New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-16
THE DIXIE.
A COOT STEW.

49, a9,a,,a ,oornt,c n palr of the fowls above nici'
,ion.d liz shot them himself and appeared ~ 'aAo
great pleasure in giving them to US wv a,,,rdo
what was I'm the near future, we express" D. H.,
to him. We always have tho cons0''u,". 40 zine
whatever happened later We sincere q. 'no '"
we thanked him. ,aa ~
The animals I mean the fowls were dcn"u'" "
their feathers and ready to cook Mr.. Peahe Ia"
been so thoughtful as TO bring thelr "lns9' WV ~,
them, thinking that we might want them 70 pu. -"
hats lie said We might tell our friends "hen We ,or
away that we shot the critters, If we wanted TO- ''
no believed n was not customary TO 90 away from
Mashfeld without having Killed few coo's' anu W
could show the wings a. proof Of tho truth OF our 90
serton We promised 70 consider the suggesuoh'
The coots looked darker and different than our deal
had pictured them to be- From the hrS' noi"o"' ~
their arrival Orlando had manifested strong ana, d,
the same time disguised interest In them lie "'s"o"
to sniff at them constantly and each sniff appeared 10
naiseate him.
Mr. Peake said his wife sent word to us that II we
want used 10 sea-fowl and didn't exactly know
whether we liked them not we'd bet'er par-po'l
them the day before made the stew and thro" "i@'
water away By doing we should get Hu Oh sumo
Of the oil Them said Mr. Peakc. all you've got u
do IS to make 'cm up Jest Ike any stew, oho"s' P~
taferS and dumpln's'
AGAIN we EXPRESSED our gratitude. Mr. Peake said
he was glad he happened to Git UNI, for twas KIND OF
early. Ile was great spirits and Informed US 'hat
his wife seemed better than She had been all summer
He'd been suro all along the bracng weaiherd brhG
her round.
4, soon as he had gone, we washed the coots care
fully and put them on to par-bol When the odor
began 10 dfuse Itself in the little room Orlando went
out OF doors with his nose very much turned up. But
We remained being very sure that we liked coos FOR
myself had inwardly sworn that norhng should pre-
vent my liking them food, although as Odoia'lhs
articles ] perceived that was not pleased Win
them. But It not for their perfume we were
cooking them It for their gustatory and nourlsh-
Ing qualities.
hope Il Will not be suspected that the coOts had
been killed so long that they were too old. They
perfectly fresh and their fragrance was not from
age. There may be people who will read this lei'er
who arc Old enough to remember the lamps with whale
oil In them which wont - illuminate me past
Those who remember the lamps will recall the scent
they threw around them If they happened not to be IN
perfect cleanliness.
IT was dreadful, though we would n"t then admit
IT, that anything expected to eat should smell ex
actly like old whale oil
MY friend made the observation that Orlando seemed
very fastldous this morning. and that she herself
noticed that the coos dlrused odor not like any
thing else but she supposed that when they had been
parbolIcd all that sort OF thing would be dIspclled
agreed with her
At the proper time we removed the coos from the
kettle. carried the kettle good ways over the dixie
and cmpted its contents the terrier following us and
snufHng like terrier bewItched
"When we put the fowls for the stew NOR
row. said cheerfully, there won't be anything like
th!s.n
Ny friend assentcd with unnecessary arlor to my
assertion
It Is useless to try to explain the fact that all the
remainder of the day depressed and silent, as
If we had something our minds
Mrs Peake had sent word that must be sure and
81 boil min
until dinner time, because, though so good when
done before they were done they were tough.
We earlier than usual still depressed and silent
Ny friend said that she would put the coots while
went over to Mrs. Grants tor our daily milk
Long before l reached the shanty, on my return
the wind being the right way, inhaled the fumes Of
cooking coots, and l owned to myself, undi'gusedly
then, that the lamp oil just as strong as on the
day before.
Ny friend was making coffee, and she had set look
Of despair on her face. Orlando stood a moment
within the door, then walked away and carefully sat
down In place where the wind blew from him toward
the shanty. and there he went TO sleep
About an hour after breakfast, which. for some
reason. did not enjoy my fellow sufferer, who was
scing potatoes and onions for the stew, proposed
that We invite few friends to dine with Us. hailed
the proposition with sht. she said It pity
to have such good dinner all by ourselves; and
added that 1t shame to be selfish as that; and
would put the table and chairs on the shady side.
and | would go Immediately and borrow plates and
things from Mrs. Grant. Before l went, however we
settled that l should invite Mr. and Mrs Grant, July
Burns and Ozias and HIS mother We wished we could
ask Mr. Pcake and his wife, but they were too far
away for 90 impromptu dinner party.
l SGT Off quite gayly my errands all the people
promised to CONS and seemed pleased with the pros
pect Of q cOot stew. Mrs Burns offered to arrive
early aud season it for Us for she said that great
deal depended the amount of pepper and salt there
was in this kind OF vctua. She seemed much cha
grined when / confessed, in answer to her question.
that VIC had not put in red pepper in whole form,
just as that condiment grew in the garden. She had
never heard OF a coot stew being made In any other
way aud plainly thought still less of US from that
ment.
As the time approached for us TO leave The shanty.
perhaps never again return It, felt welcome
sense Of independence as to what July Burns did
think of us. l sure that she pitied us somewhat
and despscd rs moro Was it not true that had
never been able ketch man. and that had not.
until very recently, been capable of making bumOngc
What more need she to knowl But | cared now little
as to whether or not should succeed before left
in modifying her opinion of us. could not explain
TO myself why had cared particle what her
judgment concerning My friend declared
that it lack OF moral stamina that had made US
50 weak. She said that though she not as to
what moral stamina precisely. she was certain 1t
was good thing TO have, and she mover meant TO 60
place Hike dixie again without IT, In the utlrc
She intended not to what people like Mar Baker
and joel Buns's relict thought of her.
IT thus that We exchanged thoughts and resolved
after had FASTENED back from giving my invitations
and while were hurryng to arrange the table ont
IF doors and place the borrowed crockery thereon
before guests should appear
If we ever give a fashionable dinner party do not
think We shall suffer much anxiety we felt con
corning that coot stew
It would be ndescrbably shameful 10 us If the dish
should NOT be jus, what these people accustomed
To having, and, to add our responsibility, We had
reason think that ours would be the first cOOt stew
OF the season.
As time went the 0lor within the shanty became
stronger and stronger; aud, In TRUTH IL was dreadful
odor. 1t did not seem possible that dinner ought
10 scnd forth such stencil certainly stencil does