed her inability to discover
any fault in what was prepared for TIN
table, protesting that it just suited he
taste.
The following day Major Flint seate'
: himself at the dinner. table, his min'
filed with various emotions. He wa
growing thin, he felt sure; not decen
meal had he eaten for three days.
"This woman will be the death of me
; as sure as fate |" he said to himself, gaz
ing at the food placed before him.
g Here was the rich, juicy steak that b
is himself selected and sent from th
{. market, after all his instructions as
o how it should be broiled, shockingl
s, overdone-in fact, almost burned to
it crisp, his wife, meantime, partaking
= it with great apparent relish.
+ "What taste that woman must have
n he said to himself.
re 81 have made you an extra cup OF te
In to-day said the lady opposite, han
at ing him the cup with his dessert.
Hitherto Mr.. Flint had been We
Do particular in regard to his cup of tea
dessert, insisting that it should
en brought to the table both strong q
hot. Had the tea been prepared to
taste, it would have soothed somewf
the riotous emotions within; on the &C
'w trary. it was miserably weak. quite lul
Ill warm and brackish. He took one
OF at the tea, and then set the cut do
forcibly on the table, his. face expressi
'rk his disgust.
Madam glanced up at him from un'
EN- har lono evelaahea shining from