, 1896-07-25
MIR. MEEK'S DINNER.

II wonder, James, =" said Mrs. Meek
doubtfully to her husband ore morning,
"f you could get your OWL dinner to-
night. You see, I've had to let the
servant go on her holidays for a day or
two, and they want me desperately ut
the Woman's Aid and Relief bazaar. to
help them with their high tea from 1880
to 80. If you thought you could man.
age by yourself
"1ll try to survive it. observed MIR.
Meek good naturally. II don't fancy it
will prove fatal"
"I'n get q roast and cook it this
morning, then" went on Mrs. Meek
cheerfully, and you can have it cold
for dinner"
'"Thank you," replied Mr.. Meek.
you'll do nothing of the kind. l fancy
I haven't gone camping pretty much ev-
cry year Of my life for nothing. l sus-
pect l can manage IL hot dinner about as
well us most women
Mrs. Meek had her doubts, and unlike
most wives, expressed them.
Mr.. Meek viewed his wife's doubts
with supreme contempt. and unlike
most husbands, expressed it.
Thus it finally resulted that Mrs.
Meek abandoned all idea Of preparing
Mr.. Meek's dinner for him, and betcok
herself to the bazaar. So it resulted,
Furthermore, that Mr.. Meek left his Of
fee about 4 o'clock that afternoon and
proceeded to collect OIL his way home
the necessary supplies for q dainty little
dinner.
An alluring display Of chickens was
the first thing to catch his eye, and he
was Just on the point Of securing one Of
them. when. by good luck, or
probably through the natural sagacity
Of the man, he recollected that-well,
that you don't, as q rule. cook chickens
as they are. In the momentary reaction
that followed this feat of memory, he
bought q couple Of mutton chops and
three tomatoes.
"I'll have IL good, plain. old fashioned
English dinner. thought he. rs he hur-
ried past the deceitful chickens with
something almost akin to reproach.
None Of your finicky poultry dinners
for mel"
"By Jove!' he exclaimed a moment
later. "Ill have an apple pudding and
some oyster soup to begin on.'
He was 70 tickled with this idea that
he promptly rushed into a grocery shop
and purchased half a peck of their best
eating apples and then hurried home
without a thought Of the cab he was t.
order for his wife ut $3.50 sharp.
BY 6 O'Clock he had the fire going
beautifully MD everything ready for
start
By 9 O'Clock he was just beginning t.
enjoy the thing; tho tomatoes wer'
stewing divinely; the potatoes wer'
boiling to their hearts content and tn
milk for the oyster soup was simmerinl
contentedly on the back of the stove
The oysters. by the bye. had not yet ar
rived.
Dear me-" thought the ambitious
gentleman, II wish I had thought Of il
In time, aud I'd have had some oyster
patties for n sort Of final dessert. Hello,
what's this2 BY thunder. il that ever
lasting pig headed woman hasn't left
me some cold ham and q custnrd pie
BY the Lord Harry, for 3 cents I'd throw
the whole thing out into the back yardi'
The natural docility Of his nature,
however, prevailed. and he left the OBJ
noxious viands unmolested and proceed
cd with his dinner. At $3.50 he put the
chops on to broil, ''as in the good old
days Of yore''-this poetic allusion to
the style Of cooking being occasioned By
one of them accidentally dropping into
the fire, whence he rescued it with great
presence of mind by the joint assistance
Of the stove litter and n Of the best
table napkina By the time the chop
was thus rescued both it and the table
napkin were fairly we'll done-to say
nothing stronger. This triiing difficulty
he got over by putting the erring chop
ON the window sill to cool and the nap
kin into the fire-to do the other thing.
This accomplished, and with one chop
gently cooking on the gridiron and the
other one cooling on the window sill.
he started to construct the paste for his
apple pudding. This proved most fas-
cinating. He placed q large quantity OF
-four in q small bowl. emp'ied a jug OF
water on top Of II, added butter ia
taste, and proceeded to mold 1t deity
into shape, as he had often seen his
wife do. The -four and water promptly
forsook the bowl and betook themselves
10 his hands Then the milk for the
our began to burn, just - the potatoes
boiled dry. He rushed to the rescue and
left the major portion Of the paste fair
" evenly divided between the handles
q the two sauoepans and the stove lift.
81. At this juncture the tomatoes started
IN to sec Il they couldn't surpass the
milk in burning. They succeeded. The
80. which was accustomed to . $3.50
dinner, walked Oh with the chop ON the
window Gill, while the chop on the fire
new beautifully black on the down
aaa" So many things were now burn
In III 1t the same time that Mr.. Meel
esve pp all hope Of trying 10 discoye,
- wA3ch one was banning most lie!
~ da1lDad things burn TIL they're sicl
~ tti'' Wa the extremely bsoad mindet
uav = whicA - summed mp tho dtua
~. W1tA ~ sstntenem that chssac
aski1a ~ = Aisttngnishei ho9 ~