Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-11
A LITTLE PASTRY COOK
A CHRISTMAS SKETCH.
By e. Bruce Chesterman, Jr)
By f. Bruce Chesterman. Jr)

By E. Bruce Chesterman, Jr)
Who was she? All, 1t would never 90
to tell that, but we will call her Martha,
and let that name answer for the pur-
pose of this sketch. Martha, by the way,
is a very pretty name, ard as the girl
to whom it Is now being given was even
more than merely pretty, IL Is quite
appropriate that she should thus be chris
tened. Where did it happenY We'll never
mind the exact locality, but 1t was IN
that beautiful region known as the VAL
lev of Virginia, and not so very many
miles from the picturesque town or
Staunton. On this particular morning
three days before Christmas-she was
standing on the back porch OF the great
old-fashioned brick house, so many or
which are to be seen in that section or
Virginia, and judging from her appearance
she had evidently just come from the
kitchen. which was perhaps twenty feet
from the main building, with which II
was connected by a plank waikway.
Despite the fact that the air was nippins
cold. Martha stood on the porch with her
arms bare to the elbow, and her shapely,
well-poised head, as free from covering
as though the weather had been as
balnny as a day in June. The mass of
wavy, brown hair, with ringlets never
born Of a curling-iron. was slightly dis
arranged, and some of the chestnut locks
had escaped from their fastenings and
now nestled close to the snow-white neck
or peeped out from over her forehead IN
the most coy manner imaginable.
But Martha didn't seem to mind the
frosty air as she leaned against ono OF
the massive pillars Of the porch this
wintry morning, and looked wistfully
over tho great stretch OF country that
lay before her, gazing with longing III
those soft brown eyes that now almost
seemed to be endeavoring TO pierce the
blue hills that her vision might extend
beyond their heights and into that re-
gion where the country lay unbroken by
mountain ranges. The color that came
TO her bright cheeks and heightened the
bloom that was natural TO them, as sh
stood thus musng, and the sigh that es
caped her as she turned her eyes ava,
from the direction In which the SUI
several hours earlier had endeavored IL.
vain to look through the gray clouds that
shut him out. all told that though those
beautiful brown eyes could not overlook
the barrier. yet that her thoughts were
certainly beyond the rugged hills OF tho
Blue Ridge And If one could have read
her thoughts just then he would nave
learned that they were far away rom
her own beautiful valley homo and nad
carried her over the peaks or mountains
and across the shenandoah until they ieiI
her in good old Richmond town
Yes. Martha had Certainly been In the
Kitchen that morning, as the spots OF
-four that fiecksd her apron amply test'-
fed. And Just at that moment most
sayory odor was coming from that direc-
zion. for old Aunt Dipah had opened the
door and stuck her red-turbaned head out
IA irform Miss ATarthy' that the oven
was iust tho right heat for the pies Aunt
Dinah was the old black cook. and, as a
reneral thing never allowed any one 10
interfere with her pots and Kettles. But
Martha had managed to coax the OLD
creature this time until she had her COM
pietely won over, for the young girl was
determined to have q finger In the pie
during the Christmas cooking, which was
fust now the most important OF all the
preparations that were being MADE for
the coming holidays.
Martha was not entirely Ignorant OF
tia culinary art. for sho was not one OF
those gi.is who are at home onS IN inc
parlor And any one who could nave look
"a upon the fair Virginia girl that morn
Ing as she stood there with glowing
cheeks and sparkling eyes, while a smile
parted the pretty lips as she turned nor
Attention to the business before her.
would not for a moment have Doubted
that the pies would be all the sweeter
for having had her dimpled hands In
them. At any rate, she knew one VINO
would think 80, and the thought brought
her supreme satisfaction. for had he not
only last summer, been most lavish In
his praises Of her as q pastry cook, ana
declared thar tha most delicious morstls