The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-12-06
THE BowsERs.
Mr.. Bowser Comes Home and Finds Thai
tho Cook Has Loft. He Essays to
Eli the Vacant Place.

againPf
"WhatP"
"Abused and maltreated the girl un-
ell her sense of justice has compelled
her to leaveP"
81 hadn't anything to do with her
leaving"
Then who hade She looked heart
broken as passed her just now"
"Did shep Poor thing? She got
letter this morning from her aunt in
Canada, telling her that she had been
left $1,000 in cash, and advising
her to come home and marry man
who owns three farms. She must feel
very sorrowful!''
.'Humpl! And you didn't put too
much work on herP"
"No."
"Nor make her feel her positionp"
mo. Her position was in the parlor
about half the time"
"Well, it seems very queer to me
that so many of our girls leave.
Everything will be upset now for a
week, l suppose" b,
"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. 1 shall
depend on you. Mr.. Bowser.n
..Oh, you will? Not satisfied with
driving dozen poor souls to destruc-
ton, you want arub at me. wouldn't
have your spirit for all the money in
the worid!'
lie went away with that, but he was
home an hour earlier than usual. and
| when inquired the cause he said:
what fora Why, the child and
have got to have something to eat
haven't we, and who's to cook it if l
don't take holdp'
II can cook"
MRS. Bowser, fve long felt it my
duty TO give you few lessons in the
| culinary art. l have held off. hoping
| YOUR pride would forcc you TO take hold,
| but the limit has been reached. The
time has come when / must sacri-
| fee my business to enter my kitchen
and prevent my child from feeling the
paugs of hunger
"Please don't"
"But will! I'm driven to it. I've
got wife who can't cook the north
west end of a last years turnip, and
who can't keep cook over a week at
a time. I've put up with it too long
much too long, Mrs. Bowser. must
sacrifice my dignity to preserve the life
of my child"
..Shan't help you get supperP"
Mot 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 youi
mouth, and sit and chew and chew,
and think what mean things you arc
going to say to the next girl to drive
her away. When supper is ready will
call your royal highness.
He disappeared with that
When he reached the kitchen he tool
off his cuffs and coat, pushed up his
sleeves, and kindled fire. His con
fideuce began to desert him at thiI
point, and he seemed to be studying
deeply as he filled the teakettle ever
full and set it to boil. had some fresi
beefsteak in the ice-box, and he got i
out, scratched his head in thoughtful
way and laid it on the kitchen table
Then he went down cellar after tht
hatchet, wiped the head of it on hi
right leg, aud pounded away until {
| good share of the steak had gone int
the board.
Mr.. Bowser's next move was to hun
behind the pantry door for n spide
which we had never used. He carried
it to the kitchen towel, gave it Il wipe
and then placed it on the stove. ii
had heard that grease was necessary
and he put in some butte,, dropped il
his steak, and soon had it siZzing
Then he started in for the biscuit. III
got down the dish-paR- filled it almos
full, and then reflected for a moment
/ took advantage of the occasion t
open the door and remark:
"Mr. Bowser, you needn't figure o.
an elaborate supper, under the circun
stances. just make a cup of tea an
/ we'll get along"
: "Mrs. Bowscr, you ought to kno'
| by this time that there is no halffs n
: work with me- he replied with gre;
/ frigidity.r ''You can afford to negle,
I the comfort of this family. but l ca
not Please return to your gum an
your novel"
Then he went ahead just as any othe
Husband would.
He had heard about soda and shor
/, enfng in biscuit, and he mixed th
51 flour with cold water, put a peppC
and sally slashed off half a pound {
@ butter and stirred it in, and then r,
: membered the baking-powder. Thei
s was nearly quarter of a pound ia th
: box and the whole of it went in.
81 How Mr.. Bowser managed to get
u lgrease spot between his shonlderbiaffel
= flour in his hair. and lBaking-powder
[hts hind pocket do not know, but
Twas probably while he was rolling this
mass out. He didn't trifie with th
mixing-board, but used the spot wheI
he had pounded the beef. / heard th
mass of dough fall on the floor thre
different times with dull thud, but b
wasn't a bit discouraged. He got
rolled out at last. cut some biscuit
q with teacup, and presently the ese
door shut ON his tins. He had iul
| forty biscuit.
BY this time the steak had burne
black on both sides and he set it dow
behind the stove and prepared the tea
To two quarts of water he used on
teaspoonful. Ten minutes later b
summoned mo to- the banquet. u
had the tablecloth on crisscross, tn
butter on a pie-piate, the cake in Il
cheese-dish, and his bcafsteak wa
placed in the center of the table on
pie-tin.
Anything wr6ngp" he asked rs 1 81
down.
"Oh, no. You have done spendGlly.
al am aware of it. This table Ia
. never looked SO homelike before"
His biscuits were raw in the ddl,
while top and bottom were SO wonde
fully and fearfully made that 1 had I
laugh.
"I'he biscuit; you can't beat then
Wait till you taste one."
didn't taste. but he did. l W:
watching him, and look of horru
came over his face at the first moutl
fdl. He wouldn't give in, however, bl
crowded whole biscuit down and pr,
tended to enjoy it.
IL wouldn't eat any of that steal
Mr.. Bowser," said, as he eyed it su.
piciohsly.
Wouldn't youP Perhaps you wal
it all yourself"
al don't think it is properly cooked.
swell, | do. If that isn't mic
steak then we have never had one
this house"
:,