Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-09-24
MUTUAL BENEFIT REUNION.

CAMS Mutual Benefit column, has come
and gone. OF course, not all OF them were
there; il they all had been, Wyman cot
tage would have made sorry spectacle in
attempting to contain them; the overflow
would have occupied no small part OF
East Surry, and "Dell's" chicken farm
world have been in grave danger OF being
raided.
The affair was scheduled for Thursday,
the Hth, but Aunt Madge, who generally
has things things her own way, had tiff
with 'sold Perhaps" tss somebody has
irreverently called the weather mani, ana
for once in her life was forced to capitu-
late, for the appointed day dawned with
rain pouring--st least in BIuehill. Re-
ports by telephone from other sections of
the county indicated that the outlook for
a clear day was unpropitious, and so the
affair was .srung OFF,.
Friday dawned "hrite and farer, and
the pilgrimage began; some who could
have gone Thursday couldn't go Friday,
greatly to their own disappointment and
to that OF those who did go. Postpone
ments, as rule, are depressing, -and this
one was no exception, bat happily it was
the only one to mar the glory OF the day
and the enjoyment of the occasion.
When previous reunions have been held
at this cottage, the first arrival had always
found the doors wide open, the IRE built,
and a smiling face, cordial greeting for
"Ernstine" was always there just little
ahead. This year mind picture of il all
had to be suhstii uted for the reality, and
tinge OF sadness accompanied Il.
But keen as was the regret that our be-
loved hostess of former years was no
longer with us, all felt that her interest in
the column and her ott-maniiested love
for Aunt Madge and her family OF nieces
suggested that her word from the
Great Beyond, could it be brought to Us,
would be- Don't mind me; let the work
of the column go on; it's in good hands.
Be hopeful; be helpful; be true to the
motto; be loyal to Aunt Madge, and may
she continue long to be the inspiration
she always has been to high ideals. Eat,
drink and be userryH
And in such spirit the nieces and
few Johns-alss, too few of them-came,
one by one, and none came empty handed.
What ali those bundles and boxes and
bottles and baskets contained was not re-
vealed until later; but no one who had
ever attended an NJ. B. reunion had much
doubt that sll who brought their appe-
titles with them would be fully satisfied.
as to both quantity and quality.
There is an old saying to the effect that
too many cooks spoil the broth, and II
might have proved true only there
wasn't any broth; there were cooks, but
there didn't seem to be too many of them,
even if the kitchen was full.
Who did it, nobody seemed to know, but
out of apparent confusion and chaos and
swapping OF recipes and Ginning on
every topic under the sun-except politics,
which was barred by Aunt Madge-there
appeared, when the dinner bell rang, on q
table - two tables, in fact display of
eatabies unsurpassed and indispensable.
Everything was just.s little better than
everything else; howlthey did ii no one
attempted TO say, and no one had the
temerity to ask the question. OF
GOak5C Al NVhA1A 1O ~ IihhC No1lkA
sons-to suggest what was the best; 1t
was all best, and yet a suspicion was
aroused in the minds OF those who sat near
him, that the editor, IL he had been asked
for an opinion, might not have expressed
it, but might have glanced towards Aunt
Maria's .syailer eyes,.
And speaking of Aunt Maria, those big
LII
lent beauty and color to the dinner-table
and the cottage. 1t may interest her to
know that on the following Sunday two
punches OF them graced the pulpit of the
Congregational church In Ellsworth, and
were greatly admired.
Well, dinner was over at last. Every
body had done Justice to il - except
"Dell", who, with her sister, had arrived .
little late, and who claimed they had al
ready been to dinner.i.O OF course nobody
believed that until later, when she not
only reasserted it - and, being j. p,
swore to it, but also seated herself at the
table, alt hough she could not be persuaded
to take mouthfuI. Q The menu follows:
Beans, brownbresd, cold chicken with
dressing. chicken loaf, chicken salad.
salmon salad, boiled green corn, egg sand
witches, meat sandwiches Of different
kinds, wkite bread, cream-tartar biscuit,
sweet cucumber pickles, sour cucumber
pickles, spiced jelly, baked apples iellied,
delicious pudding for all, with cream,
pumpkin pie, highland cranberry pie,
cheese, apple puffs, filled cookies, spice
cake, chocolate cake, suet cake, mocha
cake, ribbon cake, never-faii cake, fig
layer cake and two or three choice kinds,
names not learned, grapes, bananas, APP
plies, coffee and tea. This list may not in
clude all the good things with which the
tables were laden, but none have been
Intentionally omitted.
After the feast (but not OF reason) came
the flow OF soul. Aunt Madge succeeded
finally in quieting her noisy nieces (there
weren't Johns enough to make noise,