The Press., 1885-02-05
l and we shall have to make out with crack

and we shall have to make out with crack
 CTS and milk
 The parson felt savage, but said nothing, consoling himself with thought of the or dination- dinner on the morrow, as he
 pushed open the door of the dining room
 The appet'zing smell of nicely Drowned
 veal outlets set the children dancing.
 "What what !" cried the parson, feel ing like dancing himself, and with difficulty
 subduing the impulse as he saw the din
 ing-room in perfect order, the long muslin
 curtains looped back with roses, fresh
 boquet on the table that was carefully ar
 ranged, with chairs in place all ready for
 the occupants. Through the open kltch-
 en door way be caughta glimpse of Lizzie
 In pink dress, white apron, and bare arms,
 carving knife and fork in hand, hltting
 around among the pots and kettles with
 the experienced air of professional cook.
 ''I thought would give you surprise party, uncle and auntie, she said, with her
 habitual bright smile, coming forward and placing the temptingly garnished dish of
 outlets upon the table and hanking them
 with one of mealy potatoes, another of as- paragus, these in turn Set off by tray of golden, putfedup corn cup-cakes fairly
 splitting their sides at the successful com
 bination of cream and eggs and Indian
 meal.
 To the great relief of the hungry child ren, who were grinning from ear to ear at the novelty of the situation, the parsons grace was very short, and was immediately
 supplemented by Mrs. Hines, saying dole
 fully
 "We can hardly afford veal outlets, Liz ' zie, child but, of course, you could not
 be expected to think of the expense"
 "l bought tine dinner myself, Aunt
 Emily, even to the quart of corn meal with
 which I made the cakes and the stale loaf
 for the asparagus toast, replied the young
 girl with dignity that at once installed her mistress of the situation. s'I should hardly have ventured an experiment. with
 other peoples provisions, and it would not have been my party, had not furnished the dinner, or could not conscientiously have called it so.'
 "Its the best s'prise party ever I went anywhere, said Tom, with his mouth full. The parson laughed in way that gave , the young people liberty to keep up the
 talk, and the meal turned out an unwonted- ly merry one, even Mrs. Hines mouth two or three times drawing around in a queer little contortion that would have been smile had it not been for thought
 of the parsons best linen that lay behind . 1t.
 II haNo you tu0 1alFISS III GO ueIp you, child ?" asked MT. Hines, as he dr4w 7 back from the table, having eaten until his pale punched face looked warm and ruddy, ' .' and his white, thin nose shone rubicund as if 1t would do to iDhate his lungs with for
 some time to come.
 j 'Aunt Chloe was the fairy who taught ; me to cook, !" said the young girl as she u cleared the table and brought in dessert ~ of stewed prunes. She has been very z lame. you know, but she could be head ;. and let me be hands and feet for her. She " used to be head cook at her masters house, when she was slave, you know, and you l' see, auntie, she has developed in me a l taste for something besides plantation mel e 'e odies, although like them too. You eau u '1 finish your dress and do anything else you 'a please. l will do up the work and prepare o tea, when 1t is time"
 'Thank you, said the surprised auntic, u s'but there is washing and ironing to b. . done this afternoon, ''-as if thankful to be H i back upon her familiar ground of ''so mucl |, to do."
 o Lizzie pushed open the kitchen door .. .. disclosing bit of green yard snd the par i' sons linen starched stiff dancing upon thu o clothes-l line, in fresh breeze that seemed 'e likely to take all the dignity out of them ,o ;, while the yellow-pa floor of the kitch 1' en shone in way that proved that gooc | Use had been made of the studs. I "You know you are safe to trust the ! ironing to me, anntie. You have ofter L L,. said 1 ironed my dresses well.'' ,n ~, 'I don't See how you have accomplished 'T so much" Mrs. Hines condescended t, ,- say, as turning to go up stairs again, sh' i found the sitting room and her own room lu il order.
 T. 'I have had long morning." replied ~ 70 Lizzie, Sand Aunt Chloe has taught me tt IT, successfully keep more than one iron il 7l the fire at time."
 =. '1 shall not be afraid to call on you il '' the future now that know how welt vot :. Can do, said Mrs. Hines but l. lzz t It i piled good
 ,e "Too late, Aunt Emily. I'm every da, is expecting summons to go and keep house , for papa. That has always been the un r. derstanding, yon know. was to go whe1 ls I was qualified
 .s q know weed when I see 1t, and s. know flower, too, even if it do grow III B. tall and rank, and some ways resemble d weed" <" said the poor coloreu woman, one 5r evening In the early autumn when the par E. son and his wife went to make their frs s call upon her after Lizzie had started fo y Maryland to live with her father. "I can le do much, but I like to do little good as l go along, and it only takes a bit of talk ano t pinch of patience thrown in to get young t folks interested in what is useful ant t. they are SD full of life that they must be e all tooken up with something, good, bao
 or indifferent
 g It was lesson that Mrs. Hines will nev !: CT forget. ''I was not looking for flower, l she confessed 1T don't know how it was " but for long time have seemed to bt y like machine running out of gear. I ,, have not done my duty by myself nor by t any one else, and Lizzie has shared in the j. general neglect ;, | "The Lord sets all things right if we on- U U ly take them to him., said the aged woman, ''and that is what Lizzie has had to do. J Don't you see how sweet and bright she is |? ,. T I think the Lord sent her to me that I might teach her the needs of my poor peo- :, ple-'home missions is what she calls it ; and how full her great loving heart IS of interest and of plans for work She says , her mothers dying prayer was that she ' might grow up to be 8 useful woman, and . think 1t will be granted" ., p Lizzie is a useful woman will tell you where she has found her work. In i. 4.