The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-09-14
QUEENS CHEESE.

Blackmore. "Now this that is in your
book here about her majesty's cheese,
isn't true at all---that is, the general part
of it is true enough, but there's a mis-
take in particulars"
"And what was her majestys cheese?"
asked Grandfather Blackmore's daugh-
ter-in-law-a Connecticut woman with
Yankee ancestors as far back as there
were any Yankees.
"Did you never hear of it?" cried
Grandfather Blackmore. "Well, in
deed! Then I'll tell it you, though to be
sure you could read it yourself 1t was
a cheese made in the year Al, in the vii
lage of Pinnard, Somersetshire, to pre-
sent to her majesty Queen Victoria, then
a young woman, and very much ad-
mired by her subjects.
"The Pinnard ladies were all agog
about her, and to show their loyalty
they made up their minds to make one
of their famous cheeses, for almost every
county in England has a particular
cheese of its own, and Somersetshire
was not behindhand. So the wives
of all the well-to-do folk-gentlemen
farmers we call them-met together and
held council, and 1877 subscribers were
called for, each to offer one meals milk
of her best COW for the making of the
cheese. And the 737 ladies subscribed.
And great vat was made with the
royal arms carved upon it and many
other things beside, and on the ami
versary OF the queens coronation fifty
of them were to meet at Mr.. Nash's-
George Nash he was, and fine man,
and a hearty-and all the offerings of
milk were to be received by them. 1t
would make twenty hogsheads, they
said, and it did, and it took them from
9 in the morning to in the evening to
turn it to curd, and the largest and
finest and loveliest cheese it made! And
when it was ripened it was taken to
Buckingham palace and presented to her
majesty, who thanked them very gra-
ciously, and afterward sent the village a
present, though what it was this min
ute forget. But about the cheese am
SO certain that l can point out little
mistake. Now this book says that there
were 737 messes of milk in the queens
cheese, and | can tell you there were
only 1856"
"Why, how can you know, Father
Blackmore?" cried his daughter-in-law.
''Tll tell you, said the old man. "In
Pinnard, Somersetshire, there was a
widow lady, by name Mrs. Lutwoyche.
She had good blood in her veins, and ]
could tell you all about it only you Yam
KEGS don't care for that sort of thing; but
she had very little money and only one
cow-a pretty creature, to be sure, but
| giving very little milk. However, she
was one of the best folk of the place, anC
| and it would never do not to have hel
name on the list, So in it went. One o.
the 737 names that We're put down fol
the milk to make the queens cheese o.
was Mrs, Sophy Lutwoyche. She was
all alone in the world, poor lady, but fol
her daughter Charlotte. They had lit
tie house, and little garden, and littl'
servant, and the little COW l told you of
and Charlotte was the prettiest little crea
ture! She had English blue eyes and he
skin was like cream, and fell in low
with her the minute ! saw her. l wa
not a Somersetshire man, came from
called beauties. But Charlotte cut then
all out, and followed her about as if
had nothing else to do. The Widow Lut
woyche didn't favor me much. Sh
thought me not quite high enough fo
Charlotte, though | was to have money
But did what | advise all mon to d
when they want the daughter. courte
the mother, and by the time the subscriI
ton paper was taken about ] was int
mate enough to be at the cottage at te
time, and to know that Mrs. Lutwoych
was to have the honor Of being one c
the ladies who was to go to Mrs. Nash
dairy to make the curd. Their onl
trouble was how to get the milk am
themselves over at o'clock in the morI
ing without troubling the neighbors, fo
everything that could be hired was hire
! already. There was to be jolliication O
, the Nash place all day long, and butte
: prints with the queens portrait on ha
been made, and jelly molds like crown
and wreaths of flowers were to be hun
everywhere, for it was June and flower
we're plenty. 1t was to be great merr!
= making indeed. Well, had a chance
do the widow real favor at last, and
promised her that would bring vehic
in which she could sit neatly dresse
with Charlotte beside her, and in whic
the can could go, and that myself woul
S drive, and could stay through the da
and take them home again-that is,
they'd do me the honor to permit me.
). "She was well pleased, and got N
first bit of real favor from her that da
when drove over to the house in IL
dawning.
"The widow was ready, all in blae
and Charlotte all in white, and the
stood the can FURNISHED like silver, al
helped the ladies into the seats in fro
of the little carriage and went round |
hind to put the can in, and lifted
r toward the place it was to stand in
place made for the baggage, if you h
any-when, as if the old boy was in the
70 both, the handles gave way at the sar
e, minute, and down went the can to t
he grass. jumped to pick it up, took I
top for the bottom, and made matte
pee worse The milk poured out OF the G
Id in stream, and by the time I'd right