The diamond drill., 1890-02-15

known quantity in London Kitchens.
know of only one place where they
keep a supply OF other American
stores, including cornmeal, buck
wheat -four, maple syrup, waffie-ircns
and griddles. A griddle. by-the-by,'s
called '.girdle' in England, and
even at that it is a culinary article
almost as unknown in an English
kitchen as 'dipper." An American
friend of mine, who is keeping house
in England lately acquired truly
national longing for buekwheat cakes.
He mt once ordered n supply OF buck
wheat flour and maple syrup. lie
got IA recipe out ofan American cook
cry book, which an American lady lent
him, and there he stuck. The Kitchen
possessed no griddle. He went to
the first ironmoneer's and but let
him tell it himself:
81 want griddle."
"a what, sir, you please?"
"a griddle."
The shopman stops dry-washing
his hands to raise one to the back oil
his ear. while his questioning smile
grows into a questioning wrlnkling
of the nose.
sTbeg your pardon, sir, but didn't
quite catch what you said?'
"a griddIe--a griddle. want to
buy n griddle."
The smile returns, but mixed with
| pity and dissap appointment. "Ah, Yes.
to be snre-a--a what was 1t, sIr?'
"A griddle."
Smile vanishes altogether, and cold
Indifference reigus in its stead:
Don't keep 'em." ("Sir" dropped
at certainty Of failure OF n trade.)
"Don't keep 'em? Isn't this. look
ing around at the shelves) IA hard
ware store2"
"Ironmongery. If youplense sir." )"
C"Sir" comes from force oil habit
"Well?"
look here. Do you know what a
griddle is?"
"Well, no sir, don't"
"Never saw one?'
"Never saw one
"Never heard of one?"
Never heard of one
DO you know what a frying-pan
is?'
"Really, my good sir" (getting fa
miliar, the British tradesman's GER
tain sign Of disrespect) must as.S
you to tell me il you want anything
in my line, for my time is-'
81 want a griddle."
Don't keep 'em."
~ wonder, Thomas" said the
trades-man's vile. who, Mt the sound
of her husbands voice in an unusual
tone, has come forward from the lit
tie room OF the shop. II wonder If
the gentleman means girdle."?
The husbands face lights up mt n
chance of business after all. "Ahl
You mean n girdle, dessay, sirY"
mo, don't. | mean n griddle.
Ifyou haven't got one, +" Turns
to go.
"Ono moment, sir" says the wife;
"do you mean?" etc. describes n
griddle)
"why, yes. Why, certainly.
That's griddle."
1--WE call il girdle, sir;leastaways,
they do in Scotland. saw one once.
Pm sorry we haven't one, sir. We
have no call for them, sir. But we
could get you one, couldn't We, Thom-
as?"
81 make no doubt we could, sir.
Allow me to procure one for you,
sir?'
"I'll tell you what. II | can't get
one anywhere else, you may
''Very good, sir"
81 came back, said my friend, Gin
couple OF hours. considerably un-
starched. had tried Mt least doz-
EN- hardware establishments. but
without success. They didn't even
know what girdle was, let alone a
griddle. Well, / let the first people
order it for me. / wish you could
have seen IL when il came. Ii must
have been n yard in diameter, and
, had great handle across il like an
iron hoop, with a ring in it to hang
: H. over the fire. sent IL back TO the
shop, saying there must be some
mistake, IA my kitchen wasn't round
, and hadn't ordered an iron floor
for il. / guess the buckwheat and
, syrup will keep till | get bnck to
: America. From the San Francisco
: Argonaut.