The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-04-10
A SUBJECT FOR
LADIES' AIDERS
BY VIVIAN HAYES

uaugnters EtuluH OATUilne, uuAtlCH
down the road to her fathers farm.
She was thin. why woman, brisk OF
motion and sharp Of tongue. Behind
her, her own immaculate house. bus
band and children bore eloquent testi-
mony to her neatness and efficiency
Inside of half an hour she had red
up" her fathers house and placed be-
fore him with clatter two prunes.
glass of buttermilk and slice Of thin
toast. she whipped out the dishpan,
briskly poured out some boiling water
and stood, the dishcloth in her large,
red hand, her eyes rowing impatiently
from the clock to her father, as he
picked listlessly at his breakfast.
Land, pal' she burst forth at last
what time 1t takes you to eat
don't want to hurry you, but I've mil
lion things to do at home this morn
ing-carpet rags to dye, soap to make,
and / don't know what all besides
And since your sick spell my being
here SO much does eat into my time
II hope you'll realize that you can't
ever again eat anything but simple
food that'll digest easy. ] hear Abbie
Styles has been saying that in her
opinion twas nothing more'n eating
your own cooking that brought 1t on.
Says that never to her dying day will
she forget the meal she saw you fix
ing for yourself one noontime when she
stopped to get setting OF eggs
greasy fried potatoes and coffee that
had boiled at least an hour and was
black as night Says 1t made her heart
ache-humphl Maybe 'twouldn't have
ached quite as much If she hadn't been
a widow and you a widower.
II said as much to the one who told
me-, and, says /, Pa can come and live
with US any time he says the word I
says, AN he knows It. 1t beats ali
the way he hangs onto living there
alone, when he might be where there
is folks'-and you'd better think It
over seriously, pa.
When you had your health twas
some different but you can't deny that
you aren't picking up any. I'll leave
the dishes for you do do. sha'n't be-
down again today.
Your egg-nogg for lunch lie on the
cellar bottom and there's plenty
prunes cooked up-and you can fix
your hot milk and your rice for supper.
I'll be down FIRST thing tomorrow morn
ing" With a jerk of her shawl she
hurried away.
For long time her father sat mo-
tionless his broad shoulders sagging
despondently as he leaned unseeingly
over his untasted breakfast With a
sigh his eyes focused upon his food
and an expression almost of ferocity
appeared upon his kindly features. He
hastily cleared the table and went out
TO attend to the chores. At noontime
he assembled his egg-nogg and his
prunes and then set them away, UNI
tasted. He sank listlessly into his
armchair and gazed out Of the window
Some time later the door few open
with bang and red-cheeked urchin
slammed a napkin-covered basket upon
the kitchen table, glibly repeating
"Mis' Styles sent this for the Ladies'
Aid supper, and tell Mis- Henderson
she'll be down in time to make the
coffee" With clatter he was Off and
away. Abner ran to the back door,
shouting, Hey, this belongs at Lot
Henderson's, on the lower road but
the small messenger was out Of sight.
An aroma, elusive, provocative,
memory stirring, pervaded the vicinity
of the basket. Cautiously Abner fold
ed back the enshrouding napkins and
stood gazing worshipfully. There, as
hot as though just, out OF. the oven, re-
posed an earthen baking dish of fra
grant escalloped oysters, its opulent
mound of crusty brown surface hint
ing tantalizingly Of the deliciousness
beneath, and deep, golden-hued pump
kin pie. Abner stared hungrily, his
wistful eyes shining. Then with a
groan, he threw back the coverings
and walked resolutely away-but even
tually he came back
Some time later Abbie Styles raped
lightly at the kitchen door. Has my
basket been left here by mistake?" she
began, then stopped as her glance fell
on the empty dishes.
"Abbie," stammered ADner, mis-
shamefaced air but partially conceal
ing an all-peryading satisfaction. "a
few hours ago l was poor, starving
old critter, dying horrible death from
an overdose Of skimmilk and prunes.
If your First Aid supper hadn't come
just when it did. vow I would ha'
passed away. The Ladies' Aiders
never had a likelier subject for mis-
sionary work. I'm through dieting for
good and all-only," he heaved pro-
digious sigh, Redeemed in embarrass-
ment, and blurted out, "it'll be awful
hard to go back to my own cooking
againl Ho, hum -
Mrs. Styles comedy face became
trifie more rosy. I'm real glad you
ate it, Abner," she declared, heartily,
land, land, / do sight Of cooking.
Amt mite of reason why you
shos,Idn'f cnrna nm m eunner fnrnorrovy