The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-23
BY MARJORIE HOWE DIXON.

away so early? I was going to phone
4 you the next thing 1 did, after I'd
counted the glasses, to see how many
are still with u.s." And Mrs. Elliott
drew her, guest into her rooml to lay
aside her wraps, so that the two
might be all ready to plunge at once
into the all absorbing topic of plan
| ming the Christmas dinner.
| Mary Ann stopped in front of the
mirror to fldff UP her hair bit,
pouting at the reflection, and COM
menting on the fact that she had
washed her hair two days before, and
4 it Just would act so mean. !
'fIowever," she smiled, that's
neither here nor there Tell me how
many glasses did you find?"
"There are still sixAo my good
ones in the china closet, and the rest
hope to find scattered over the
| house Every one of us has to have
glass of water at bed time, and no
one would ever think of taking other
than the best to his room. But I'll
run around and collect them later,
though | know there won't be an
even dozen, so we will have to make
some of the old ones do"
Mrs Elliott and Mary Ann started
arm in arm for the dining room,
Mary Ann remarking that to start
n pldAulIlR d OAO ASAAJ --@ ~
have a menu.
"Oh, / don't have to bother with
that" replied Mrs. Elliott, opening
her desk and finding a slip of paper.
She waved it at Mary Ann.
"See this? This is JAMES, con-
tribution. She said, now, mother
dear, there is one thing l can do, so
please let me. l can work out the
menu for us and order things at the
if T xxynn't have TINA tn
help much with the baking and that
part She said she wanted a per-
fectly simple, old fashioned dinner
that wouldn't be too awfully much
work to prepare, so that we would
enjoy it too and not be all worn out
getting it. I told her you would be
over soon so she made us rough
outline, last night. You see she
hasn't decided yet on whether we
will have oyster or grape fruit cock
tails but we will need the cocktail
glasses at any rate"
"There they are hiding. I can see
them on the shelf away back" cried
Mary Ann. Lets get them right
down and arrange them on the Ia
BILE. They will have to be washed,
anyway" .....
"Wait a minute" replied Mrs. Ell
lott. '1'ln' getting out the long ta-
BILE cloth. Did YOU notice l have put
three leaves in the table? Old dear
(pattiItG the fol6 cd cloth), you have
not been out since last Christmas,
have you, what our having been away
so long, and Thanksgiving at your
house, Mary Ann. That was the best
plum pudding you gave us You see,
Jane has planned mince pie for her
dessert for a change. And that re-
minds me, I must run down to the
preserve closet and see If those two
jars of mincemeat have kept all
right. One or two things have spoiled
down there. and I'm sure 1t is cool
enough. They can't have been sealed
carefully"
Mrs. Elliotts hands were busy as
she went on talking, and Mary Ann
exclaimed with delight, when she
shook out lovely Madeira center
piece.
"Oh," she protested, don't use
that. You remember we had our
minds all set on holly heaped about
a little tree for the center of the
table, and that pretty thing might
get stained. Do put it away. And
before you forget it, what about oy-
ster forks, and if I use these bread
and butter plates under the cocktail
glasses, what shall we do for bread
and buttcrs?"
Mrs. Elliott laughed her jolly, in
fictitious laugh. Aren't we having
the best time?" she said Gust fuss
p ing and a planning over this pre-
cious dinner? There, III set your
mind at rest at once. Mother Ell
lott is coming over tomorrow, with
the lend Of her oyster forks, and
Jane is stopping to order dozen
new tea plates on her way home this
evening So that's that"
80 it is" said Mary Ann, "and
next comes the SOUP. Affair off, l can
view the soup plates, all neatly, but
firmly stacked on the middle dis
lance of the sideboard. Now let us
concern ourselves over the resting
place Of the dear old turkey, his very
self. If it isn't good English"
"There's the platter on the plate
rail. 1t only comes down on state
OCCASIONS" smiled Mrs Elliott, who
by this time was sorting out the
flat silver. "Remembtr it's heavy
there. Now it's down
on the table and announced that she
was going to select jam dishes, that
being a collective term, she ex-
planned, meaning pickle dish, celery
and olive dish. cranberry Jelly dish
not to mention one really intended
for jam.
Mrs. Elliott looked up from hei
silver. A dozen ana nail lOIhS IL
all very we'll" she said, for our
usual family of four, but what with
a salad and n pie course, / really
shall have to accept the loan Of your
nice, new silver"
Mary AIMS eyes twinkled. What
do you think 1 brought my knitting
bag for? To draw forth knitting
from its depths? Nay, nay, deal
friend. I Just put those same forks
in 1t early this morning and put my
hat on top the bag so that I surely
wouldn't come away without them
"Good. You're a nice, sweet
child" replied Mrs. Elliott kissing
her, and reaching the next minute
for the sherbet glasses.
But you said pie for dessert" OBJ
jected Mary Ann.
"Quite so, pie it is, and do see II
there are twelve plates in that pile
over there" She went on uncon-
cernedly counting sherbet cups. 81
won't keep you in suspense. Jane
thinks an ice is just great with the
meat course, and so it Is, in spite OF
~ baked squash, sweet and Irish pota-
toes and creamed beans to take ones
attention. That's why these glasses
She surveyed the table with pleas
ure, and then turned to the menu
again. ITS just about finished,
she said IF you will get the salad
plates out, and count these after
dinner coffee cups, I'll start POLISH
ing the family heirloom
Mary Ann looked up with interest
to see what this might be. "Oh,
goody, that lovely old silver coffee
pot. Aren't you proud Of It? So