Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-01-26
WITHOUT MEAT AND
DRINK
by
Viola GAMBIA.
CONTINUED from last weekly


Viola GAMBIA.
Continued from last weekly
Katie's nose called her back to
reality. That smell! Where did that
come from? Katie jumped up. The
meat! Oh, yes, the meat. The water
had all boiled away, and the pieces
of meat were lying there in the bot
tom of the saucepan, very dry. very
black and very ill-smelling; not in
the least did those ugly-looking little
cinders resemble the dainty little
fresh pieces of lamb that had been
put in there only short while ago.
Sobbing, Katie removed the sauce
pan from the stove. All the world
had gone asunder. There was moth
ing to do Life was not worth living.
Never, never would Katie make a
cake again, no. nor lamb-stew. Never.
Katie went into the living room.
closed the door on her Waterloo"
and sank down in a rocking chair,
giving herself up to utter despair.
When Henrik, a little later, came
home and found his wife in such a
state of sorrow, he thought at first
that something terrible had hap
pened (as indeed something terrible
had); that she had received news
about a dear one dead, or the like.
When he heard what had caused all
the grief, he almost laughed; he felt
so relieved.
"Oh. only that, sweetheart" he
said, as he smiled into the tearfilled
brown eyes. That's nothing. A few
cents worth of meat and a little flour.
Why, dearest, you must not feel so
bad about that. A little bad luck
now and then goes with every kind
of business. Why should the pro-
fession of housekeeping be free of
it.. You must not worry any more
about that"
Henrik was very wise-in one way.
He did not speak about mistakes"
He spoke about bad luck" But he
also was very unwise-in one way.
Manlike, he thought about ga few
cents worth" of meat, flour a. S. f.
He thought-and spoke-about the
money value. That was as far as he
could see. He could not know, of
course, of the joy, the anticipation
and the defeat. Henrik was "a dear"
but he was only a man. And how
could mere man understand such
things? He could not
Presently Katie pulled herself to-
gether. The mess out there in the
kitchen must be cleaned up, dis
agreeable as the task might be. So
she went at it with what courage she
could muster, and Henrik went to
the store to buy provisions.
For a while everything went we'll
The young wife trod very carefully in
the field of cookery. Then she tried
her hand at a very simple little cake
1t came out all right, and Henrik
praised it most generously. Katie's
spirits went soaring up, up, up. The
world looked better already. Oh
course. she would succeed. There
could not be the least little bit oil
doubt about that; but one must be
patient-one must practice. Rome
was not built in one day." All the
worthwhile knowledge must BIZ
gained through learning. And one
can learn almost anything if one will
; be patient and careful and do one:
best.
One day Henrik brought home {
: chicken for frying. A farmers wife
had given it to him. He had per
| suaded her to kill it for him ant
she had done it, easily and quickly
A twist, jerk, and the chicken wa!
dead. Henrik had very much wanted
to ask the woman to dress Tor un
dress) the chicken too, but, of course
he saw that this would be asking to,
much; so he just thanked the kin,
woman for her gift and went home.
The problem of making the rooste
Y ready for the rooster was not sucl
: an easy one. Katie had never befor
t confronted such task, had not eve
! seen it done. Henrik had, seen
f done many times, as a child back o.
+ the farm. 1t looked so easy whe
$ his mother did it: surely, if she coul
fix chicken, feathers off. interna
u parts out, wash it-everything-i
: just a few minutes, there certainly tn
two of them, he and Katie, ought to b
able to do it. Why not? They coul
s take their time and do a good 10
q of it. Henrik would pluck the featf
ers and clean the chicken. Kati
would fry it. Together they woul
eat it.
Henrik's mother had always used I
scald the chickens, to make tn
feathers come out easier; and, {
course, Henrik would do likewise.
kettle, filled with water, was put G
the stove to heat. and Henrik mao
l. himself ready for the big job. Meal
while, Katie got out her cook .bool