Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-05-10
| JEWEL, DOLLY AND
THE FIRE KING.
Observation-Disclosures

In the kitchen stove there Is both
sentiment and significance. Not only
is 1t the centerpiece in the engine
room OF the home, but to it the finger
OF progress in domestic science is d.
rected. Cooking utensils demonstrate
the first marks of development in the
civilization of the human race, and in
the kitchens of a nation are unmis-
taxable evidences Of the nations civil
lied or uncivilized condition. There |
10 an immense amount of sentiment |
in a cook stove. 1t reflects the per-
sonality of the owner. and 1t stands
Tor harmony or for disorganization, as
they case may be-. 1t speaks for the
careful cook and for thrift and intel
ligence, for the genius and the inge
nuity of its owner. and for the rise OF
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
old stove at nome. Jewel was the
piece de resistance in the kitchen of
the homestead more than fifty years
ago. Jewel was the very altar of
home. In spacious, sand-scoured
kitchen she reigned supreme, and
spoke for progress-successor 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 it's 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 furthering the efforts of a patient
cook, and Jewels day was half a CEN
fury ago. The pumpkin pie at
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
Wh6 q luASLIOu VI a
cake, or whether it was merely to
thaw out half frozen fingers and toes
whose owners involuntarily turned to
her for soIace.
Jewel was well 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
beings-there was compassion and a
desire to be of service. How she
shone at company time! She was as
spotless as her surroundings, ami as
proud as any human thing-proud of
her achievements, proud of the great
loaves Of bread tinted a 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 can not
tell. They understood each other.
How it brings out the best in us to
be understood! From Jewel there
emanated felicitous thought forces
that reach out now from the past,
and have become sacred things.
1nen came Dolly. can see Dolly
now in memory as she looked when
first I saw her. Dolly was range,
and she was an alleged improvement
on Jewel. She was decorated here
and there with colored 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 young woman-a bride
Dolly was different from Jewel. She
had reserved look tnat limited at un-
tried forces. Belonging to a later
generation than Jewel, she also stood
and foolish decorations ostentatious-
ly-as some people wear badges that
mean nothing. Her gravity inspired
me with awe, and there was no well
coming smile to greet me. There was
% hearthstone, and the oven was mis-
placed. Like subject of higher edu-
cation and development, she seemed
to challenge me on the spot. l felt
the impertinence of her thought
forces. Should prove capable? An
tagonism was in the air. Should l
conquer. or would she? Time would
tell. Time did tell.
Dolly proved to be stubborn
wench. However wise and noble my
intention. Dolly thwarted it from the
beginning. She refused to glow, or
she glowed tardliy and purely for her
own amusement. Dolly was caprici-
GUS. Repeatedly she changed the din
ner hour, and defeating me at every
turn. appointed dinner hour to suit
herself. She despised me for my lack
of experience. The more eager | be-
came, the more stolidly Indifferent
she. Spitefully she burned my fingers.
Dolly was never cozy. Her tea kettle
never sang like Jewels tea kettle.
She objected to my dining functions
She had no sympathy whatever with
the sentiment of birthdays and their
attendant festivities. Whenever
snatched from her malicious embrace
the charred remains of what prom
tsed SO well until intrusted to her vim
dictive care, she gloated over my fail
ure and consequent distress. Dolly
and l invariably failed on our bread.
If the bread was sour, then spitefully
she baked 1t to perfection. At other
times she incinerated 1t, or she foated
1t over the sides of the pan-anything
to reflect upon my efficiency. Dolly
and fought bitterly for many months
and now and then victorious, but
seldom.
Dolly was emphatically opposed to
my literary pursuits. If, after giving