Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-01-25
HOMElAKERS COLUMN.
Correspondence on topics Of interest 70 the adies
q solicited. Address: EDITOR HoNHNAKIRs'
CoLUm, Oxford Democrat. South Paris. Ne
Squash Pie.
fBy Frances Z, 0sle.)

CoLUM. oxford Democrat. South Paris. Ne
Squash Pie.
(By Frances z. Gale.)
No, this isn't . recipe-not . pie
recipe, anyway. Those can always be
found, good ones, too, ut the back OF
the book. Perhape It's recipe for hap.
pIness. Not copAnual happiness, Of
course-that 10 unobtsinsble-but for
those little flashes of happiness that
illumine the days routine when the
right ingredients come together.
They happened to come together this
morning when took a squash pie out
of the oven and set II before a visiting
friend who had followed me into the
kitchen.
"Just think Of all the effort that has
gone to the making of that pie" she
said, "snd half an hour after you put 1t
on the table 1t will be gone-nothing
left but few crumbs"
She shook her head sympathizingly,
and shook mine, parrot-like, and tried
to look rs sorry for myself as she was
for me. But 1t was difficult, because
the crust of that pie was exactly the
light brown had aimed at, and the
golden filing, I knew, was right, and
whenyou have just accomplished per-
feet thing, whether poem or q pie,
there's always a little bubble inside of
you that is more like jubilation than
self-pity, no matter how justified The
latter may appear to be.
Still, what she said was very true. A
lot of work had gone to the making of
hat ephemeral pie. The eggs and car.
milk and the shortening had to be the
ried from the pantry, the -four from the
bin. the ginger, the nutmeg, the lemon,
from the cabinet, the squash from the
cellar. From the cellar? Oh, much
farther than that. My exertions In re.
gard to the other ingredients went no
farther back than the larder, but the
squash-that's another matter.
How many months ago wac 1t when l
took an obloDg, ivory .colored atom OF
Gods handiwork out to my garden and
buried Tin faithp Presently the ex.
pected miracle happened. The first shy
shoot became sturdy plant, and the
plant rollicking, self. willed vine that
must be curbed to prevent 1t climbing
the fence and visiting the neighbors.
Its great, golden blossoms laughed In
the sunshine, II shouted for water, and
demanded and received many attentions
One morning, tricksily hidden under lie
spreading leaves, found this squash, q
baby then, but of funny shape that
marked it from Its brothers and sisters
~ 80 nromfh IN maturity
1t was always pet OF mine, that
squash. I watched it and tended 1t
watered 1t and cut away the leaves &C
that the sun might kiss IT, and when
gathering time came I gleefully dis.
played its ten pounds upon the scale and
lugged 1t down cellar In my arms at
proudly a. cat carries her new kitten
| in and lays 1t at my feet.
And now, to quote my sympathetic
friend, Gin half an hour 1t will be gone
nothing left but few crumbs"
Dear, dear! Well, II should mourn,
how about all those whose efforts went
to produce the -four, the sugar, the
milk, the eggs and the spicesp Why.
the very cow and the hen would low and
cackle their sorrow. B0ssy and Biddy
and all the rest, including myself, have
had q shabby deal.
Yet, seeing the forces that have been
put 10 motion, the wonderful processes
evoked, the faithful labor performed In
bringing these ingredients together, Is II
possible that 1t all ends there, little
fash of animal satisfaction, and then
nothing left but a few crumbs?" ISM
there another view that lifts the subject
slight as 1t may appear, above trilialityi
It's undisputable that the material re-
suits of all these forces, processes anc
labors have been focused upon my
kitchen table, quietly placed before mt
for the accomplishment Of their nea
purpose, whatever that may be. This
particular combination of them has. new
or before come into direct contact witt
human life. Whether or not realize
that the task has dignity, know tha
my immediate business is to fuse thii
com bination with all the care and skill
of which am capable. That act OF 1t.
self produces q first result-the strength
ening OF my own character by the exer.
else of mental and physical effort In 8
useful direction. The next result is th'
simple and legitimate pleasure of those
who sit about my table in the consump
ton of something that looks good anc
tastes good rather than the dissatisfac
ton produced by netting scorcbed
soggy or iumpy. Next, after the taste
is forgotten, Is the result Of wholesome
food upon the mental and physica
health of all who partake. And wher
you have pleasure-giving, wholesome
and nourishing food doing it's part II
the development of human bodies, how
can you tell to what far reaches the re
suits may extend in the development @
souls?
Inside that homely disc I know tina
there 10 q fraction, small but none tn
less real, of the wheat field, the can,
plantation, the dairy, the labor of ma
tives of far eastern lands, the patien
production OF men and beasts, and tb'
marvellous work of Nature. Out of tina
disc may come, II do my part right
some fraction of the inspirationsl sparl
in publicly or privately spoken wore
THAT will cause some soul to Shin
brightly In dark places. Or there ms!
come some part, atomic, but none tb'
less actual, of an increased physica
health that will prove blessing to 1T
lowner and all about him. Or there ma!
come only a pleasant uplift of spirits II
la little group of human beings, who,
going out among their fellow men, will
BY reason OF it, scatter, sunshine rathe
than glcom. i.
These things are not fancies. 1t i
not fancy that the labor Of some daTi
native of the tropics made 1t possible To-
me to sift those spices with the fou
which represented The toll Of whittier
skinned men, whose work in turn woult
have been incomplete without the CO
operation OF negroes under the sun o
the sugar plantation, and dairymen whl
rose before the sun 80 that they nigh
do their part. Not one of them knew
lust what their labor would accomplish
nor do / know what will come Of mine
But it's up to me to carry on their worl
to the next stage, and leave 1t there t.
produce joy or indigestion, inspiration
or encouragement, according to bow
have done my part.
"Nothing left but few crumbs.
How do you know that, my kind, Blu
short. sighted friend? Anyway, I'm glat
nv SQUASH pie is good.