The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-02-16
MAUl'S COOKING

the suburbs.
MY condolences" said the old
friend, sympathetically.
"oh, you needn't said the victim.
ITS not 50 bad as it might be.
In all the Ills Of life we can always
take that sweet consolation to heart, :"
commented the friend.
"And we can always fall back upon
the can opener and the sanitary pack
age Of crackers. That's the way look
at It, but there's no occasion for you
to mention it. There are some men
who are good deal given to suggest
ing things Of that sort ana when they
get a polite assent repeating them as
the other fellows Original declaration
I think I've noticed that in you once
or twice. Forgive me If l do you an
Injustice
I'm forgive you then" said the old
friend.
There's no telling how the thing
may not come out" continued the
youngish-looking man, hopefully. "A
year or two FROM now | may be dis
satisfied If | CART get her cooking
I may even beg to have lunch put
up for me to take to the office with
me. You never can tell. Say, did
you ever watch anybody who was try
ing to cook?"
4 used to take a lyeen interest in
the manufacture Of ginger cookies and
doughnuts in the happy days of my
youth" said the frieEd.
Il know. used to when / was
kid but my mother didn't 20 the
same way about it that Mard does.
She slapped some flour and things into
a bowl and put in a pinch Of this and
a handful Of that and dipper Of
water and a cup of milk, stirred her
up and rolled her out and showed her
into the oven and that's all there was
to it. It's different with Maud"
"Yes?"
you bet you. When Maud starts
to cook 1t puts me in mind Of my old
chemistry lessons. The trouble with
the old style Of cooking is that 1t isn't
scientific When Maud concocts rome
thing, there isn't any guess work about
1t. Everything goes according to immu-
table laws and prescribed formulae.
TO begin with, she takes a preliminary
course Of study on the subject on
hand. You don't want to speak to
her, either, when she's doing that.
1t calls for concentration Of mind and
wrinkles between the eyes.
when she's got her authorities
pretty we'll mastered she isn't quite
satisfied. She brings half Of the cul-
mary library into the kitchen and re-
fers to it at intervals through the
composition. She loads the table with
dishes notwithstanding glasses with
ounces and kilometers and things
etched on them Then there's pair
of scales No handful business. Moth
ing haphazard, you understand. She
weighs her eggs, even. Flour into
one ash. lard into another, water
measured and ready to pour Then
there's a reference to authorities
again. Muttering under her breath.
in case she might forget them, she
proceeds to mix, with one eye on the
clock. You don't want to mix too
long or not long enough when you're
making pie crust. You've got to have
It just so. Then there's no chance
for bad luck. You put sulphureted
hydrogen and dioxide Of manganese
together and you must know exactly
what chemical changes are going to
take place"
''No, don't" said the friend. Does
1t explode ?.
Il couldn't say myself replied the
youngish-leoking man. 1--WE forgot
ten good deal Of my chemistry, but
a chemist could tell you If he knows
his business Anyway, something hap
pens, and it happens the same way
every time. Same way with Maud's
pie dough. It's too bad, too"
-How do you explain it?' asked the
friend.
''She says it's because | talk to her.
But she's tried it by herself with the
same general results, SO I know It
can't be that. It isn't the oven, be
cause there's a thermometer on the
oven door, and Maud sees that IT is
registering right before she puts any
thing in"
Perhaps the authorities are mis-
leading?"
Maybe that's It. Still, the girl feels
a good deal encouraged, and really
/ didn't have half 50 bad q spell n
indigestion after the last pie that she
made as some 'em have given me.
s'Do you actually eat the outputge
"Creat goodness" exclaimed the
youngish-looking man. "You don't
suppose I'd turn anything down after
she went to all that trouble. do you?
OF course, / eat 1t. and enjoy it.
cry for more Of It. But I'm praying
that the cook who promised to come
next week. if she didn't change her
mind, viii fill the bill. Not on my
account, you know, but hate to see
Maud work so hard Chicago Daily
News.
Women in Educational Work.