The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-05

don't so way empty handed-lf you DO,
it'll be the fust time
People always spoke of her as old
Mis- Gillett. But she was not old, De-
ing just past 80. Neither did she snow
signs of age, for her hair was as plack
as her eyes, and her step as quick as
any girls. 1t was probably on account
of her wisdom that the epithet came
to be applied TO her. For she was
wise one in foretelling the future, IN
interpreting dreams and giving the
meaning of signs.
When Mrs. Garfield stated that her
sister would have. just so much tor
dinner, come what may, she had
spoken truly The captains wife had a
reputation to keep up in the family
They claimed that no fireplace ever
roasted a turkey as the Humphrey
fire place did, and no brick oven ever
turned out such pies and sweet cakes
To prepare a Thanksgiving dinner 90
years ago was no small task. with the
few conveniences at hand But if the
testimony OF our grandfathers is to be
relied upon the results were as good as
any that are got today. Better, some
of them have declared. So that long
after the modern cooking stove was in
troduced into kitchens many famous
cook of those good old days, When
some great occasion came around, TOOK
out the fireboard and started up the
fireplace, claiming that nothing could
equal the flavor of the things baked in
the old way
Good mornig. Miss Humphrey, said
Mrs. Gillett, as she came into the
kitchen Thanksgiving morning
took an early start, for l knew there
would be a pile of work to turn on
today
Mrs. Humphrey returned the saluta-
prrf Of first cd a
was addressing an animated big brown
bonnet, for as yet no head was visible.
Mrs Gillette had on one of those mar
velous creations worn by women along
in the '30s, known as the scoop.
These bOnnetS were enormous in size,
protruding far out from the face and
with a high straight crown sticking up
like . chimney. This piece of head
gear had been given Mrs. Gillett by
some wei known villaser and was worn
with great pride by its owner. she
smoothed out the wrinkled strings and
hung it I'D very carefully before be-
ginning work.
The rolling pin was doing double
duty in the Humphrey kitchen today
For no dinner of this kind was COM
plete without a variety of pies. The
mince ones had been made the week
before. But there was a big chicken
lie, besides the apple and pumpkin, TO
be baked today Mrs. Gillett fell to
work to assist in the making or these
She felt her Importance, for this was a
great occasion for her, and she hustled
about with many airs. As the captain
expressed it, she was the biggest TOAD
in the puddle.
As Mrs. Humphrey worked she kept
a sharp lookout on her assistant. 1t
seemed to be entirely unnecessary,
however, she reasoned with herself, ~
had she not hid every available thlng
the day before, and even put paddock
on the cake box? To be sure, she would
need to keep close count or her pies
but that would not be until Mrs Gil
lett came to take her departure. On the
window sill were three pats OF putler,
but IL was absurdity to think these
could be secreted in any way. Still,
Mrs Humphrey did not relax her vigil
lance. She was determined the captain
should not lose his wager.
Mrs Gillett had taken numerous oh
servations during her trips to the
pantry and storeroom, peeDing into all
the cJDboards and drawers that she
could open.
'One would think the captain was an
awful poor provider. from the looks of
things" she specialized. Actually
you'd suppose they lived from hand TO
mouth, like poor folks
It's getting on toward 10 O'Clock,
so I'm going to put the turkey over
now observed Mrs. Humphrey, as she
set the dripping pan on the brick
hearth and tiled the enormous bird TO
the big hook in the mantelpiece-
That fires hotter an Tophet, said
Mrs. Gillett as she shut the oven door
You look all tuckered out, Mrs. Hum
phrey. so you better let me tend to the
turnin's and bastin's.
mo, I'll do that part myself, for 1
never saw anyone yet could roast a
turkey 20 suit me-" said Mrs. Hum
phrey.
The two red spots in her cheeks grew
roster and roster and the DersDiration
poured down. taking all the kink from
the gray curls. But she never thought
of deserving her post, for she must
keep up her good name at all hazards.
And now the pies were out of the
oven and set aside to cool. There were
a half dozen or so of the golden brown
pumpkin and about the same number
of the apple. The kitchen was filed
with delightful Savory and spicy odors,
which showed it was nearing dinner
time. Already the chicken pie had be-
gun to have a faint brown. A few
more hastings and turnings and the
turkey would be ready.
Mrs. Humphrey felt that it was now
time TO tell Mrs. Gillett that her part
of the work was done. She dreaded to
do it. for all she had informed her that