Year: 1871

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simmered long over slow Goals, 1 knew
The coffee had been burned in the pro.
cess of roasting. as was evident to eye
and taste; no fine aroma greeted the
nostrils, no golden brown was brought
out by the cream, but a grayish mass
was developed, as repulsive to the eye
as to the taste. The stewed apples were
watery and tasteiess; but the crowning
failure of that morning repast was the
buckwheat cakes. In the first place
! they were heavy; they would have
been so with the most skillful cooking.
In the next place, if Phoebe, the girl,
had been trying to see how i'll she could
cook them for prize, she certainly
would have deserved one for her skill
and ingenuity. The first plateful she
brought in were raw in the middle, and
the outside was of the original color of
the batter, simply dried.


"Why, Phnbe!' said the mistress,
"there's plenty Of dry wood. Why
didn't you put enough in the stove to
heat the griddle? Take out the cakes
and save them for the chickens, and see
if you can't bake some better.'
Her husband gently hinted that per-
h; ps it would be we'll for her to step out
and SEE to it, but NO" she said, "Phe-
be would never learn to do any thing if
she depended on her always;' so we
sat and chatted. and slipped our unpala-
table coffee, and gnawed little at the
bits of tough steak upon our plates, and,
and O! had forgotten one item in our
bill of fare-the potatoes. In keeping
with the rest, they were "soggy' and
cold.


Well, in very short space of time in
came Phoebe, bearing another plate of
buckwheat cakes black this time. The
kindIipgs she had stuffed into the stove
had done their work. l saw a look OF
disappointment, of disgust, pass over
the face of the host as Phoebe placed the
plate on the table. He said nothing,
but glanced over at his wife.


"Why, Phoebe" she said, "these are
worse than the others. Can't you bake
, cakes without having them raw or
burnt ?'


"Well, guess it'll be just about right
now," said Phoebe. II got in too
many kindles. They've burnt down
now"


"Try again." said Phoebe's mistress,
without offering to go herself. The re.
suit Of "try again" came after a while
At the first glance at the plate its con-
tents seemed to be all right. They were
not gray like the first mess, Or black
like the second. They seemed nice
light brown.


"These look better" Stephen said
cheerfully, reaching the plate toward
me.


saw plainly that they had been turn.
ed more than once on the griddle, which
always spoils them. They were dry
and curled up at the edges, and looked
like crisped leather. When had sue
ceeded in getting my fork into one, af-
ter two or three thrusts, found they
were about as tough and unpalatable
Stephen made some joke about their
being unlike the heel of Achilles, and
we gave it up, not the conundrum but
the effort to piece out our break fast by
the buckwheat cakes, and munched
some pieces Of dry bread in their stead
with our coffee. The break fast came to
an end, and Stephen took his hat and
went to his work. Though he tried to
pass it all off in cheerful way, and as
ifit was good joke, I could see that he
was hurt and disappointed.


There is q certain refreshment to the
spirit in the enjoyment of good meal,
aside from its renovating influence upon
the body. And food eaten with relish,
and under exhilarating influences, does
US more good than if it is unpalatable
and accompanied by depressing circum
stances. 1t must be depressing to the
spirit Of man to feel that wife cares
80 little for his comfort as to allow food
to come to the table habitually prepared
In such way as to be distasteful to
him. An occasional failure any reason.
able man would tolerate. So it is not
only the ill-cooked food itself that is in
furious to mind and body, but there is
the farther depressing influence from
the reflection that it comes from neglect
aud indifference to his happiness, on
the part Of one whose Office it is to min
lister to it.


Not only do we enjoy well cooked
food more, but it performs its office of
repairing the waste of the system bet.
ter, is more easily assimilated, than food
ill-prepared. This seems very simple.
palpable fact, but it is one that is too
much overlooked in daily practice, 80 it
will bear repeating. Much harm en- sues
too, to mind, and body, and morals,
from not keeping 1t in mind.


So Stephen went out with his body
insufficiently nourished. his spirit de
pressed. felt sad. l feared the result
Of this state Of things should it continue.
feared domestic unhappiness would
ensue from this neglect Of household du.
ties on the part Of my young friend, and
1t seemed 80 needless. Her husbands
tastes were refined but simple and easi
~ gratified. longed to set the case be.
fore her In clear light, but felt reluc.
tant to do so. l went up to my room