Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-09-05
COOK AND COUNTESS.
Patty's Complete Success in Both
Capacities.

Patty Cowslip, the only daughter of
Rev. Peter Cowslip, vicar of Nudes
worth-in-the-Marsh. was a pretty girl.
She was SO pretty that she might have
actually aspired. though she hadn't q
penny in the world. to marrying a
fashionable curate. But though Patty
was penniless. she was ambitious, and
she hadn't the slightest idea of marry
ing the most fashionable of curates.
1t is not necessary to describe what
Patty was like. Rather above than
below the ordinary height" as novel
lists say, rich chestnut hair with a
CLINT of gold in it, an excellent figure,
small ears. brown eyes with dark eye
brows and lashes. pearly teeth set in
the rosy frame of a pair of lips arched
like Cupid's bow, a round and dimpled
chiu, swan-like neck Bah! we
have all once in our lives met some
body as charming as Miss Patty Cow
slip; but as a rule the experience has
not been repeated. We must not for
get. though, that Miss Patty's arms
and hands were her strong point. A
Queen might have envied them, for
they were absolutely perfect.
Miss Patty Cowslip had decent ed
dcation, but beyond the annual sub
sidy of ten pounds year, which the
parish paid her for playing the organ.
she hadn't penny in the world.
Rev. Peter Cowslip was as poor as Il
rat. With considerable difficulty he
managed to pay his tradesmen at the
years end; but Rev. Peter Cowslip
dined every day much better than
many nillionaires. And why? Was
it on account of the poor clergyman's
wicked extravaganza? Not bit of
it; the fact is that Patty was splen-
did coOk-a born genius for the robiest
of arts.
Many modern young ladies. having
purchased terra-cotta jar and rem
dered it hideOus with daubs of paint,
compel their friends to fall down and
worship it, and call it art; other girls
torment us with the piano, violin,
banjo. harp. sackbut. psaltery, dulci-
mer and all kinds of music; other
girls sing. All these people work
their wicked wills upon us with i'm
punity. We grin; we say: "Oh, thank
you so much" because we are obliged
to do that; and our politeness is treat
ed as an encore. and then our suffer-
1ngs recOmmence.
Pretty Patty Cowslip did none of
these dreadful things; but she could
cook like Ude. Francatelli and Soyer
rolled into one. And pretty Patty
n tnv
OF cookery and came out as the senior
wrangler of the year. 1t was Patty
first, the rest nowhere. NJ. Caramel,
the professor of ornamental pastry.
proposed to her at once; but Patty re-
fused him. for. as we have said. she
was ambitious. And then Miss Cow
slip issued ID neat little advertisement,
took modest lodgings in a modest
West-end street. and began to teach
on her own account.
Lord FleshpOtts was widowed no
bleman. He had three unmarried
daughters-the Ladies Gwendoline.
Ermyntrude and Ermyngarde Casse-
role. His lordship was a great suffer-
er from indigestion and he was diving
OF bad dinners. No cook ever STAYED
more than u month in his house; each
of his daughters ruled the roast for :,
week. and generally the particular
young lady who happened to be re-
sponsible for the dinner on any given
evening left the room in tears before
the dessert was put upon the table.
If Lord Fleshpotts would only have
dined at his club all might have been
we'll. but he persisted in dining al
home and the lives of his three daugh.
tiers were slow martyrdoms.
1t CHANGED one day that they saw
Miss Cowslip's advertisement in the
st. James Gazette. Lady Gwendoline
pointed it out to her sisters. They or.
dered the carriage early the mex,
morning. and they were ushered into
Miss Patty's neat little sitting room in
Park street. I'VE don't want to take
lessons. Miss Cowslip," said Lady
Gwendoline. Were too stupid" said
Lady Ermyngarde. .And it would be
no use." said Lady Ermy But,
oh! Miss Cowslip. couldn't you come
every morning and give us few hints,
for pa is wasting visibly!" cried the
eldest girl.
..It's novelty that poor papa re.
quires," sobbed the second daughter
refreshing novelty and perpetual
change. Those are his very words
Miss Cowslip; his cruel. heartless
words"
HAS lord Fleshpotts ever tasted ap
pie dumplings?" asked Patty Cowslip,
solemnly.
.'It's dish i never heard Of" ex
claimed Lady Gwendoline.
They were a favorite dish with his
Majesty King George Ill, !" remarked
Patty. the historian.
'.And we've never even heard o.
themi' sighed Lady Ermyntrude.
So it was arr aaged that Patty was
to come the next day and teach them
how to make apple-dumplings. fol
which she was to receive a fee of one
guinea. and as personal favor she
wrote them charming little menu. ir
which among the sweet dishes al.
peared the item: s.Apple-dumplings,
= La George Trois.
At two o'clock the next day Miss
Cowslip was shown into their lady