The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-05
HOW l LEARNED A LESSON.

/ don't suppose that when I was ten
years old was very different from most
little girls of that age in thinking my
Judgment sometimes better than that
of my mother. This error was the cause
of a great deal of modification to me
once, and through it j learned lesson
which / have never forgotten.
Mother was an excellent cook, and
was very proud of the high reputation
her table had acquired. The food she
prepared was always wholesome; her
cake light, and her pie-crust tlaky. Her
plainest buildings were pronounced de-
licious, and housekeepers never ate her
mince-pies without asking her for the
recipe. In fact everything that came out
OF her oven was good, and a failure
seemed impossible, no matter how hur-
riedly she put the ingredients of her
dishes together We lived in q large
old-fashioned house in the country and
as my father was very hospitable man
and our house was on the high road be-
tween two large towns, we frequently
had company over night. And no one
ever left without paying mother a
compliment on her cookery.
One evening in May, Just as mother
had lighted the lamp and seated herself
to do some mending, father came in
with tall, good-looking, elderly man,
whom he introduced as Mr. Styles, a
manufacturer from the neighboring
town of Brockton. Of course, mother
began to busy herself at once in prepar-
ing supper for the stranger, and soon
had the table spread with a repast which
was fit for a king" as the saying goes.
Mr.. Styles did ample Justice to it. In
fact, he ate so much that he thought it
nessary to make some sort of an apol-
ogy.
Il think have shown my apprecia-
ton of these good things, Mrs. Barr, -
he said, as he rose from the table. 81
don't know when | have enjoyed meal
more
Mother looked very much pleased,
and when he went on to say that he
had heard frequently of her skill in
cooking, her face became fairly
radiant.
81 wish you would tell me what
dishes you particularly fancy, Mr..
Styles, that may make them for your
breakfast, she said. Il thoroughly
enjoy giving people what they like
best"
Il don't believe you could make any
thing that Iwculd not like. Mrs. Barr"
said our guest, gallantly, "but l think
| should particularly enjoy some corn
bread. haven't tasted any that suit
ed me since L left home, twenty years
ago"
you shall have some," said mother.
81 have always had good luck with my
cOrn-bread, though don make it very
often. Mr.. Barr and the children pre-
fer four
Thank you,' said Mr.. Styles. 81
shall look forward to a treat
just before going to bed l heard
mother tell my eldest brother that he
must get up early the next morning
and make fire in the brick furnace
| knew what that meant; she had evi-
| IDENTIFY determined that the corn-bread
should be even better than usual; fol-
the brick oven was used only on rare
occasions when she was anxious that
things should be particularly well.
baked.
"How much trouble mother is tax.
ing" thought as 1 went upstairs
land nobody but Mr.. Styles to eat the
| corn-bread after it is made
The brick oven was in shed which
| opened out of the kitchen, and when
came down the next morning l found
mother hard at work in there.
"You should have been up long be
fore this, Jenny" she said, reprovingly
81 need your help this morning. Come
make haste and set the table now. But
first, run down cellar, and get me foul
| eggs for the corn-bread."
-Four eggsn' | repeated. "Why,
thought you never put in more than
two"
This is an extra OCCASION" said
mother. run along, and don't worry
me with questions
As passed through the kitchen or
my way to the cellar, saw Dash and
Hero, Joe's two big dogs, standing in
the open doorway, looking wistfully al
pile of bones on the Kitchen table
| They wagged their tails and barked as
[ spoke to them, and | called to mother
to know if l couldn't give them the
| bones.
Gracious, nor she answered. 81
want those bones for soup. I've got
something else for the dogs, but
haven't time to feed them now. They
will have to wait until after breakfast. .
When l had set the table, and
skinned the milk, | went to carry in
the breakfast Mother was on hel
knees taking the dishes from the oven,
and on the floor by her side were two
baking-pans exactly alike containing 4
| loaf of corn thread
"Here," she said, pushing one of the
pans toward me, ''put that on the
breakfast table, and this" pushing for.
ward the other, Sin the Kitchen
As l carried the two pans away il
struck me that the corn-brcad in the one
had been told to put in the Kitchen
looked much richer and nicer than the
other. 1t had beautiful golden brown
crust on top, which the other lacked
So decided to make the change, and
on the table went the pan which mother
had said was to go in the kitchen.
When we sat down to br, Ikfast faith,
err helped Mr.. Styles to meat, and ther
honlp1 him thn biepuits, bI1t bp do