The National tribune., 1903-05-07

hind, and am going to leave the running
of this institution mainly to you, Mrs.
Klegg, and the Deacon, until | get them,
up, or DIR. Brookes arrives"
We'll do the best we can, sir" replied
Mrs. klegg as she seated herself. Kramer
Tiled her cup with the fragrant coffee and
she looked around for the cream pitcher.
I'VE use this for cream, Mother" said
the Deacon handing her an opened can
of condensed milk.
Mercy, this muddy, stringy stuff" said
Mrs. Klegg, with sniff, as she lifted some
of the contents with tin spoon. The
COW that gave that milk must've been fed
or rawlings. Thank you, none of it in my
coffee. None of that for any of these sick
boys either. First thing after breakfast,
Father, you go out into the country and
find a cow"
Find cow" calculated the Deacon,
burning his mouth with his coffee, in
amaZement at the job. Find a COW,
among these hundred thousand men!
Mother, you don't know what you're talk
ing about"
The girls, eager for any novelty, tried
the condensed milk, and pronounced it
good, but Mrs. Klegg laid down her I'M
alterable law:
when drink milk 1 want to know the
COW that gave it, and where she's been
pastured. Other people may do as they
please, but / want to be sure where my
eggs, milk and butter comes from, just as
much as l do my religion"
The fried chicken came on to the table
in Il way that satisfied Mrs. klegg of OF
terbein Kramer's orthodoxy. 1t was not
only cooked to turn, but neatly served,
but she looked askance at the dish of
vegetables accompanying it.
What's that mess?" she inquired with
sniff, pointing at it with her fork.
"Them's decimated pOtatoes-nO; dis
sipated, Mother" answered the Deacon,
struggling with the word. NO; desc
Grated
Think you got the right word at last,
Josiah-desecrated," she answered, dis
with her fork. They're certainly desc
Grated. Call them potatoes? Look more
like stewed beech shavings, and about as
much sustenance in them"
They're all we have, Mother, and
they're fairly good" said the Deacon.
CRY 'em and see."
Not me. The Lord made potatoes to
grow in the ground and to be dug and
washed and pared, and to be boiled, baked
or fried, but never to be mummicked over
that way. Men'll never get well eating
such truck as that"
ITS the best we can get, Mother" re-
iterat ted the Deacon desperately.
Nonsense. Can't tell me that you
can't get nothing better in this country,
with all these green things growing. You
can't make me believe you've got to live
on stewed Eastwood chips"
The compressed vegetables came in for
similar condemnation. They were mingled
in the preparation, without rhyme or rea-
son, according to her mind. No one with
any sense of the fitness of things would
mix pumpkins and carrots, onions and
turnips i'll the same mess. The canned
butter seemed n reflection on the Lord,
who had started all this wealth of green
grass to growing, ''and wasn't no good,
nohow, before it was put in the can"
She was going to find some way to give
the boys more appetizing food than that.
The breakfast finished, the Surgeon
made another round Of the cots. He call
ed the soldier who was acting as Hospl
tai Steward to attend to some matter, who
came out with glass with some laudanum
in it, which he set down in the window sill
near Pete's cot, while he attended to the
Surgeons directions, and then went back
into his room, leaving the glass sitting
there.
The Surgeon returned to his Office to at
tend to his papers.
Mrs. Klegg went into the kitchen to
consult with Otterbein Kramer on few
doctrinal points, and the preparation of
something delicate Tor mlu-Oay meal LOT
the boys.
To Annabel, with her deft fingers and
ready needle, had been assigned the duty
of making some calico dresses for the trio |
fit for duty in the hospital. Pap" had Sc
cured from a sutler some quaint remnants |
of "chintz," at the fearfully high price OF
three shillings yard, and Annabel being |
Il natural dressmaker chose this Occupa- |
ton while Maria rolled up her sleeves for
tho moro ardu0us lnh0rS in tho aick rnnTn |
to her task she stole around to the front
of the house, to have another look through