The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-07-04
Our Expensive Cook.

Company prevented my seeing her
when she arrived, and 1 OVERSIGHT next
morning. 30 that when the breakfast bell
rang felt like culprit summoned to his
doom. had forgotten to order steak,
and there was nothing in the house 80 far
an was aware. And vet delicious odor
of viapds. hot and savory, greeted me as I
entered the dining room, and my second
girl had a smiling face as though all we're
well. What breakfast we had. There
was platter of croquettes, golden brown
and delicate, arranged on fringed nap
kin, and garnished with parsley, fried
potatoes, hot and well seasoned, beautiful
mufins-T use the word advisedly. for
they were light az feather and rich vel
low in color. The oatmeal was perfectly
cooked and as 1 poured out the coffee, the
color of clear, bright brandy, / saw
smile irradiate Johns whole face. For
myself the remembrance of the frightful
price of eggs made me tremble as I ate,
and thought that with such an extrava-
giant cook and her wages, we should soon
"icome on the town." So went into the
kitchen prepared rather to find fault with
our new cook than to praise her break
fast. Her kitchen was as neat and orderly
AZ il there had beer no cooking done in it
that morning. and Hannah looked up with
a pleasant smile from her dish-tub. 81
hope YOU liked your breakfast. ma'am.
hardly knew what to get at first, as
found but three eggs and no meat except
what was in the soup kettle on the stove.
However, by using bread crumbs found
that I could get out enough for croquettes
from the soup meat, and ] moistened
them with the soup to give them flavor,
and fried them with the fat I took off the
top this morning, as it was good roast beef.
The potatoes were cold baked ones left
from your lunch yesterday, which I peeled
and fried. The muffirs were made from
a cup of cold squash found in the re-
frigerator. They took my last egg, SO
had to make my coffee with the egg
shells. generally use but half an egg for
small pot of coffee, the other half, If coy
cred, will keep quite we'll for the next
morning. I only had one egg to roll my
croquettes in, but put a teaspoonful Of
water to that. as I've often seen my
teacher do at the school. so got along very
WELL" "I'm glad you found the cracker
crumbs" said. "I bought tin box of
them yesterday at the bakers, they are So
handy" Hannah's face was study as l
said this. "Buy crumbs, na'am, never
heard of such thing. I didn't find
yours, but last night when wiped out
my bread box found good manv 'heels
of loaves, and broken pieces, aud put
them all into the warm closet of the range
to dry. This morning I pounded and
sifted them for my croquettes. l always
dry every crumb of bread that is not used
all hard crusts. too, cut off when make
toast, so that l have plenty for my escal
loped dishes and croquettes. Mrs. Lin
coin at the school says they are much
nicer than cracker crumbs" Here was a
good breakfast made wholly, except three
eggs, out of scraps that had always thrown
away. How many such lessons in econ
omy I learned every day from Hannah
How we'll we lived, too. and what palata
BILE and nourishing dishes she prepared
for us At the end of her first month
when the bills came in they we're smaller
than ever before. John exclaimed, as HI
looked at them, "Whv, Mary, can really
afford TO take you off for vacation or
what Hannah saves for us in month
No more ignorant Bridgets for me Grea
is training !'-Congregationalist.