St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-09-24

smiled, and Nelly wondered that she
had not noticed what handsome man
[ he was.
"Oh," said he, "yon did come, then r.
"Oh, always keep my engage
ments," said Nelly. "Punctuality is
the soul of business, isn't it, Cousin
joint At least that's what | used to
write in my copy books at school,"
Mr.. Brown patted her hand as she
helped him off with his OvercOat.
"YOu are n good girl" said he.
| And in his secret mind he decided to
put up with any deficiencies in the
cooking of girl who had such excel
/ lent business principles.
| But to his infinite amaZement there
were no deficiencies to overlook. The
soup was on the table, clear as water,
/ favored like Il dream of SOyer's own
! The first course was baked trout, the
second a pigeon on toast. A small and
contract roast of beef-ribs WAS thanked
by Il dainty giblet-pie, and the dessert
was fruit, peach tarts and Bavarian
cream.
! Mr.. Brown ate and relished and won
dered by turns.
"My dear" said he at last, when the
cloth was removed, "all is very nice.
III cOncede that you are a tip-top
housekeeper. But, of course, you or
dered all this from MOnerato's restau-
rant ?"
"But, of course, didn't, Cousin
Brown" said Nelly decidedly. 81
cooked it all myself!'
"What, that soupP"
eyes, that soup"
"Did you prepare that trout sauce
and broil that pigeon ~
eyes, Cousin Brown"
"And the giblet- pie, was that yOurs?''
ayes, and the giblet-gie Don't
look so astOnished, Cousin Brown"
she added, laughing. 81 may as well
confess that | took course of cooking
lessons last summer. And | like it of
all things, especially in household
| like this, where one can command the
very best materials"
Mr.. Brown closed his eyes and made
"A hasty calculation. His life had been
"worried out of him." to use medi
OGRE expression, 10y capriciOus house
keepers, inefficient cooks and untrain-
ed servants At last here was II gate
way out of all of his tribulations!
"My dear" he said, 81 should like to
have you come here and live"
GAS a cook, Cousin BrOwn"
"No, as my adopted daughter and
housekeeper | need some one to take
the helm of my affairs. BY Jupiter!
he added, rs he rtcOlected the flavor
of the giblet-pie haven't eaten such
IL dinner in ten years"
"But my mOther," hesitated Elean-
OF. land my sister Lucetta."
''Let them come, too" said MIR.
Brown. "Bless your heart, my dear,
there's plenty of room i'll the house
Can they cook, too?"
"NO, Cousin Brown" confessed Mel
ly.
"Well, perhaps it's Just as WE'LL
said Mr.. Brown. "There can't be more
than one head to household. | hope
you preserved the recipe of that giblet-
pie, my dear. 1t was really something
extraordinary"
So the Torrance family found COM
Portable refuge for the sOles of their
feet, and Nelly's despised accomplish
ment proved the sword wherewith she
opened the worlds oyster.
And Lncetta sighed and wondered
why she, too, had not taken cooking
lessons.
"Nelly is the old mans first favor
ite," said she. "Hc'll leave her his
money vixen he dies. And all because
she accepted his ridiculous offer of
turning cook for living"
Mr.. Brown, however, looked at this
matter in different light.
"Nelly is a trump" he said. "Nelly
is not like the typical young lady, who
is too lazy to work and too proud to
beg. She is one who ennObles the
humblest task, and does with all her
might whatever her hands find to do"
So the old prOverb came true :
"Heaven helps those who help them
SelYesu