Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-11
TRYING WEEK WITHOUT A COOK

TRYING WEEK WITHOUT A COOK
Dear Aunt Laurie:
The first day of vacation papa woke
my sister and me with hearty up,
girls, this is mothers vacation"
Well, after several weeks of drill on
domestic duties mother and father left
us in charge with entire control of the
ranch for a week.
The first day 1 got along real well as
mother had, of course, put everything
in order and had the days program
made out for me, but the next day |
didn't fare so well. I. after a good
deal of hard work. managed to get
things in order again, which, as / be-
gin to realize, is not so easy thing
with two boys-very careless, spirited
lads at that-in the house to spoil
everything.
The third day I was getting onto
the business" and finally commenced
to feel bottom, or to use less slangy
expression. to become confident of my
abilities as a housekeeper.
The next day I spoke to my sister
and brother about asking some neigh
boring schoolmates of mine over to
supper. and with their consent I sent
some very elaborate invitations, that,
as nearly as I can remember, read
something like this:
MaUdHle
With the consent of the Duchess
Pauline and lords of Bonnybrook cas-
tie. your highness is given the honor
to attend the grand banquet given at
their home this evening.
LADY rERTA.
This as we are very intimate
friends. is our mode of addressing one
another-using our middle names and
prefixing a title. Every one accepted
and as they seated themselves at the
table the menus were distributed.
They began in great sprawling let
ters in my best handwriting:
Supper la Mother Goose" {
Hey diddle. diddle.
The cat and the fiddle,
The COW jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed to see such
sport
The dish ran away with the spoon"
Chicken Broth.
"She gave them some broth without
any bread,
She whipped them all soundly and
sent them to bed"
Boiled smelt Maitre d'Hotel.
"When I was a little girl washed my
mammals dishes;
I put my finger in my eye and took
out little fishes"
Hot Buns.
One ha'penny, two hapenny.
Hot Cross Buns.
Strawberries
Strawberries. Strawberries. fresh and
sweet, washed in morning dew"
Milk.
"Where are you going, my pretty
Tn going a-milking, sir she said"
I had trumphantly served my priced
biscuits without 4 mistake, but as I
returned with the corn I found the
room in an uproar.
Of fhn h n ifey
the floor attacking them with ham,
3ners, hatchets and saws.
I ran to where my brother was in
the act of throwing one out of the
window.
whats the matter?" I shrieked
"The matter?" he asked. with much
surprise. "Why. sister mine, tough
tough. I was trying to knock a shingle
off the barn with this one"
7 rushed to the kitchen crying tragi-
cally as I went, Baking powder! bak-
ing nowder!"
I threw myself into chair. burying
my face in my arms. and tried to hold
hack the tears that would come.
George Lane our school comedian.
came in, and patting neon the should
er, rumpled my hair with a soothing
''Poor little SOUL in such fashion
that I laughed and getting up gen.
erously sugared the straw berries and
carried them into the dining room.
After again returning from the
kitchen 7 came in Just in time to hear
one girl scream "Salti"
I happened to glance at George and
he was munching manfullY on those
salted strawberries as indifferently as
if nothing was the matter. I ran, and
catching his plate in my hands emptied
it out of the window.
He held up a warning finger to me
and with a laugh led them out on the
porch to finish on watermelons.