Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-05-04
JEWEL, DOLLY AND
THE FIRE KING.
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In the kitchen stove there is both
sentiment and significance. Not only
is it the centerpiece in the engine
room or the home, but to it the finger
of progress in domestic science is Oh
rected. Cooking utensils demonstrate
the first marks of development In the
the kitchens Of a nation are unmls'
taxable evidences OF the nations civil
lied or unciviliZei condition. There
is an immense amount of sentiment
in a cook stove. II reflects the per
sOnality of the owner, and it stands
Tor harmony or for dlsOrganiZatiOn, as
they case may be. 1t speaks for the
careful cook and for thrift and intel
l;gence, for the genius and the inge-
nuity of its owner. and For the rise CT
plain cooking to the plane Of domes-
tic science.
This is the story of Jewel, Dolly
and the Fire King-and all three are
stoves. Jewel was the name of the
Olu SlONe dl JS"Cl was Ill =
piece de resistance in the kitchen of
the homestead more than fifty years
ago. Jewel. was the very altar OF
home. In a spacious. sand-scoured
kitchen she reigneu supreme, and
spoke for prOgress-successo as she
was to the fireplace and the andirons.
Her oven was perched on top, and her
hearth was one glad, expansive smile.
Her breath came in one long, CHEEKY
respiration that made the Goals glow
red and set the tea kettle to singing
in merry competition. What hos
pitable dark cavern her oven, that
never failed in its duty to the family
larder! In the evolution of her kind,
Jewels virtues have never been eX-
celled Never has any stove before
or since demonstrated such capacity
for turthering the efforts of patient
cook, and Jewels day was half CEN
Thanksgiving, the turkeys at Christ
mas. the plum pudding, the seed cake
all were in harmony with Jewels
character. Jewel entered into the
spirit Of every festivity, whether it
was a dining function or a birthday
cake. or whether it was merely to
thaw out half frozen fingers and toes
whose owners involuntarily turned to
her for solace.
Jewel was we'll named. She was
the custodian of the family comfort;
she entered into the Joys, and when
sorrow came she soothed. In her
dusky soul was love for her fellow
was compassion and a
desire to be Of service. How she
shone at company time! She was as
spotless as her surroundings, and as
proud as any human thing-prOud of
her achievements, proud Of the great
loaves of bread tinted beautiful
golden brown. None better than she
knew when things were done to a
turn. Jewel and "ol black nanny"
were in league, and their partnership
triumphs were of daily occurrence.
How Jewel may have conducted with
out her domestic colleague l can not
tell. They understood each other.
How it brings out the best in us to
be understood! From Jewel there
felicitous thought forces
that reach out now from the past,
and have become sacred things.
linen came Dolly. | can see Dolly
now in memory as she looked when
first | saw her. Dolly was a range,
and she was an alleged improvement
on Jewel. She was decorated here
and there with coIOred tiles. and her
name shone with silver letters on the
oven door. Sne was the piece de re-
sistance in the little kitchen once
owned by a young woman-a bride.
Dolly was different from Jewel She
had reserved look tnat limited at I'M
tried forces. Belonging to a later
generation than Jewel, she also stood
for progress. She wore ner ornate
and foolish decorations ostentatious-
ly-as some people wear badges that
mean nothing. Her gravity inspired
me with awe, and there was nU well
coming smile to greet me- There was
no hearthstone, and the oven was mis-
placed. Like a subject of higher edu-
cation and development, she seemed
10 challenge me on the spot. l felt
he impertinence of her thought
forces. Should l prove capable? An
,agonism was in the air. Should
conquer, or would she? Time would |
ell Time did tell.
Dolly proved to be stubborn
vench. However wise and noble my |
mention, Dolly thwarted it from the |
beginning. She refused to glow, or