The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-12-23
MRS BURKES PUDDING.
by AIRY N, pREsoom.

nA AAs Q6y TO BAKE one OF her
best plum.puddings during Christmas
week for The ohar.woman, Mrs. Burke,
who was never likely TO taste such q
dainty OF other seasons. "Why
should we keep all the good things to
ourselves" she used to ask, seat
plum-pudding whenever we fancy it,
and this poor Woodworking woman
never know the taste Of such a NOR.
SER 1t was also; the custom Of the
house ito build" as Harry Capulet
used to say, several Of these rich pud.
dings at the same time; they would keep
for weeks or months without spelling,
and there they were, atamoment' 8 no.
tlce, il dinner company arrived unex-
pectedly on washing or ironing days,
when it was inconvenient to concoct
nice desserts. When Mrs. Harry Cap
ulet took the management of affairs
after his mothers death, her hus.
bands cousin, who had been regent
y seesF $50. ~, Es~. EstyAy# So .r-H#a r. #rEaH =
during the interregnum, said to her
at Christmas-time: IT hope, dear,
you will continue Mrs. Burke's pud-
ding; she has received it for SO many
years, she will feel injured, Pm afraid,
unless you do"
ooh, certainly" answered Mrs.
Harry, who was,of an economical turn
of mind; IT shall give Mrs. Burke a
pudding, but not one of these. What
are you thinking about-waste all
these delicacies on a char-woman2"
Gingerbread pudding, with a few
raisins added, will satisfy her quite as
we'll put in Mrs. Harry's sister.
What they call q 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 I kept; I hated to scrimp
her at Chrlstmas-time." !
"Oh, you're too extravagant, Cousin
Sue. Besides, yougive an old ignorant
char-woman credit for all your own
virtues aud tastes. l don't think it
worth while to waste SO much money
upon her; o poor-lnan's pudding is
more appropriate for the circumstan-
ces."
"Noblesse oblige," insisted Sue. But
Mrs. Harry laughed, and ordered the
poor-man's pudding to be baked the
same size as her own plum-puddings.
II can hardly tell them apart, cook
has given them all such a rich brown.
Surely the proof of the pudding is in
the baking as we'll as the eating"
But Sue sighed. MRS. Burke is En-
glish. You won't be able to deceive
her about all English plum-pudding.''
"I'm not going to label it, and she
can take it or leave it. Beggars
shouldn't be choosers, I've heard
cried Mrs. Harry, who couldn't keep
her temper as well as she could keep
other things.
THAT vas a puddingl' said Mrs.
Burke, one morning after Christmas,
having come in for some work. Mrs.
Harry looked at Sue. ri think" con.
tinued Mrs. Burke, s.they grow nicer
every year, Mrs. Capulet. This one
just melted in your mouth; it was too
good for poor folks"
..tThere!" 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
plum-pudding! This is all the good it
does to educate the lower classes, you
see"
II hope it isn't blarney in Mrs.
Burke" hazarded Sue.
"a man convinced against his will,
Is oil 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
they would never have thought Of it
again if Mr.. Gus Blake hadn't hap
pened to drop in upon them. Nov
Mr.. Blake was somebody worth while
in Miss Lily's eyes. She had met him
hen 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 a book OF love son.
nets. He was one of those cordial
people who shake hands as if they
were 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 a picked.u up.
dinner. %
s"There is one of the Christmas pud.
dings left, at any rate" said Mrs.
Harry; "all that will redeem the din.
ner.n
Mr.. Gus Blake was very afable 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-leayed clovers together, and she
told his fortune with a daisy. He was
complimentary andygallant. Lily felt
tsifa crisis was at hand. They met
Sue, with her hands full of wild flow.
.ers, coming from school.
no dSkeU WlG0 lls
most Indifferent manner, as she}iust
nodded and hurried by.
aOh; no. That is Sue Capulet,
Harry,s cousin. She used to keep his
house beforehe married.
MIndeed.n" 8
eyes. ~She'srather primi In her ways,
and opinionated,l like allcountry PEG,
lple.n
sAh! she must e yery disagreeable.
Perhaps; but one needn't to live
with her to indSout.
And you live with her77'
eyes. She will live here I suppose
till somebody marries her.
Then She has q lover3
never heard OF one.
And yet she is not precisely ugly,
with n WickedEtwinkle in hia ave a