The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-04-04
MAUD'S COOKING

My condolences" said the old
friend, sympathetically.
"Oh, you needn't" said the victim.
IT'S not so bad as IT might be"
TN 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 1t, but there's no occasion for you
to mention t. There are some men
who are a good deal given TO suggest.
ing things Of that sort and when they
get polite assent repeating them as
the other fellows original declaration.
| think I've noticed that IN you once
or twice Forgive me If | do you an
injustice"
"In forgive you then" said the old
friend
There's no telling how the thing
may not come out" continued the
youngishloohng man, hopefully. "a
year or two from now | may be dis
satisfied II | can't get her cooking.
may even beg to have lunch put
up for me 20 take to the omce with
me. You never can tell Say. did
YOU ever watch anybody who was try
ing TO cook?"
Il used to take a keen interest In
the manufacture OF ginger cookies and
| doughnuts In the happy days OF my
youth" said the friend
81 know. | used to when I was a
kid, but my mother didn't go the
She slapped some -four and things into
a bowl and put in a pinch of this and
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 It puts me in mind OF my old
chemistry lessons. The trouble with
the old style Of cooking is that IL isn't
! scientific. When Maud concocts rome
hing. there isn't any guess work about
IT, Everything goes according TO immu-
table laws and prescribed formulae
To begin with she takes preliminary
course of study on the subject on
! hand. You don't want 20 speak TO
her, either, when she's doing that
II calls for concentration of mind and
wrinkles between the eyes
when she's got her authorities
pretty well mastered she isn't quite
satisfied. She brings half Of the cul-
mary library into the kitchen and re-
fers to II at intervals through the
composition. She loads the table with
dishes neXt-measuring glasses with
ounces and kilometers ana things
! etched on them. Then there's a pair
of scales. No handful business. Moth
Ing haphazard, you understand. She
weighs her eggs, even. Flour into
one dish, lard into another, water
measured and ready 20 pour. Then
there's 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 suphureted
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
II explode?"
Il couldn't say myself" replied the
youngish-looking man. i've forgot
ten a good deal OF my chemistry. but
a chemist could tell you IL he knows
his business. Anyway, something hap
pens, and 1t 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.
Rut she's tried 1t by herself with the
same general results, so | know Il
can't be that. II isn't the oven, be-
cause there's a thermometer on the
oven door, and Maud sees that Il 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 so bad a spell Of
indigestion after the last pie that she
made as some 'em have given me-"
'Do you actually eat the output"
Great goodnessi" exclaimed the
ungish-lookng man. You don't
suppose I'd turn anything down after
she went to all that trouble, do you?
OF course, | eat It, and | enjoy IL.
| cry for more of 1t. But I'm praying
that the cook who promised TO como
next week, If she didn't change her
mind, will fill the bill Not on my
account, you know. but | hate to see
Maud work so hard. Chicago Daily
News.