Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-01-24
THE AMATEUR REFoRMER.
Saves the Life of a Young Woman
Who liz Hungry for Spring
Chicken,


Chicken.
In an unlucky moment the comely
young woman in the cream-colored
shirt waist, who was taking her noon
luncheon at u downtown restauf ant,
had ordered broiled spring chicken.
Had she taken a second thought she
would have known that corned beef
hash or sandwich, cut of lemon
cream pie and glass of milk would
have been Il more suitable feed for a
young person with only half or three
quarters of an hour in which to DIS
pose of it and get back 10 her type
writer desk or her chair in the mail
order department, says the Chicago
Tribune.
But the chicken, which had occu-
pied 10 or 20 minutes in cooking, was
before her, and must be taken into
her system within the short time re-
naming ut her disposal.
Yet she was Il dignitied young per-
son, was this girl in the cream-colored
shirt-waist, and she attacked the fowl
without any appearance of undue
haste.
Those who are familiar with the
broiled spring chicken of commerce
know that it is a peculiar bird.
Its rich brown integument is wont
to guard with jealous care the secrets
of its savory interior,
The broiled spring chicken of COM
merce does not yield without a strug-
L.. ~ IL
ally provided for its dissection, and
an active imagination may almost de-
tect a defiant squawk as the bird flops
from one side Of the plate to the other
in its fierce protest against the knife
and fork.
But the young woman was resolute.
She thrust the pronged weapon into
that chicken and brought the knife
into play.
With n sawlike stroke, combined with
crowbar motion, she succeeded in sew
ering the off leg.
The rest of the fowl, with the on
leg. so to speak. and the wings, topped
off the plate and on to the table cloth.
With heightened color, but with
head erect and lips firmly set. she put
it back on her plate.
Then after severe struggle she de-
tached the starboard wing.
Time was flying.
She sawed off slab of the breast and
ate it.
Another slab followed, and another.
Then she looked at her watch.
ansfiXing the back of the chicken
with her fork, she resolutely pried out
the "oysters" with her knife and ate
them, almost revengefully.
Still, as far as possible, she had OBJ
served the proprieties.
She still ate with her knife and fork.
But she looked at her watch again.
Then she surveyed the wreckage on
her plate.
And she hesitated.
The only other person at that table
happened to be spare, elongated man
of middle age, grave of face and taci-
turn of demeanor, who sat opposite
her.
He had been watching her heroic
struggle with that broiled spring
chicken and the no less apparent strug-
gle that was going on in her mind.
He spoke.
"Miss," he. said. "if you will allow a
man old enough to be your father to
make a suggestion I will take the lib
| erty of saying that all rules of table
etiquette may be declared temporarily
| null and void when wrestling with n
restaurant spring chicken. am the
| only person present who will be scan
| dalized, anyhow. if you eat that fowl
in any way You please. and if it were
on my plate l should certainly take
my fingers to It. SO far as 7 am con-
cerned You are at perfect liberty to
eat ii as you would if you were taking
a midnight lunch after coming home
| from the theater."
Sir" said the young woman. TAX.
ing a leg of the chicken in her fingers
cr' n "irrin" to make up for lost
time, ''you have saved my life!"