, 1890-05-29
THE DAYS FIRST MEAL
MRS. c. A. cReevY TELLS HOW BAD
1T SOMETIMES IS.

GumbIInE Husband Pronounced the
Best He HSd Ever Eaten.
Copyright by American Press Association
The Richardson's are wealthy and hos
pitable. They give elegant dinners and
receptions, but their every day table is,
to say the least, queer. l know, for l
was their invited guest one week. Our
dessert was invariably cut up oranges
and sugar. have never wanted cut up
oranges and sugar since. But the break
fasts have left a lasting impression on
nv mind, especially has that of Sunday.
First we had a saucer of half cooked uat-
meal, and very thin milk. Even thed de
sire to be polite could not induce me to
eat mine. Then there were chops and
slices of brown bread. The count was
accurate. Chops averaged o n apiece,
and none over; slices Of bread n apiece
and one over. Presently Frank reached
for the one over slice of bread.
Frank" said his mother reprovingly.
leave one piece for Hannah
why" said Frank, cant l have all
the bread want"
But he couldn't, and. like myself. went
hungry to church.
This is fact, not fiction.
Doubtless breakfast is the meal thu
suffers most from indifferent housekeep-
ing, and many wives sigh for the CONT
mental rolls and coffee in place of the
substantial meal that custom and climate
demand Of Americans.
Mrs. Plummer. a charming young
married woman, told me, with tears in
her eyes, that Tom had spoken his first
cross word to her-dear Tom, who
vowed to love and cherish-and the
honeymoon was dimmed and life was
dreary. Tom had said that the break
fasts were only fit for a boarding house,
and he might as well not be married.
Now, Tom was heartless, but his wife
did a brave and good thing. She deter
mined to make a study of breakfasts and
rise above the level of n boarding house
keeper. So we talked it over and to-
gether made a few purchases.
The next morning when Tom came
down to breakfast the table presented
an inviting appearance. 1t was covered
with a pretty red cloth. At zach place
were a fruit plate, covered with a red
napkin, and finger bowl. On one side
Of the plate lay a sauce and spoon; on
the other the white napkin, knife, fork,
salt bottle and butter plate. In the GEN.
ter of the table was a basket Of Newtown
pippins, grape fruit and bananas. Tom
looked pleased. He was soon in the
middle Of a crisp, mellow apple. giving
small pieces delicately pared TO his wife.
How do you eat these thingsy' said
Tom. holding up a grape fruit as big as
a baby's head.
"Cut through the middle. across the
EerfiOng and p1va ma ona half
Tom did so.
Now look" and Mrs. Plummer dex-
~terously removed the pulp with a spoon
into the saucer.
You must not get a seed or any Of
the white part Of the rind into your
mouth They are very bitter" con.
tinued Mrs. Plummcr.
I'VE will have raw apples and grape
fruit or oranges every morning, Tom"
The grape fruit is n compromise be-
tween a lemon and orange and deserves
to be a universal favorite.
Tom liked it. After cleansing their
fingers and wiping them ON the red nap
kins, the fruit dish. apple parings and
all. werc removed.
Tom took up his morning paper to
hide the frown Of disgust which the
thought Of half sodden oatmeal had in
voked. The girl entered with a dish of
rolled wheat, and a red glass pitcher Of
cream. "Only the tops of two bottles"
exclaimed Mrs. Plummer. "The rest
Of the milk is just as good for cooking"
This is the way Mrs. Plummer pr pared
her wheat. a baked bean POT, as it was
called. had been purchased on the pre-
vious day. AT 8 in the afternoon she
put two cups of wheat mixed with one
teaspoon Of salt, and n quart and n pint
Of boiling water into this pot. Without
covering or stirring it was placed in d
hot oven int baked several hours. 1t
was then taken out and allowed to cool.
In the morning after the fire was made
it was put back into the oven till wanted
for breakfast. Then, steamiug hct, 1t
was lifted in solid humps of sweet, ten
der kernels crowned with two inches Of
starch or jelly into the di,h for the
table.
This is h incest stli: | ever ate"
said Tom as he passed his saucer for
the third time. Really. Alilly, / don't
want much else T. cat" added he.
Don't ever feed me upon oatmeal again:
it's a plebeian dish beside this"
And so cheap, toe" murmured Milly;
''only two and a hs'r cents for all this.
The last course of this breakfast was a
small rolled omelet, cooked for one
minute on the griddle in the fat of bacon.
-Four eggs well whipped, n little salt and
one-third of n cup of milk composed this
dish, which would hnvc been far less sa-
worry cooked in the usual way us one
large, fat omelet.
Tom ate his with a crisp slice Of bacon
and bit of bread AMI butter, drank his
coffee, then going stlGight to Milly, took
her in his arms, kissed her, and said:
I'm sorry l was 7ross to you yester-
day. You are n frpt rate housekeeper.
and the dearest little" etc.
know the next time l saw Mrs. Plum
mer that love had returned.
A favorite dish Of the Plummers is
fish hash. 1t is prepared by soaking the
fish over night, boiling !. in the morn
ing with twic as much raw potatoes for
half an hour. The water is then drained
off; butter, a tiny pinch of summer sa-
worry and a few drops Worcestershire
sauce are added. 1t is her packed into
frying pan with leef d~rippings and
Drowned slowly on the range.
Mn. Plummer bought a dozen earthen
shells and baked her eggs for breakfast.
This is her rule: Drop an egg into the
shell or saucer, sprinkle a little salt and
cover with a few finely grated bread
Merit wins,