Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-08-06
The Conquered Kitchen.

That sounded well, and was very
gratifying to my amour pa opre. If
there was one thing that | could do
and do it we'll, it was to keep house.
l reveled in housekeeping, and in my
pride and confidence [ said to my
self, the larger the house the better.
But my answer was conservative
enough.
s'It was for three weeks instead of
three MONTHS" / said, ssand then if
your establishment was not so large"
s'That'll do, Hannah," said my
cousin Flora, with more energy than
she had manifested in a week. Her
doctor had ordered her to California
reason, nervous prostration; cause
of that, society.
ssTom and know you can do it,
she went on; "and if you can give
us the time, and feel strong enough
| to undertake it"
"But what will there be to do,
Tom broke in, with the usual mascu
! line ignorance of domestic machinery.
"There's Henry, you know; he does
all the buying; and really we never
had a better cook. Don't you think
so, Flora?"
eyes; she's perfection and that
reminds me, Hannah, mother was
saving this morning that when we
went away she was going to ask you
to cook some of your nice things. But
| tell you not to enter the kitchen if
you desire to pursue your daily ayo-
cations with a head on your shoul-
ders. Mrs. De Planners comes to
the library every morning for her or
ders and after that is invisible 10 ev-
erybody except her assistant. She
will expect her to say as | have al
ways done, ''it is quite immaterial,
Mrs. De Planners. If you will give
your orders to Henry that will be
quite satisfactory"
eyes, that'll be the safest way"
said Tom. ''Flora really seems in
spired in her management of SER
wants.
''But how about accounts?' in
quired.
<'Oh, we don't keep any accounts,
my cousin replied, languidly. "Th(
tradesmen make out their bills, and
Tom pays them"
Eyes, that's the size of it, saiC
Tom; and 1 thought 1 detected ;
look of care upon the honest, kindly
face that 1 had never seen before.
'tWell, 1 always keep accounts,
/ answered tentatively. Flora haC
left=the room now, too exhausted TO
an other word.
s'It can't be done here" Tom re
piled, with dubious shake of th'
head. "The cook orders, Henry buys
f and l pay the bills
:sNo matter what they are!'
5 "Why, of course not. A bills
BILL"
"What about auntie's soups anC
jellies," | asked.
'Poor old soul, she ought to hav'
what she wants." was the puzzled
+ response.
"You might get gas stove ant
smuggle something upstairs, couldn'
you?"
eyes, | COULD replied, and long
ed to add-''if I'm a coward | will.
But | let the matter drop. Flor;
must be got away without excite
ment but my blood boiled in m.
e veins at the thought of the lamenta
: BILE figure l was to cut, and then anC
there decided not to cut it. And
/ was the more thoroughly rooted anC
L grounded in this determination whel
Tom, about five minutes before start
ing, drew me to one side, and said
! confdentially "I've been thinkin!
/ about accounts, Hannah, and I'd lik
to have you try and keep 'em. Thi
!. house is costing a mint of money
:, father says three times as much as
ought to; and if you think you cal
stand it"
81 couldn't stand it not to- / in
terrupted.
: sOf course l feel sure the servant
are honest" Tom resumed, "and yo
know how devoted they are to Flo
: still-well-"
: understood. The situation wa
) by no means novel. Tom was enoug
of business man to know something
! was wrong, but doubt if score o
y bayonets could have prodded him int
) expressing his suspicious or anxietie
! to his wife.
O And so / was left In charge OF
family consisting of seven adults am
g one child There was my aunt Ca
), invalid), little Flora and the govern
y ess, four servants and myself.
"Now, Hannah said my aunt, ,th
: very earliest possible moment of he
daughters departure, 81 want some
i thing fit to eat. I'm tired of stalle'
d OK, embroidered oysters, polishe'
|. chops and Irish bouillion. For
change, I'd like some good, old-fash
y ioned ham and eggs, and some bake'
beans and brown bread. Tom toll
me you were going to get ga
: stove"
"Well, I'm not" l replied. 8
: am going to cook on my own rang
in my own kitchen. | shall begin to
? I hava ra,nnarly prp