Year: 1873

| HEARD Of a young lady the other
day up in Middle Tennessee who, as
river men say, has taken another chute.
The story told about her d'd my soul
good, and for the comfort Of other
half.starved dyspeptics like myself
whose tardy sustenation is effected by
means of fried chicken, soggy biscuits,
greasy hash and sole-leather fritters,
I'll relate it. For years past, as a mere
matter Of form-somethiug handed
down from remote antiquity-the off
GERS of the county fair held in the
neighborhood where this young lady
liyed have been in habit Of offering a
premium to the lady (unmaried) cook
ing the best dinner. 1t was dead
letter. Nobody had contested for the
premium within the memory of the
Oldest inhabitant. This year, how
ever, the young lady Of whom | am
speaking determined to compete for
the prize. Her name-I wish / could
immortalize twas Kate Janaway.
The fair men set up stove for her,
stretched a canvas to shield her from
the sun, and about eleven o'clock Of
the last day she went to work. The
matter had been talked about by every
one in the neighborhood, and curiosity
was on tip-toe. A crowd collected
around the place where the stove was
set up earley in the morning, and kept
increasing, but when Miss Kate her
self, a buxom, handsome girl Of nine
teen, daughter Of the ex-Mayor of the
town, appeared on the ground, and
putting on white apron and rolling
up her sleeves, commenced operations,
all other attractions were nothing.
Every one was eager to see so novel a
sight. There was a tree near by
which soon became black with spec
tators who had climbed up to get a
better view. The branches were fin
ally, so burdened that one by one they
broke, precipitating those upon them
to the ground, until only one man was
left in the tree. He sat in a lofty fork,
with eyes riveted on the scene below.
No amount of persuasion by those
beneath, envious of his better view.
could induce him to come down-even
a bribe of $40 failed. He said he was
bound to see or die. Meanwhile the
dinner preparations went on apace.
The savory smell of the cooking food
seemed to intoxicate the crowd, which
pressed nearer and nea.er. 1t took
all the police force on the grounds to
keep order The time arrived for the
trotting match, announced as the sport
of the day, but the amphitheatre was
empty. The judges with the excep-
ton of one grabbed old widower), the
timers, all were missing, and so moth
ing could be done. At halfpast two
the dinner was announced ready, and
the judges, happy men, seated them
selves at the table-the crowd regard
ing them with ill-disguised envy. A
roast of beef, delicately done, was put
steaming hot upon the table, then fol
lowed corn pudding, whose delicate
aroma fell upon the olfactories of the
excited crowd, "like breezes Of Ara
by the blest : a profussion Of veget-
ables, cooked to perfection, followed
next The judges ate and ate, prais-
ing the flavor of the food and the skill
of the cook at every mouthful. But
when, at last, dessert of piping hot
apple dumplings made its appearance
the forbearance of the crowd was at
an end. They broke through the ropes
into the ring with one accord, and
the dumlings disappeared in trice,


One old fellow, proprietor of a store
and owner of a big saw-mill, proposed
to the young lady on the spot, but he
was quickly collared and led off the
grounds by two younger asplrants,
who made common cause against the
aged suitor, saw-mill and all. That
young lady was the center of attrac
ton in her town after the cooking feat.
She received twenty-five offers of mar
riage the first week, and her fame
spread through all the country round.
An old bachelor fellow down in
Grundy County, with a farm so big
that it takes him all day to ride a.
round it, and cattle on a hundred hills,
heard Of her, and made pilgrimage
all the way to that town to learn the
truth. He got the girl, too, although
some of the young men of the place
sued out writ of habeas corpus to
prevent her being carried out Of the
county. They were too late


This is | am aware, rather sad
ending for so good story, but devo
ton to the truth compels me to give
nothing but the simple, unvarnished
reality.


She ought to have married that fel-
low who set up there in the crotch of
the tree so long, and at such fearful
discomfort He wanted her, and he
was a poor, bilious dyspeptic whom
her splendid cooking would have soon
restored to usefulness and society; but
he was poor. All h!-lLemphis Cor.
Louisville Comier-Journdl


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