The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-11-30
miscellaneous.
The Minister'S Pie.
A THANKSGIVING STORY.

Z,
Mrs. Deacon Farrell brushed the flour from
her hands, casting meanwhile complaceni
eye over the well-flled kitchen table
with its generous array of unbaked pies and
cakes, the plump turkey stuffed and trussed
ready for the mOrrow's baking, and the big
chicken pie, to which her fingers had put the
finishing touches, as she repeated rather more
decidedly:
Look here Sally There's enough chicken
left, with the giblets-that never put in my
own pie because the deacon don't relish EN-
ter make Thanksgiving pie for the minis
ter's folks. 'Twont need to be very large,
she added, in reply to Saly's doubtful look
"only the minister and his wife-and you can
bake 1t in that smallest yallHr dish. Now
I'm going up stairs ter look over them rags
an you make it an bake it right of SOS
can send it over by the deacon"
"Yes'm," answered Sally, briskly; and
catching up the rolling pin she brought il
down with emphasis upon lump Of dough
upon the moulding board.
As the stairway door closed behind her mis-
tress, Sallie dropped the rolling pin, and a
look of perplexity crept over her dun face
making it ten times more stoid than uslal
while she repeated, in ludicrous bewid,r-
ment:
"Gibcts What in all creation, if any body
can tell me, does she mean by them?"
| Involuntary she took step forward, hui
checked herself as quickly, while cunning
smile replaced the look of perplexity, and
she muttered triumphantly
II guess | amt a-goiD' ter confess my ig-
norance to the deacon's wife and let her have
her say, as she always does. Two terms tel
the 'cademy, Sally, and not know that ! No
ma'am not while there's dictionary in the
| house"
| So, softly creeping into the adjoining sit.
ting-room she hastily opened big dictionary
on the deacons writing desk, and began her
search for the mysterious word.
"G--b-here It's !" and she read aloud to
herself, with an air of triumph, the following
definition:
| "Those parts Of a fowl which are removed
before cooking-heart, giZzard, liver, ETC."
That's IL heart, gizzard, liver and so
| forth, she repeated joytully, as she retraced
her steps to the kitchen, and began with
alacrity, to fill, according to directions, the
minister's PEE keeping up meanwhile, run
ming fire Of comment for her own special
benefit.
six gizzards! Well, that is rather steep,
rs Dan Weston would say. But guess the
deacon's wife knows; if she don't, faint none
of my business. Six hearts Them's small,
] anu luck mo lIC COTHGIb lhUu1. DIX llNtTS
Seems ter me they don't fill up much" and she
glanced with a perplexod air, at a pile OF
denuded chicken bones that formed her only
resource.
Now / wonder" with sudden inspira-
ton, "what that and so forth means
| Here's hearts, gizzards and lvers, plenty OF
'em, but no and so FORTH and the pie amt
more than two-thirds full yet 1t must mean, u
| and she cast a bewldercd look at the half
filled pie, the chickens legs. / never knew
nobody ter put them in pie, but that must
be what it means, and they'll just fill up.
No sooner thought than done. In went
three pairs of stout yellow legs, upon which
their unfortunate owner had strutted so
proudly only the day before; on went the
well rolled dough, covering them from sight
and into the oven went the minister's pie
Just as the mistress OF the house re-entered
her kitchen, and with an approving glance al
the snowy pastry, remarked, enCOuragingly
THAT pie looks real neat, Sally. shouldn't
wonder if, in time, you came TO be quite a
cook"
1t was Thanksgiving morning, and Miss
! Patience Prngle stood at the minister's back
door TO be sure it was rather early for callers
! but Miss Pringe was, as she often boosted
| zone OF the kind that never stood on cere.
mony." Indeed she didn't consider it ncccs-
sary even to knock before she opened the
door, although she was thoughtful enough in
opening it to do so softly. The minister
wife was Just tax ing from the oven a newly
warmed chicken pie, which she nearly drop
ped from her hand so startled was she by the
sharp, shriI voice that spoke so close to her
"Good-mornin, Mrs. Graham. IIain't been
to breakfast yet, see. We had ours halt an
| hour ago. | know my mother used to say
] 1, lat nprhnlt lpGI n N hpnr in lao in
they might chase it all day, and not catch up
with il then"
That's a good-lookin' pie-pretty rich
pastry though, for chicken pie. don't
never put much shorlnin' in anything of that
kind. It's rich enough inside to make up
But you're young, an have got good many
things TO learn yet. / run in to see if you
could spare me cup ofyeast mine soured,
and the last batch of bread made l had to
throw it to the hogs"
"Certainly," and roguish smile iluttered
over the fair face of the minister's wife, at
this specimen of her meddlesome neighbor' s
economy. But she had learned n rare lesson
of judicious silence, and taking the cup that
Miss Patience produced from beneath her
shawl, she bade her visitor to be seated while
she left the room to get the desired article
As her steps died away Miss Patience noise
lessly arose from her seat and approaching
the dresser upon which the pie stood, peered
curlously into the apertures in the crust, her
sharp face expressing eager curiosity.
"lll bet you a ninepence she didn't know
enough to put crackers in. | wish't could
get one look, just TO satisfy my own mind, u
she added. And determined TO accomplish
her object at half hazards she ran knife
deity around small portion of the edge
and inserting four inquisitive fingers, lifted
the brown crust and took glimpse of the
contents.
A look of unmtigaed disgust passed over
her face. Dropping into convenient chair
she actually groaned aloud:
"Well, never an we payin' that man
five hundred dollars a year, besides dona.
ton at Christmas. Oughp
Unsuspicious Mrs. Graham, as she return
cd with the yeast, was somewhat puzzled by
the sudden freshness of her guest, who hur-
ried out of the house as if some dreadful
contagion had haunted it; but when the min.