Smyrna times., 1888-12-12

rushed into the house to inquire:
l suppose you've gone and done it
again ?'
"What ?"
" Abused and maltreated the girl un-
til her sense of justice has compelled
| her to leave"
Il hadn't anything to do with her
leaving"
Then who had? She looked heart
broken as l passed her Just now"
" Did she? Poor thing She got a
letter from her aunt in Canada, telling
her that she had been left $4,000 in
cash, and advising her to come home
and marry a man who owns three
farms. She must feel very sorrowful !"
" "Humph And you didn't put too
much work on her ?'
"NO."
" Nor make her feel her position ?"
No. Her position was in the par
lor about half the time"
| We'll, it seems very queer to me
that so many of our girls leave. Every
thing will be upset now for a week, 1
suppose"
"Oh, no. You can cook, you know,
and you are such a sympathetic soul
that you ought to be willing to go into
the kitchen for day or two. shall
| depend on you, Mr.. Bowser."
oh, you will? Not satisfied with
driving a dozen souls to destruction,
you want a rub at me l wouldn't
have your spirit for all the money in
the world !'
He went away with that, but he was
| home an hour earlier than usual, and
when I inquired the cause, he said:
What for? Why, the child and 1
have got to have something to eat,
haven't we, and who's to cook it if 1
don't take hold ?"
can cook"
Mrs. BOwser, I've long felt it my
duty to give you a few lessons in the
culinary art. l held off, hoping your
! pride would force you to take hold, but
the limit has been reached. The time
has come when l must sacrifice my
business to enter my kitchen and pre-
vent my child from feeling the pangs
| of hunger"
Please don't"
But l will Pm driven to it. I've
| got wife who can't cook the north
west end of last years turnip, and
who can't keep a cook over week at
a time. I've put up with it too long
much too long, Mrs. Bowser. l must
sacrifice my dignity to preserve the life
| of my child"
"Shan't help you get supper?"
Not help. You'd only be in the
way. Just sit down in the rocker, Mrs.
Bowser, put your feet on the lounge,
get a cud Of gum in your mouth, and
sit and chew and chew and think what
mean things you are going to say to
the next girl to drive her away. When
supper is ready l will call your royal
highness."
He disappeared with that.
When he reached the kitchen he
took off his cuffs and coat, pushed up
his sleeves, and kindled a fire. His
confidence began to desert him at this
point, and he seemed to be studying
deeply as he filed the tea kettle even
full and set it to boil. l had some
fresh beetsteak in the ice box, and he
got IL out, scratched his head in a
thoughtful way, and laid it on the
kitchen table. Then he went down
the cellar after the hatchet, wiped the
head of it on his right leg, and pound
| OO away until kOOu SudI6 VI buC Sbbdk
had gone into the board.
Mr.. BO Wser's next move was to hunt
behind the pantry door for spider
which we had never used. He carried
it to the kitchen towel, gave it wipe,
and then placed it on the stove. He
had heard that grease was necessary,
and he put in some butter, dropped in
his steak and soon had it sizzling
Then he started in for the biscuit
He got down the dish-pan, filled it al
most full, and then reflected for mo-
ment. took advantage of the Occa.
sion to open the door and remark:
Mr.. BOwser, you needn't figure or
an elaborate supper, under the circum-
stances. Just make a cup of tea and
we'll get along"
Mrs. Bowser, you ought to know
by this time that there is no halfway
work with me-" he replied, with great
frigidity. You can afford to neglect
the comfort of this family, but cannot
Please return to your gum and your
novel,"
Then he went ahead just as any 9th.
er husband wonld.
He had heard about soda and short.
ening in biscuit, and he mixed the -four
, with cold water, put in pepper and
salt, slashed of half pound of butter
and stirred it in and then remembered
the baking powder. There was nearly
a quarter of a pound in the box and
the whole of it went in.
How Mr.. BOwser managed to get a
grease spot between his shoulder
blades, -four on his hair and baking
baking powder in his hind pocket, dc
not know, but it was probably while
he was rolling that mass out. He
didn't trifle with the mixing board, but
used the spot where he had pounded
the beef. l heard the mass of dough
fall to the floor three different times
with dull thud, but be wasn't a bit
discouraged. He got it rolled out at
last, cut some biscuits with tea cup
and presently the oven door shut on
his tins. He had just forty biscuit.
BY this time the steak had burned
black on both sides, and he set it down
behind the stove and prepared the tea.
To two quarts of water he used one
teaspOonful. Ten minutes later he
summoned me to the banquet. He
had the tablecloth on criss-cross, the
butter on a pie plate, the cake in the
cheese dish and his beefsteak was
placed in the centre of the table on a
pie tin.
Anything wrong ?" he asked, as 1
sat down.
"Oh, no. You have done splendid.
ly."
am aware of it. This table has
never looked so homelike BEFORE"
His biscuits were raw in the middle
while top and bottom were Sc wonder.
fully and fearfully made that had to
laugh.
"The biscuit; you can't beat 'em
Wait till you taste one ~
/ didn't taste, but he did. 1 was
watching him, and a look of horror
came over his face at the first mouth
full. He wouldn't give in, however
but crowded a whole biscuit down and
pretended to enjoy it.
wouldn't eat any of that steak
Mr.. Bowser," said as he eyed it sus,
piciously.
Wouldn't your Perhaps you want