Judge — December 7, 1907 — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

HESE potatoes,” remarked Charles to his wife at breakfast, “are really the most atrocious stuff I ever ate. You must have soaked them in lard after you fried them.” «My dear,” replied his wife, “ you said the same thing to me yesterday. Try to think up something new to say about the potatoes to-morrow, wont you, dear?” A WASTE OF TIME. He—"I think this Christmas shopping Is an awful bore."* Sne—"" Yes, indeed ; one has to lose 50 much time buying things.”* + Humph !” ejaculated Charles, it’s the truth, There’s nothing reprehensible in repeating the truth, is there ? The fact is, Mabel, you don't know beans about cooking, and still you try to fool me into thinking you do, That's what I object to. Now, it’s a very simple matter to fry potatoes properly. All you have to do is ta stick them in a pan and put them on the stove. There's nothing very complex about that operation. Why, you ought to eat some of my mother's potatoes, She knows how to fry ‘em, I'll tell you that I" “Charles, you must remember that your mother is an unusually good cook.” “Of course she is! That's just the point I'm trying to impress on Her potatoes are so crisp and brown that a fellow never gets Why don’t you get her recipe, Mabel ?” I'll ‘phone for it you. enough of them. « That's an excellent suggestion,” she replied this morning.” After he had gone Mabel called up her mother-in-law and per- suaded her to make a visit that afternoon for a few minutes, She said THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN TAMING A HUSBAND SANTA CLAUS INTO A CHRISTMAS-TREE. she would have to leave early, in order to get supper for her family, but Mabel said that would be all right. The two women chatted about one thing and another for a while and then Mabel sug- gested that Mrs. Adams should cook some po- tatoes. “Charles just dotes on your potatoes,” she said. “He's, always speaking to me about them, and I know he would be overjoyed to have them for supper.” So Mrs. Adams fried the potatoes very carefully and pridefully, and they were placed in the oven to keep warm until Charles came home. “As you cannot stay to see your son,” said Mabel adroitly, “won't you write him a little note and say you fried the potatoes for him? He will be so pleased !” So Mrs. Adams scribbled the note and gave it to Mabel. She left immediately afterward, for she had other potatoes to fry. Charles entered the house that evening tired and hungry. It had been a hard day for him at the office.“ Did you get that recipe 2” he growled. . “Yes, dear,” replied Mabel sweetly. They sat down for the evening meal. Charles took one taste of the potatoes. “For the love of Moses, Mabel, you don’t mean to tell me you cooked these potatoes with mother's recipe !” «They are fried exactly as your mother would do it,” replied Mabel. Humph! There’s a lot of difference in cooking, then, Why, these are not so good as we had this morning—they taste like damp rope or sponge or something equally indigestible. You don't expect me to swallow this sort of stuff, and block my circulation in an attempt to force it to assimilate it, do you?" “Not if you do not wish to, Charles.” “Well, I certainly won't do it of my own choice. It would be criminal. I'm not a whale or an ostrich. Let's go to a restaurant and get something to eat.” Mabel went into the adjoining room, opened her little writing- desk, and returned with a note in her hand. “Charley,” she said, smiling sweetly, ‘+ your mother called this afternoon and left a note for She handed it to him. you.” Mabel said you always speak of my cooking, and sug- I hope you will My DEAR Son: gested that I fry some potatoes for supper to surprise you. enjoy them. Your Arrectionate Motuer. When he looked up and his eyes met hers, she was laughing and he was looking very sheepish. : “Won't you have more potatoes, Charley, dear?” “Yes,” he replied ; * I believe I will.” DWIGHT SPENCER ANDERSON, comicbooks.com