The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-01-02


make an omelet, and there was the
nice. sweet bread that my girl had
made before she left, enough for
week. she said. When we were seated.
and Reuben helped the omelet, he said:
well, little wife, this is a greater
success than Sarah makes of it. l
have always said that there was no
need of the first failures that we hear
OF among young wives in trying to
get meal. A bright, graceful Great
IRE like you could not help showing
graceful results. Ny mother is that
sort of woman, every thing comes out
just right withOuta seeming effort"'
Before my husband went away for
his office that day, l said: Tell me,
Reuben, what would you like for din
ner," for my confidence in my ability
had grown with his expressed thought
of it,
"Well, my dear. l must own that |
have, since we have been keeping
house. missed the kind of pie that my
mother made. have sometimes want
ed to ask you to make 1t, instead of
Sarah, but l did not care to have you
begin that kind of work just yet. But
now that it is thrust upon you. / wish
we might have blackberry pie for
dinner"
What could l answer but that it
should be as he wished, while my
thoughts flew towards the new cook
book that was still in the box among
my wedding presents. Sarah had re-
scented the idea of using it, and, alas!
had never thought it worth while be-
fore this morning to look into it.
"You may send up some beef for a
roast" l said, in an assured way, and
! could not help seeing that Reuben
felt that we were just beginning to live.
set about the days work confident
and happy. 1T is just as Reuben
says" l whispered to myself, as l sat
down with my cookbook. and looked
through the chapter on meats and veg
etables first, "a woman with any grace
and an idea Of the fitness Of things, is
sure of making cooking success, with
out giving such constant care to it..
The meat came, a very large piece
but then Reuben liked to do things in
a grand way, and l was very glad o.
it. could not endure an over-care-
full man who had even the suspicion
of trying to scrimp about him. The
blackberries were large, fresh ones.
put my kitchen in order, and de-
cided that l would begin at once my
preparations for dinner l quickenet
the heat of the range, turned to tn,
pastry receipts, and followed down the
column until l came to blackberry
pie. ! brought out my -four, lard
sugar and pastry-board. There was
no rule for the proper quantities fol
one pie, and nothing exact as to the
mixing of the crust, but / was no
much disturbed by this, indeed
thought the compiler of the bool
had shown due respect to the "natura
faculties of the housekeeper, ant
| put a generous amount of fOul
into the pastry bowl. and in the cen
ter lump of lard.
The rule said rub the lard in, using
the hands as little as possible. Il
not the hands, whatp' l asked. 80
course SPOON" my wiser self said t.
my first ignorance. There must b.
water. l brought a pitcher, poured il
what thought would be generou
quantity, and began to stir the mix
ture. Stir lightly" stared at IN
from the open book, but it was not 81
easy to stir lightly as one nigh
imagine. At last the dough scenes
ready for the molding-board, and
emptled the bowl and began to roll on
my crust. Such time as l had! ]
took all my strength to get it int
shape, but at last 1 had filled the crus
with the berries, put on the pastr
cover, trimmed the edge and place
my first pie in the oven, with a hop
that amounted almost to triumph, tina
it would be even more worthy of tn
| name than like effort Of Reuben
mother / sat down to enjoy the feel
ing, and had lived in imagination
through all the praise that would b
given me on account of my grea
success, when my reverie was broke
by sound from the oven. l Opene
the door; my pie was very brown an
there was pool of juice around il
, | took it hastily out and looked at
in dismay. What could do? Plainl
|. nothing.
l consoled myself for the lost iuic
as well as possible, and rememberin
| that Reuben had once said he did nc
| like pale pie-crust. decided that thong
, mine did loox a shade darker tina
} his mothers, it was not surely spOile,
The fire was certainly too hot, whe
the meat was cooked needed to max
| it slower Following this decision I'll
' heat of the oven was reduced. and tn
{ beef put into pan half filed wit