The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-12-12
A GROUP OF LITTLE COOKS.

The room was at the top OF the tall
building. The sky was blue, and the
world was bathed in warm sunshine that
morning. l had wanted to visit that
class each Saturday morning since it be-
gan, but l had not been able to do it.
This Saturday found time. As | came
near the top of the building | heard
girls voices. The owners Of these voices
seemed to be using them all at once.
"Dear mew / thought, "how can any
one teach in such racket? How can
any one Learnt" l opened the door.
There we're eleven little girls just as busy
as bees. Down one side of the room
were two tables. each with eight gas
burners arranged for cooking. In the
middle of the room was pine table.
At one of the burners were two little
girls. Over the burner was double
boiler. l looked into it. There was
oatmeal cooking. the little cook busy
stirring. At another burner was an in
lerested group. There was the odor of
lemons and sugar.
"What are you doing?" l asked.
Making a lemon pudding" was the
answer.
A little girl at another table was break
ing egg -shells into a coffee pot, while
another was measuring -four at the
other side of the cooking-table At the
window stood little girl beating the
white of eggs on plate with fork.
They were 80 busy. and seemed to un-
derstand so we'll what they wanted to
do, that had forgotten that there ought
to have been teacher there.
"Where is your teacher?" asked.
"She didn't come, and we are repeat
ing last weeks lesson" come in chorus.
"As much as we can." corrected very
accurate little girl.
The spokeswoman explained the situa-
ton. 1.-THE teacher didn't come, and at
first we did not know what to do. Then
we looked in the closet, and we found
that we had -four and baking powder,
and corn-starch, and coffee, and oat-
meal; then we found two lemons and
one egg. We thought we could cook
some oatmeal. make coffee and biscuit,
and lemon pudding. We each bring a
penny. So we bought five cents worth
of butter, and pint of milk and an egg
we had one egg" The little cooks
flew about. feet and tongues keeping
time. The -four and baking powder
and shortening were measured and
mixed and rolled and cut. If it is true
that "too many cooks spoil the BROTH" it
10 not true of biscuits. For at least six
cooks did something. and the baker had
nothing to do with the making. The
biscuits were made very small, 80 that
there would be enough to go round.
They were perfect success. The me-
ringue was failure. The little pastry
cook lost part of it in the sink when she
was watching the dishwashing.
When the dish washing time came.
there was no soap. One Of the little
girls ran to the front window and opened
the inside shutters. which were folded
back. Sac took from behind it five pen
MES, and soon came back with piece Of
soap. She explained that the week be-
fore some had forgotten their pennies,
aud that they had that much left after
all had paid their dues and the milk and
butter had been paid for. The money
was put behind the shutter for safety.
Now they had all paid up. The dish
washing did not appeal to any Of the
cooks. Nobody wanted to wash dishes.
At last two volunteered, and all the
cooking utensils were washed while the
biscuits we're baking.
When they were done the fun began.
Two tablecloths were borrowed from the
kitchen garden downstairs, and two pots
of growing ferns. These were put on
the table, and then the dishes. A father
and mother were elected, and the family
sat down. The biscuit we're each about
aslarge as ffty-cent piece. The lemon
pudding was large a1d delicious. but the
meringue was just in little spots over
the top. The little pastry cook was very
sad The coffee was clear and very good.
Toe supply of dishes made the serving of
the food rather queer. Some had plates
but they were very large; some had to
use saucers as plates. Those who had
plates had to use them as saucers on
which to place their cups. Then all
saucers had to be washed for the pud-
ding. Nobody objected to the queer d.
vision of dishes; it was like an indoor
picnic, and everyb ,dy had lots of fun.
Mr.. aad Mrs. Smith (these were the
names given to the little girls who played
father and mother) attended to the wants
of the nine children most caref ully and
politely.
think any teacher has reason to be
proud of class who. when she is away.
will work just as hard aud carefully as
when she is present.-Mary Willis. IN
Outlook.