The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-08-12
TfLLTALE CREAM PUFFS
BY AGNES cRAMER.
ssssssessseseeesesseesess,

Ever since she was child and had
known the pleasure OF standing In
front OF a bakers window and allowing
her fancy to play about the cream
puffs and the pies. the wonderful jelly
rolls and the mysteriously named
"eclairsy she had regarded the bakery
business dis one of the most fascinating
of ALL They called the shops bakeries"
in those days and her joy received a
check when she was obliged to cope
with the strange name "delicatessen,
that was later applied to them. II was
much finer sounding word, and there
could be nothing too fine to apply TO ain
occupation that concerned itself with
the sweets of existence.
She and her brother kept house to
gether in q tiny apartment in part OF
Chicago where bakeries were as thick
as blaol1berries And when blackber'
ries are very thick you become fas
tidious about them and learn to KNOW
the ripe and juicy ones at sight. Sc
she came to be quite n connoisseur In
things culinary and knew a creamy
eclair at first glance much as natur
alist knows all about plant or shrut
before he stops to analyze it.
1t was not that she had a castro
nomical imagination or was anything
Of a gourmand. In reality 1t was more
the esthetic phase, the artistic side OF
these creations that pleased her ane
she was content with very limited poi
tions for herself But she and hei
brother really lived On bagged things
and what Stevenson once said regard
ing timed food might be applied to
food in bags-"man cannot live by
bags alone"
But her brother made no complaint
and il "home cooking" was rare witt
them at least she saw to it that theii
bagged bread and buns were not toe
bakery" She searched diligently fol
the shops that offered puffs Of
honey" flavor much as a botanist
looks for his favorite specimens. To
come upon a delicatessen shop that
was just opening gave her as much
joy as the flower lover experiences al
the sight of the opening violet. She
and her brother talked over the differ
ent varieties of cream puffs that she
secured and discussed seriously the
question as to which shop was most
wcrthy Of their patronage
But one evening for his dessert he
was presented with cream puff that
as he remarked, did not look good
to him. for it had an appearance fal
below their standard in such delicacles
So he demanded of his sister, who was
responsible for this culinary crime:
why, don't you think they have 6
kind of honey taste?" she asked, witt
some embarrassment.
YES" he replied, IF by honey you
mean something fat and pasty."
"You see," she explained, "the mar
who keeps the shop where l bought
these lost his wife about year agt
and he says that she always made tht
filling for his cream puffs and that the
secret Of the filling died with her,
felt so sorry for him that could MOI
help buying them even though they die
not look quite as nice as some we have
had"
"Well,' answered her brother ".
feel sorry for the gentleman myself
but my sympathy does not &c SO far as
to compel me to eat puffs filled with
flour paste favored with vanilla"
TIE next evening the sister gave
him with his dessert of sliced bananas
some lady fingers purchased from thf
bereaved baker, but the brother de
clared that they were unworthy O
their name. She showed so much re
sentiment OF his criticism that he saw
she had allowed sentiment to minglt
with her culinary judgment and he
trembled for his future desserts.
For long time, however, he hearo
no more of the unhappy baker His sis
ter continued to offer him impeccablt
puffs from well-known and high
priced delicatessen shop.
But one evening after delicioui
home-cooked supper she brought ou'
some chocolate eclairs, which, like
Pope's monster, vice, were of such
hideous mien that to be hated they
needed but to be seen.
After one mouthful he remarked
sourly: Il think recognize this par
ticular paste. You have gone back t.
that detestable delicatessen fellow, the
culinary criminal"
"But he's improved" she declared
with warmth. Your taste is not deli
cate enough to distinguish the change
mo, it Is not he answered, "and
wish the gentleman would get another
wife, one who has some knowledge o.
puffs-'
Il tgink he has one in view" she
answered shyly. Then she blushed IL
quite an extraordinary way.