Connecticut western news., 1892-06-23
THAT RECEIPT.

There was a circus in town that day, too, so he was feeling lonely and blue.
 "Hallo, little one How do you like the looks of thoser
 It was Paul's Uncle Jack who spoke, and as he came into the room he held up on little pink platter three luscious looking currant jelly tarts.
 "Oh, could eat one right now, Uncle Jack"
 "Go ahead then and I'll wait and see you do it."
 Cant you tell story too? You do make up such 'musing ones."
 Perhaps. What shall it be about%
 t-'bout-'bout-let me think. Oh, bout currant tarts, Uncle Jack"
 "Currant tarts! We'll, nowl Let me think little"
 And this is the story Uncle Jack told: Did you know that the Rewards de- scended from an ancient Irish family of that name?
 They did. The family crest was an albatross rampant above currant tart, and holding fast in one claw something which looks like cigar lighter, or per
 
 Now, the currant jelly in these tarts was made from receipt which has been handed down from the first Rewards.
 How they first came into possession of the receipt, and why they should adopt such funny crest or coat of arms is one and the same story. 'Steen hundred years or more there ruled in China the cruel emperor, Yuhwhan Kian.
 It was the day before one of the em- peror's birthdays, and he called his chief counselor to him, saying:
 ''Chief counselor, listen to me. To morrow is my birthday; see to it that it feast. And, mark you, have something then that is new and very entertaining.
 But, exalted ruler, it is too short a time in which to arrange for feast, but twenty hours until the morrow"
 "That is not my lookout You will arrange for the feast. Now, begoner'
 And the chief counselor hurried away, tearing his silken robe into shreds and vowing that never did any chief coun- selor before him have such an unpleas- ant position, for the cruel emperor was in the habit of ordering birthday feast whenever he liked, whether it was real ly his birthday or not, and the chief counselor just had to hustle to keep Yuhwhan Kian pleased or he himself would be sure to lose his head and pig tail
 Then Yuhwhan Kian called the head cook of the cooking college to him and said:
 "Mignon-that was the head cooks name, being short for Mignonette- "Mignon, tomorrow is my birthday" "Oh, s-s-sis-sirep
 Mignon stuttered.
 ''Yes it is, and no joking, either. Un less the cooking college prepares new | sweetmeat for that festival feast, you slave, will lose your head. Begoner | And the head cook of the cooking col lege went away sorrowing, for the em l peror had had twenty-nine birthdays il the previous two years, and by this time his ingenuity was about played out. l Now, while both the chief counselor and the head cook of the cooking college are racking their brains to discover, tht one new attraction, the other novelty in pastry to. set before the emperor, W, must go to little village in Tartary.
 Before a small matched hut is la( apparently just starting out on a long journey. A very old woman is bidding him farewell.
 "Nestri; hast thou with thee thy sil very reed fute?"
 "Yes, great-grandmother."
 "It is we'll. Now, before thou start est have two gifts for thee. They ar small presents, but am poor. This bas contains cerch-circh (which in Eng hsh Tis nothing more nor less than cur rant jelly). Take good care of it, fo never has it been tasted by other thai members of your family, and of sucl great rarity and exquisite flavor is i that should strangers, even kings an, emperors, once taste it there would b warning and strife among them for it possession. So Nestri took the precious bag. |, "Also, Nestri, here is the receipt b which the cerch-circh was compounded! And the old woman gave him thi1 shaving like a sheet of ivorine painte' with queer Chinese letters, which h carefully rolled and twisted up until looked about like cigar lighter, an then for safety placed it inside of hi reed flute.
 Then he set out on his journey, eve to the very city where the chief cour l selor and the head cook of the cookin college were puzzling their brains t please the emperor. Such was Nestri skill in playing upon his reed flute tha wherever he stopped and played tn people focked to hear him and file his valise with coppers and plugged te cent pieces.
 It was while he was thus playing tha the chief counselor chanced to hear hin And the chief counselor leaped int the air, waving his cue and knocking hi heels together for joy, shouting:
 "Houp-lai Whoopi My head an pigtail are now safe. will secure tn lad for the emperor's feast"
 And he had fourteen of the roy, guard seize Nestri and cast him int prison.
 Little sleep could he take for the fes that was in his heart, and so about tf midnight hour he began to play on h silvery toned flute so softly and sweetl. so clearly toned and so sadly and plain 5 ively, that, as was afterward found ou it even melted the heart of stone id which was kept in temple near.
 While he was thus playing he W, 13nktled to hear susns ons moaning Rx