The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-04-23
COUSIN ANN'S LAP.SUPPER.
ny HARRIET FRANCESE CROCKER.

ny HARRIET FRANCESE CROCKER.
Cousin Ann Peters is as good a soul
as ever lived, an time was when she
could set out as nice meal OF victuals
as Il body would wish 10 see. l used
to visit at her house when she had
cream biscuit, blackb'ry jam, sweet
pickles, Dutch cheese, pressed meat
an sponge cake for supper-all OF her
own maxim, an l tell you it was an
appetizin' meal to set down to.
But since Cousin Ann spent them
three weeks in Chicago at Lucilly's
an has got to subscribin' for all the
ladies' papers an such Iittytoor, why
she's ditfcrent-not the same Cousin
Ann Peters at all-that is, when it
comes to victuals.
Awhile ago she took it into her head
to have lap-supper, an have it she
did. She sent out thirty invitations.
got one. ! own them invitations
was real cute an tasty-She said she
got the idec out OF one OF the ladies
papers she takes. A needle was stuck
through one corner Of the square card,
an round an cound that needle
was wrapped lot Of SEWN silk OF all
kinds OF coors, a dreadful waste of
good needles an sewin' silk, seems to
me, although | put the needle in my
cushion an wound the light blue silk
on to an empty spool. never was no
hand to waste things.
Well, OF course that gentle hint In
the corner OF that invitation meant
to bring along our work, so took the
buttonholes in Mis- Simmons new
basque to work an tx up real pert an
stylish, SO l thought, an went early
l got there first, an it was half an
hour before another soul come. Well,
they KEEP a-comin' and bime.by there
was the whole thirty Of us. 1t was
very amusin' to set around an com.
pare fancy work an We did enjoy it
awful well, leastways, | know l did,
il was the only one that had brought
along buttOnholes to work. But I'm
independent, thank goodness, an took
as much pride in shown how neat a
buttonh0lc l could make as Mis- Sykes
did showin' her embroidered voylcts
she was putin on a dolly.
1t was, as said, very pleasant
afternoon; it was indeed, although
for awhile at first 1t was most dread
ful stiff. l couldn't help wonderin'
once in awhile what Cousin AIMS lap
supper would consist OF. Therc'd be
lots of style about II there want much
to eat-that l knew.
Along toward dusk Cousin Anne
come in with lot OF plates an paper
napkins an give US each one. Then
come Susie Miller, one O. the neigh
boris girls, with a lot OF forks. Then
in come Mary Jane Bolts (hired for
the occasion) with a plate full OF little
teenty.tonty biscuits not speck big
yer than gOod.szed egg. 1t was
good, what there was Of it, but it was
most awful small! Itried to eat mine
dreadful slow SOS to make it hold out
till the rest OF the things come around
Next come a curious lookin' object
declare | don't know even yet wha,
was 10 it, but they called IT a salid
1t was a long thin stick OF tOastet
cheese about as big as lead pencil
but not so long, wrapped up in a let
tuce leaf, and there was teaspoonfu
OF somethin' else In it-actually sucl
little mite that couldn't for m.
life give it a name! Whether it wa
cold, sliced, boiled potato with
sprinkling OF onion, or whether il wa
the white OF an egg, actually don
know. 1t tasted good but didn't las
no time. l looked around the big PAL
lor an il every single plate wan
empty!
Then in come Cousin Ann an too
away our plates, an begun to thin
that was all, but soon found thi
was only the first course, so VIC all SC
with our paper napkins on our LAP
am waited for the next. When
come it turned out to be anothe
, plate with an arrangement on II, tina
l confess set me to laughin' inside, al
l was SO afraid Id be unmannerly al
snicker right out that l had to think {
poor old Uncle Seth's funeral to kee
me sober.
On one side OF the great big Dime
plate was u tablespoonful OF preserve
strawb'ries Id helped Cousin Ann pu
up myself, IAN way across on the otllc