The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-08-07

Flo ran back with her orders, and
with sister on each side of her, and
a deeply interested small brother
lowering about, she read aloud the
list
July 1, 2 lunches, party.
4" Ia 90 Z"
+" g, g and dinners, party,
| 4, is q and 16 dinners, I"
Excitement ran high as they read
the list.
"But how can we fill the orders
for tomorrow" asked Mable. 1t is
nearly tea-time now, and there will
not be time to get things ready be-
fore they start in the morning."
We must begin tonight" answered
Allison with energy. Il should think
a salad, sandwiches, biscuit, cookies
and fruit would do nicely for the
luncheons, and, with your permits
sion. ladies, l shall now proceed to
the kitchen, where the lady of the
house will doubtless wait upon me
with her instructions"
Ralph was sent scurrving off to
the grocer's for supplies, and to the
butchers for tongue. Mabel was
sent over to the hotel with hastily
prepared list of the napkins, baskets
and crockery required, and the older
girls beat eggs, mixed biscuit, and
salad dressing with skill delightful
to see. 1t was eleven o'clock before
they got to bed that night, and in
the refrigerator and on the buttery
shelves lay the trophies of their
struggle for living-pans of puffy
flaky biscuits, great bowl of lob
ster all ready for the dressing and
the garniture of green, tongue
cooling slowly in its own fragrant
liquor. and dozens OF golden brown
cookies all redolent with spice and
knobby with citron.
By ten o'clock next morning the
eatables had been daintily and Sc
curely packed, list of contents had
been tied to each basket, and Mr..
Ferguson, with happier expression
of countenance than he had worn for
days past, had sped off the two pic
mic parties.
But as yet the work was merely be-
gun. The orders for the following
day had now to be filed, and chicken
pot-pie and boiled ham were wait
ing to be prepared, and in addition
the bill of fare for the large party of
July 4, for which no expense was to
be spared, had to be thought out. As
the party were to have servant in
attendance, it was not necessary to
provide only those eatables which
could be served with little trouble,
and so most inviting menu was
prepared, beginning with tomato
soup and ending with ice cream and
coffee.
How those girls did work! Orders
came in at a marvellous rate, and they
soon found that working for living
was a very different thing from beat
ing up a pudding or cake for family
use. But with good management and
plenty of good nature the work went
steadily on, each one faithfully per-
forming her allotted duties and all
uniting in keeping the house in trim
order and in looking after Ralph who
dearly loved the stir of the new in
dustry
When the bad days came when
the hot weather was grievous to be
borne, when despite their best efforts
the cream would curdle and the oven
would scorch, and the chicken would
continue to be tough after hours Of
patient stewing, / must confess that
they did get discouraged; but there
was so much more of success than Of
failure that these little episodes were
soon forgotten.
Meanwhile the guests at the hotel
were delighted at the change. The
toothsome dainties which were al
ways available we're highly appre
ciated, and Mr.. Ferguson was left al
liberty to attend to the daily comfort
of his guests.
July and August we're the busy
months. In September there were
still several orders, and it was moi
until the middle of October, aftel
preparing for large nutting party
that the Foster girls were able to say
that their seasons work was over
Flo turned with interest to her neatly
kept account book to estimate the
profits of the season, and she found
that they had filled orders for M
fewer than seven hundred lunches
and provided dinners for three hun
bred and twenty-five visitors, fol
which she had received S675, ofwhicl
about $500 had been expended il
| meat and croceriea hut ont Of which