Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-12-23
MRS BURKE,S PUDDING
BY NARY \. PRESCOTT.

WY was heNer ukely to taste sueh a
dainty at other seasons. .yybv
should we keep all the good things ~
ourselves" she used to ask. "eat
pium-pudding whenever we fancy IL
ana this poor hard-working woman
never know the taste of such a NOR.
SCI! IL was also the custom of the
mouse TO build" as Harry Capulet
used TO say, several of these rich pud.
dihgs at thesametime; they would keen
Tor weeks or months without spelling
and there they were, at moments no.
tice. if dinner company arrived nner.
pectedly on washing or ironing DAVIS
when It was inconvenient to concoct
nice desserts. When Mrs. Harry Can
ulet took the management of affairs
after his mothers death, her hus-
bands cousin, who had been regent
during the interregnum, said to her
at Christmas-time: al hope, dear
you viii continue Mrs. Burke's pud-
ding; she has received it for so MANY
years, she will feel injured, Pm afraid.
unless you do"
"Oh, certainly" answered Mrs.
Harry, who was of an economical turn
OF mind; 81 shall give Mrs. Burke a
pudding, but not one of these. What
are you thinking about-waste all
these delicacies on a char-woman9'
Gingerbread pudding, with a few
raisins added, will satisfy her quite as
well. " put in Mrs. Harry's sister.
What they call a poor-man's pud-
ding asked Mrs. Harry.
"Yes-the very thing"
"But, my dear" expostulated Sue
| Capulet, Mrs. Burke will know: she
has been accustomed to the best. /
have made it a principle to send her
as good as | kept; | hated to scrimp
her at ChrIstmas-time."
| "Oh, you're too extravagant, Cousin
Sue. Besides, you give an old ignorant
char-woman credit for all your own
virtues aud tastes. / don't think il
worth while to waste so much money
upon her; a poor-man's pudding is
more appropriate for the circumstan-
ces."
"Noblesse oblige," insisted Sue. But
Mrs, Harry laughed, and ordered the
poor mans pudding TO be baked the
same size as her own p,um-puddings.
81 can hardly tell them apart, cook
has given them all such rich brown.
Surely the proof of the pudding is in
the baking as well az the eating
But Sue sighed. Mrs. Burke is En-
glish. You won't be able to deceive
her about all English plum-pudding. I"
'Pm not going TO label it, and she
can take it or leave it. Besgars
shouldn't be choosers, I've heard, I"
cried Mrs. Harry, who couldn't keep
her temper as well as she could keep
/ other things
THAT was pudding" said Mrs.
| Buske, one morning after Christmas,
having come in for some work Mrs.
Harry looked at Sue. 81 think, con-
tinued Mrs. Burke, they grow ni,er
every year, Mrs. Capulet. This one
Just melted in your mouth; it was too
good for poor folks
There" cried Mrs. Capulet. as soon
as Mrs. Burke's back was turned,
what did tell you, Sue? After edu-
eating Mrs. Burke up to the English
-puddingl This is all the good it
does to educate the lower classes, you
see."
Il hope it isn't blarney in Mrs
Burke" hazarded Sue.
"a man convinced against his will,
| is OF the same opinion still.
quoted Mrs. Harry.
After this, whenever Sue and Mrs.
Harry disagreed, her sister would say,
Remember Mrs Burke's pudding,
Sue" However. the matter faded out
OF their minds in time, and perhaps
| again il Mr.. Gus Blake hadn't hap
pened to drop in upon them. Now
Mr.. Blake was somebody worth while
in Miss Lily's eyes. She had met him
here and there, danced with
him at germans, yachted with
him, picnicked with him, lunched
with him; once he had even sent her
some flowers; she had some of them
now, pressed in book OF love SON.
nets. He was one of those cordial
people who shake hands as II they
we're making love. Miss Lily was more
than fond of his society; she intended
to marry him. But it was a pity that
he should arrive on the only day in
the week when they had picked up
dinner.
There is one of the Christmas pud-
dinys left, at any rate" said Mrs.
Harry; "ail that will redeem the din
ner."
Mr.. Gus Blake was very affahle as
usual He and Lily sang duets togeth-
er before dinner; she had also to show
him over the grounds, the view OF the
river, the eagles nest; they hunted for
four-leaved clovers together, and she
told his fortune with daisy. He was
complimentary and gallant. Lily felt
as If a crisis was at hand. They met
Sue. with her hands full OF wild flow
ers, coming from school.
"a neighbour" he asked with his
most Indifferent manner, as she just
nodded and hurried by.
.tOh, no. That is Sue Capulet,
Harry,s cousin. She used to keep his
house beforehe married"
Indeed"
Eyes. Sne'srather prim in her ways,
and opinionated, like all country peo-
pie" ;,
..Ah: she must be very disagreeable."
| perhaps; but one needn't to live
with her to find out. :"
"And you live with herr
"Yes. She will live here | suppose
till somebody marries her:"
"Then she has loverY"
81 never heard OF one" ;,
"And yet she is not precisely ugly,
with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. :,
"No, not at all; only commonplace,
conceded Lily.
| The dinner progressed as far as the
dessert. It was picked-up one, TO
be sure; but what could any one ex-
pect who came without announcing
himself, Mrs. Harry assured herself.
Mr.. Blake was famous diner-out; ne
knew more. however, how TO make
himself agreeable over DINNER OF
herbs; and then there was her English
| plunl.pudding to top of with. How
bump and delicious it looked as IL
came upon the table, and what royai
odors it emitted Sue cut 1t. Win
pride in her mien. She tasted 1T, and
shot a quick glance at Mrs. Harry,
but said nothing. The guest was OUT
etlv nibbling at it and talking brilliant
ly. Presently Lily, who had been listen-
ing to him, attackedit. She turned pare
and gave her plate al little angry push
Then Mrs. Harry, having helped every
body else, settled herself to the ENJOY
ment of her pudding. Sue. regarding
her. saw a look of CONSERVATION gain
er upon her face. She uttered an s9'