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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Advocate, 1913-2-27, Page 3, $oa$0 0 o$ $oftoo$FAcix-i) Why Ephraim Climbed Down 000 0.0000 000 "And now, if everyone is ready! ral read Mr. Wingings' last will and testament." Lawyer Pepe, with an important Smile that (travelled 41 round the company, smoothed snit le,gal- n° 'looking parohrncut with plump fie- gers, end .earefully fixed his special, eke in their place. The family of Samuel Wiggings, • deceased, ,sat silently awaiting the all-important division of Mr. Wig- gings' property, Mrs. Wiggings, 'the bereaved wi- dow, white-haired and withered, and pitiably anxious as to her in- heritance, sat next to the lawyer. She was Samuel Wiggings' second wife.- Beside her was her daughter Binan, a meek little , woman of forty years, who looked fifty. On the opposite eide of the table, mil - Ing in serene confidenee, sat Mr. Ephraim Wiggings, the son of the deceased by his first wife. He was am aggressive, pompous little man, and his rather round, oily face bore a oontented "I-know- nwhat'secoming" expression, whieh was largely the ()ease of old Mrs. Wiggings' twitching uneasiness. " 'This is the last will and testa- ment of me, Samuel Wiggings, coal dealer, of Teekham,' " began the Lawyer. "9 give and bequeath to my stepdaughter, Blush Porson, -ab,solutely nothing.'" Peer Binah sat back in her chair, a candle upon whioh the snuf- fer has suddenly dropped. She did her best to look as if suite never ex- pected anything better,but the weak tears were smarting beneath her eyelids, and presently splashed into shameful publicity upon her faded cheeks. " 'To my -wife, Sally . Wiggings (remembering her weakness for pups of tea at all hours of the day), ; leave the tea -canister and its con - teats, and nothing else.'" A cry broke from the old woman. She Hung out her withered arms ap- pealingly to the lawyer, "But the home—the home 1" she quavered. "Lord knows, me and Mienh didn't ask no money, but bits • and things that mean home to us, "Well, you've got the tea-oanis- ter 1" granted Ephraim, with a fat chuckle. "That's the nib of a WO - man's 'ome, ain't Jeff Go on, Mr. Pope I See whether he's left me the doormat! Maybe, 'e aiu't forgot dear little me altogether." • 'To my son Ephraim,"' pro- , eeeded the lawyer, frowning, "'1 leave everything else of which I die pe ese Red absolutely.' Thane the complete will, my friends. I wisb you good -clay 1" As the door closed after him, Fahraim tucked his thumbs into the u. -holes of his -waistcoat, walked `neeerdway to the fireplaee, and took his etradelleelegged stand on the heaathrug in his best "lord -of -all -I - survey' attitude. "Well, now, wot about the fete - cher 7" he demanded, with a pat- ronizing glance at the homeless and penniless women. "What shall you 6/0, Binah 7" , "What can I do?" moaned that unfortunate lady, limping to a chair, and dabbing a very moist. handkerchief . to her eyes. "My lame leg won't let me get a place in gervioe; and I've no -sort of ex,peri- ence for anything else, nor no neoney." "Well, well," said Ephraim, waiting with a generous patience for her grief to subeide, "there won't be two women needed 'ere, you know, now my father's gone. You can't expect use to keep you -a - DOW, ca,n your "I never epxected no mercy from • you, Ephraara !,, exploded poor Bi - bah, with an unexpected show of spirit. "You've come into every- thing., so be satisfied,- and don't try to patronize until you're asked for charity—waich you won't never be; not by me, any'ow." Thus relieved in mind, lame little Binah hobbled upstairs? and, acting on the spur of her indignation, she put on her hat and 'coat and carne downstairs to where Ephraim and his stepmother eat in a brooding silence. "I'm going, mother. Good-bye !" »aid Binah bravely. "I'm going to do it .now, while my pluck's warm !" "Going where V' lotoke f rom Salle. "To the workhoueel" a,n.nouneed Binah. "Oh, no, no !"—from Ephraim, with i gesture of his fat forefinger, "Not before you've 'ad some sup- per, SUrftlY!" "I'll never take sup nor bite from your bounty, Ephraim I" snap- ped Binah, suddenly breaking into tears upon her mother's shoelder. "If you go, I'rn coming, too !" murabled,Mrs. Wigging, weakly. "No, mother; You'll stop here n and keep hattse 'for Ephienra. Your keep won't '1.06t much, and' quit Eph. No; you're too old to leave the dean o1d home now, mo- ther. You could never live aege where but here, • I'm ' 'Younger. Good-bye!" still in the svOrkhouse, Sally still kept house for Ephraim, Then, one spring day, Ephraim annaunecel to his stepmother that she was about to nese her job. "Or, in plain Efiglish, I'm get- ting wed," he added. "You're getting wed!" repea. Sally dazedly. vvhaiths to b come ef Me? Shall I—I be able stop with you in the old home 7-0 linshraim, please let me stay !" Ephreitn rubbed his nese, pausi for a kind way of saying a eru thi-ng. "Well, I've talked it over wi my intended," he murmured, "b cease 1 din think at first &s might have found a corner for y 'ere. But my inteneled—.she woul n't 'ere ef it. She's afraid you'd strying to beeny'know. And s thinks, and I think, you'd better along and keep Binah company. won't be so lonely for you, seei that Binah's there already. And and Binah will benelaci." The tears of his stepmother, an id her own feeble argument of h rights, failed to move Epheann. VMS glad to get the tscene over, .ta to feel that the thing was settle He brought hie "intended"— ,sour -looking, peevish girl of thirt who was named Mary, and didn deserve to be—to, see their futu home. "But not this furniture 1" <irk Miss Mary, with a horrified glane around the time -worn treasur whiela meant home to the. Wi ging,sea. "Oh, I 'Simply couldn live with it; Ephraim! My friend would cry shame. No; we mu have new furniture—fa.shionabl oak -and -leather things, you knee You'd better sell these antique and we'll get some fresh furnitur from Tottenham Court Read. Yo can't expect a young wife to start with an old home, you know." Ephraim assented, with a very wry face. Ile arranged with an auctioneer to sell the furniture, either privately or by auction, whilst he and his bride were on honeymoon; then he 'gently remind- ed his stepmnth.er one night that she could now' move out" at her convenienee. "Mea,ning, 'Go to the work_ ?' house " demanded Sally of the surly stepson. "That's what it does mean,1 suppose 1" he growled, in careless brutality. The old lady seeing her home of forty years being wrenched from her, and seeing also the cold wel- come of a poorhouse before her, broke into a ,shrill cry for mercy. "Haven't I kept you 'ere with me for three years since my father died ?" demanded .Ephraim. He was in a -vile temper, having just returned frora that disEistrous jour- ney to Tottenham Cour-C.-Road with the expensive Mise Mary. "And you'd turn your own step- mother out without a penny--yont fath.er's -wife !"she wailed. He replied with angry violence. The old lady shrunk from his words, but bravely nerved herself to make a last stand.- "I'll not be drove out! P11 not be 'packed out of my home like a servant 1" she cried. Ephraim's last shred of good tem- per snapped. He banged his fist on tee 1/, nit el th 0- we you d - be go It ng d. a 't re e BS 't st v. s, the table, and half rose, staring at her. "You're to go now --at ones! You hear?" he etormed. "If you stay here any longer, you'll be whining before- my wife's people, and.. up- setting everything! Go at owe!" She - pleaded desperately, .with ner rheumaticky knees bent to him. She told him life would be nothing to her without the house and ths. wornout old treasures which had made her home for forty Years. But Ephraim's spleen rose with every moment of delay. "You're to go now !" he stormed. And at last she went. Worn out with her feeble resistance, and by this time eager for what rest and harbor she could find even in a workhouse, she turned from the house and hobbled slowly to the gate, ,Suddealy the door behind her opened. She turned just in time to see a square object, flying past ier into the road„ and to. see E fphraim shut, the door when he had luing the miiisile after her. • She went to the gutter ancl 'stoop- ed to pick up the object. It was her tea-ca,nister 11 f b a t 0 0 t nf She picked it up, ll "This and its contente was a Samuel left life in the will !" she murmured, "It was a cruel jest-- ruel as that son of his who's fired he old canister after me ! Hello What'a this 7'' - The fall into the road had dam- , ged the IS &tigstruck er. It had stru he intones with a eorner that was ow twisted. The whole of the bot• torn. piece seetned to be splitting rem the sides. With a Wrench, she pulled the ottom _piece apart, and, to her maeernent, instead of a shower of ett, she saw greyish paper that reckied in her town). "Banknotes ! 'These aro what a,nauel meant when he said The anister and 00/31t6lItS!' He meant hese banknotes!'' she gasped. 'One, two, thine-hundrecnand-ftfty, our -fifty; • `seven' hundred; eight, ine, ten Ten hundred pounds 0 h, thonkG1ell" tb kG o With her iteare 'upon them, WHY NOT ON REE BACK? "No dear, no more pudding to -night. Don't you know you cannot sleep on a fell stomach?" "Well, auntie, I can sleep on my back !" • she looked vainly for some note from the dead man that would ex plain his la,sit strange joke—the hid ing of this legacy to his wife unti her wits would discover the &acre space between the true and falsi bottom of the curious old canister Sally spent the night with a friend. She stayed with her until after Ephraim's wedding -day; then she went to see the electioneer. "You've got the selling of Mr. Ephraim Wiggings' furniture V' she questioned, fingering her new handbag. " "And what's the price for it, as it steads?" "One hundred pounds. Failing that, it's to be sold by auction to- morrow, to make room for the new furniture." Sally handed him a banknote for a hundred pounds. "Give me the receipt. ,I'll buy it," she said briefly. _ • From the auctienesees one went to the landlord:of the house which had been the home of the Wiggingses for nearly half a, century. He listened to het story with a twinkling eye. Then he nodded. "Yea; P11 sell the house to you gla,clly," he said. "As to Mr. Eph- raim Wiggingse-he has given ine n.otice, in order to SRAM himself a week's rent while he's away. So he can't grumble. 'Yes; if you like to buy the place, and move in, there's nothing to prevent you. I'll have the deeds made out right away." • A few days after Sally went on her last errand. This time it was to bring Binah from the workhouse. Her withered old face was very proud and very happy when she broke the news to Binah that her workhouse days were over, and that the old horge was their own aga,in. Poor Binah was crying soft- ly with joy all the way home, and, when she saw the old .place just as she had left it, ,she broke down cempletely, and sobbed with the ex- quisite delight of a woman who has known whet it is to be forlorn and homeless. When Ephraim's new furniture arrived the next day, they politely refused delivery,' on' the grounds that Mr. Ephraim Wiggings had "removed" —which was true enough, although Ephraim himself didn't know it yet. About a week later a can rattled up to the gate and stopped. From it stepped Ephraim, looking very important and distinguished in his honeymoon attire, followed by Mrs. Ephraim, who looked even more sour and peevish than usual. Together they walked up the short path, and Ephraim tried his latchkey. To his astonishment, the door refused to yield. It was bolted on the inside. 1 t e He banged the knocker loudly and with furious impatience. This pa,use upon the doorstep was taking all the dignity from his home -corn- ing! And then the front bed -room win- dow went up, and the heads of Sally 'and tinal peeped - out, "We're, not at' home, to-day—to callers 1" they said gravely, and shrub the window again, carefully bolting U.—Loudon Answers. It I CI yrt e s everness. A mother who loves to boait of the mere or leas bright sayings of her little daughter ,was taught a lesson One day this week. The proud parent had just finish- ed an account of" Myrtle's elever- lass when the youngster herself piped up : "Mamma, what was that ()thee Three nears passed, Ninth was she counted the notes agans• Then cute thing I said?" SLANEYS OF LONG SERVICE. es_ An English Servant Kept Her Place For Ninety-seven Years. They heve the iservant problem over here in almost, if not quite, as acute a form as you have it in your country, but it would be solved in no time if there were many! more domestics like Mary Ann Lances - ter, who has juet died, writes a London correspondent Whether this real Mary Ann was a treasure or not you ea,n, guese from the fact that she lived as maid and friend (awarding to her obituary notice) with a family in Stoke Newington for 65 yea-rs, or up to the day of her death at the age of K. It proves, raoee,over, that besides being a mo- del servant, Mary Ann Lancaster had the welfare of her fellow do- mestics at heart, and that, he eon- tributed in all over $150 to the funds of the Domestic Servants' Beneyolent Institution, an orga,ni- zation in this country which be- friends 'servants in time of stress, helps them to get good berths and grants pensions to some of them when past work. • William Sly, the aeeretary of this society, en being applied to, gave the rather surprising information that Mary Ann Lancaster's period ofiserviee, though ereditable, was far from being a reeord-smashing one, in this country anyhow. "It may interest you to know," said Sly, "that we have recorded on our books the case of one do- me,stic who remained with one fam- ily for 97 years, and of another who stayed in one pla.ce for 75 years. The first of these was Susan O'Ha- gan, of Lisburn, near Belfast, who (lied in June, 1909, at the age of 107. and who for 97 years was in the service of three generations of a family named Hall at Lisburn. Her case is the most extraordinary that has dome, to our notice. The holder of the next best re,cord, of 75 years, was Hanna Cook, who lived with family named Norris in Leicester- shire for that length of time. "Other ,striking records," Sly went on, "are those of Marianne Starnanere, who died at 88 after completing her 70th year of 'service in the family of the late Henry Hoare, the banker, and that of a Mrs. Alexander, who was house- nee,per to Lord A.shoombe for N 3 -ears. Viscount Clifclen's late but- ler, too, was in his lordship'e ser- vice for over half a century. Sly says that over 2,000,000 wo- men are now employed as servants in the United Kingdom. Quite a number of thexn, out of their hard- earned savings, ,amtributecl to the funds of the benevolent, institution. which has reoen d in le,gaeies from servants nearly $2,500 and in trust funds over $12,000. One supporter, a butler, left, a sufficient'sten to pro - Aide, for a pension of 4115 a, year to the oldest female beeefieiary, while anoincer servant ]eft $5,000 in trust for two pensions for needy slaveys. One pensioner of the instnetio who died lately at the ego of 101 had received benefits amounting to $1,830. Salicin inhortbread. — Chop a pound of butter into two pounds of lour, after you have softened the butter a little by putting it near the fire, Knead in the euglir and make he slough into a sheet about half n inclx thicknrolling it out emooth. Yoe; can cut it into shapes with a Actin or oako cutter or make it nto squares, Lay buttered paper n a shallow tin and hake the. cake :1)0 crisp and of a, yellowish irown. While it is het, just before eking from the oven, sprinkle, pink and white, comfits over the top, Deineeee potato entlin_prepnre teem, 41, leelielleet leelanele wanes* . . ci.; e Ef seweeseneesessasseaseaseeseseensenen. S. • Luncheon Dishes. CaSeR • of Nottille Paste with Cheese Seaffie.--The paste is made with flour, about for ouneee, the yolks of two eggs, a little milk and a seasoning of salt, Roll this out as thin as a wafer end nee some little fluted this, pressing it well into the ties to prevent air bub- bles. 13a,ke for 10 or 15 minutes in a moderate oven, not too long, for they have to again visit the oven, Make a souffle mixture with one ounce of fine flour, one ounce of butter, one gill of milk and the Same of cream; three eggs, a very little salt and three ounces of cheese. Melt the butter in a sauce- pan, stir the flour smoothly in, then the hot milk and seasoning.; next add the yolks of the eggs carefully, then the cheese (grated) and lastly, the stiffly ...beaten whites of the eggs. • Fill each little case half -full and bake till well puffed up and lightly brow, removing at once to the table front the oven. Potato Cases Filled with Peas.— Boil about a pound of dry, floury potatoes, beat them until quite smooth and light, season with salt and pepper and a inch of nutmeg if liked; adding an ounce of butte; andthe yolks of two eggs, and beat till these ingredients are well blended and smeoth. When cool, roll out (using just sufficient flour to make this possible) to the thick- ness of one and a. half inches. Cut out into rounds the size of a tumb- ler iend with a smaller cutter re- move a piece from the top of each as though making patties. Egg and breaderumb neatly, -place in a frying basket and fry to light brown. Fill the cavities with cooked peas seasoned with salt and butter and place the piece removed from the centre on top of the peas to form a lid. Veal Croquettes with Tomatoes— Chop two cupfuls of cold roast veal. Make a white sauce with two ounces of butter, cooked till it is quite hot and bubbling, and then stir in smoothly one and a half ounces of oornstareh; cook for sev- eral minutes, then add half a pint of white stock, or milk may be used in place of it; season with salt and pepper ; add the yolk of one egg and cook gently till smooth and well blended; add the chopped veal and when hot turn out on a dish, When cold, mold into cone shapes and roll in beaten egg and breadcrurnbs and fry in ha fat. Serve with baked:to- matoes. Chicken Livers and Bacon. — Cleanse aitcl separate each little liver into four pieces; sprinkle with a little pepper and wrap each slice in a thin piece of streaky bacon, fa,stening the end with a tiny skew- er. They may then be fried, broiled or cooked in the oven a.s may be preferred. Be sure to have the liv- ers eooked. through. When done, remove the skewers and serve the rolls on a mound of hot boiled rice. Lamb Chops Stuffed.—Choose loin or rib chops remove all super- fluous fat and skin. Have the chops cut about one and one-balf inches thick ; -With a sharp -pointed knife cut a pocket in chop, inserting the knife from outside edge of chop to the bone. In this pocket place poultry stuffing made with bread, seasoned with salt, pepper, sage and Melted butter; be careful not to put in so much it will burst out. Place chops on pan that has been sprinkled with salt and pepper, bits of butter and a few drops of onion juice. Sprinkle the • chops with a little salt and pepper, place in a hot oven and bake -from 20 to 30 minutes. Do not add any water to the pan. Place chops. on hot platter surrounded with tomato sauce. Asparagus Loaf with Beehamel Sauce.—BUtter thoroughly a char- lotte russe -mold, cmart size, and line it with cooked tips of aspara- gus, well drained. Cook two table- spoonfuls of flour and the same amount of butter together, add a teaspoonful of salt, a dash of cay- enne and one cupful of cream, gradually. Allow it to boil five ininutes, remove from the fire, add one cupful of cooked asparagus tips and four eggs thoroughly beaten. Turn the mixture into the mold, set, it in a pan of hot water and cook in a moderate oven about half an hour, or till the centre is firm. Turn the loaf, on a hot dish, ar- range about it little oblong pieces of bread that have been clipped in beaten eggs and milk and broneed. Pour the sauce around it and serve at oece. Tenon, Bechamei Sanee----Mix 2 tablespoonfuls of flour and two of batter, cook till it beg -ins to bubble, rain gradually half e, cupful of hot stook and the same a,moent of milk. When the sauce boils set it in a dish. .of hot water and stir in the beater] yolks of two eggs, helf a cupful of cooked 'asparagus tips, teaspoonful of salt, dash of cayenne and tablespoonful of lemon juke. 0 Instead of stock you may use water asparagus was cooked in. Miscellaneous Ilishem. • a quart of fluffy mashed 'Potateies (this neeessitates the use of about teen potaeoee), ° Beat in art 'egg, then form into belle ; while still hot, roll lightly in an egg beaten with wife nalf eap of water end set on a but - tercel sheet in a hot oven till browned. Remove with a paneake turner, Veal Steak, italiene-Slice veal steak thin and out into individual servings. Boil for five minutes( in water to lover containing one tea - epee)) sugar, bit of bay leaf, one clove and one slice onion to each pint. Then 'drain, dust, with salt and pepper and dip egg and crumbs and cook for six minutes in deep fat hot enough to brown a bit of bread in' three minutes, Serve with sliced lemons. Leeson Pie.—Grate rind of one lemon, pull off the white skin, and after rolling out your crust and putting it en the plate, elks the peel lernon very thin and lay on the crust. Crumble one large sliee of bread, strew the crumbs over the lemon. Beat the yolks of two eggs in. a bowl with a cup of sugar and one of water and the grated rind of the lemon. Pour this slowly over the crumbs in the pie plate and bake. When eoiel., make a meringue of the whites of the eggs and four tablespoons of powdered sugar, spread on the pie, brown lightly, and eat very cold. Orange„ 1)wmplings, Baked. -- Make a good short biscuit dough with a quart of flour, two table- spoonfuls of shortening—half but- tor—a' couple of teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and two cupfuls of milk, or enough to make a soft dough. Roll out into a sheet not more than half an inch thick, hand- lieg your dough as little andas lightly as possible. Cut into squares about five inches each way and lay on this lobes of orange which' you have freed from .ths yellow and white skin and seeded carefully. Adel sugar a,t discretion, being more generous' with it if the oranges are tart. Fold ever the paste, pinch the edges together, and lay the dumplings in a pan, the pinched side down, cover, and bake for twenty minutes in a steady oven. Serve with a good hard sauce, flav- ored with lemon juice. , Hama Hints. To remove water spots on a dress, dampen it in lukewarm water. Place over water spots on right side and take a piece of the Game fabric and press with warm iron till both pieces of material are dry. To make boys' rubber boots last long have the cobbler put one thick- ness of leather inside the heel and &nether outside, and then fasten en the regular heel plate. -A teaspoonful of camphor added to a quart of soft water will kill earthworms in house plants. The plants should be quite ready fax water when it is applied. A sewing screen with top handles is a handy thing to carry from room to room. It should be eov end with cretonne, should stand strongly on its feet and be hung on one side with sewing needfula A good furniture polish may be made of one-half pint linseed oil, one-half pint turpentine, one-quar- ter pint vinegar, one-quarter pint mentholated spirit. Shake to- gether thoroughly in a bottle. Round centrepieces may be dried by laying them when wet on a sheet of clean glass, kept fax the purpose. See that the inen is placed smooth- ly and then set the glass in the sun. Plaster casts which have hard, polished surfaces can be washed with a nailbrush and white soap- suds. The suds should be rinsed off and the ,casts well dried. Painted woodwork can be made to look like new by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in whiting. When the Whiting is dry, remove with soft cloth a---- • AS GOOD AS A (OLD World Cousu mes Much Thorium i ri Its Gas Mantels. Professor White estimates that no fewer than 400,000,000 gas-mantlei are used ,every year, and as these gas-mantle,s cannot bemanufac- tured without a substance named thorium, the necessity for obtaining a large supply is obvious. Some time ago the manufacturers were, indeed, at a logs to discover sta.- dent tor their purpose. Theiranx- iety was removed quite unexpected- ly when a stranger walked into the office, ef one of the great incandes- tent, eompanbes and offered to show where an unlimited supply could be obtained, He demanded $500,000 for the informatien, and this aum the, company readily undertook to pay. The dieectors were, however, doubtful, of his ability to earry out his promise, but. after obtaiiiinp; a tentraet, lee took a representative Of the company to Brazil, where huge de posits of thorium we re, discnver- ed, Yrbin this place most of the thorium. now in use is obtained. The' stranger had, dieweered the find' quite ateidentally. esenneen_nee Grace— "You'd never dream the number of proposals I've had this winter." Helen --"No, deer, but • I'm sure you dreamed most of • ' • .4