**My dear,** she said, **do you remember hearing Father speak of his old friends the Wentworths, whom he used to know so well years ago ? Well, they have come east, and are in town for a day or two, and they want to come out and see us this very afternoon. Now I should love to ask them to stay to supper, but if I do, I shall have to stay with them and visit and can't help you at all ; and Norah is out. Do you suppose you three children could get the supper and serve it all by yourselves ! * * **Why, of course. Mother Blair,*' said Mil- dred, reproachfully. * * Of course we can I You don't know how many things your children can do when they try! Now what shall we have? 72 SUNDAY NIGHT SUPPEE 73 It ought to be something very good, because they have never been here before. ^ ' "We were going to have canned sahnon,'* said her mother, thoughtfully; "we might scallop that, and have potatoes with it, and perhaps muffios or biscuits. ^ * "Oh, have muffins. Mother! I have seen Norah make them lots of times, and I 'm sure I could, too, if you give me the receipt. ' ^ "Well, you may try,** said her mother, "but I think you had better have some toast ready, too, in case they do not come out right. And what else can we have ? Preserves, I suppose ; but, Mildred, aU the nice preserves are gone, be- cause it is so late in the spring. But we might have little baked custards. * * "Yes, in the cunning little brown baking dishes ; those will be lovely I And I *11 make some little cakes to eat with them; Norah said there were just cookies for supper. * ' * * But do you really think you can do all that t Don't you think the cookies will dof "No, indeed,** said Mildred, "not for extra nice company I But little cakes are no trouble to make. And isn*t it fun to have company come when you don't expect it! It *s so much nicer than to specially invite them!** 74 THE FUN OF COOKING Mother Blair laughed. **I hope you will al- ways think so/' she said. And Mildred ran away to call Brownie to get her apron and come to the kitchen. * * We will lay the table first, even though it is so early,*' said their mother. ** Brownie, bring me the pile of the best doilies in the sideboard drawer. ' ' ^ * The Wheelers always use a regular big cloth for supper," Brownie said, as she came over with them to the table. ^*Many people do, but I think the table looks prettier at breakfast and luncheon and supper with the doilies. And then, too, if anybody hap- pens to spill anything — " ** Jack spilled gravy yesterday, awfully," said Brownie, soberly. **Well, you see Norah had to wash only one little doily because of that; if we had had on a table-cloth, all of it would have had to go into the wash. But if we had no doilies, I should use a lunch cloth that would just cover the top of the table, and that would be pretty, too. Put one doily for each person. Brownie, and a large one in the middle for the fern dish, and little ones for the tumblers. Now for tlie silver." Arranging a Small Round Tray in Front of lier Mother's Place SUNDAY NIGHT SUPPER 77 Mildred came with knives, forks, and spoons. **No knives, because there is no meat,'* said her mother; **but if we were going to use them, which side would you put them onf **Left,'' said Brownie, guessing.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

**My dear,** she said, **do you remember hearing Father speak of his old friends the Wentworths, whom he used to know so well years ago ? Well, they have come east, and are in town for a day or two, and they want to come out and see us this very afternoon. Now I should love to ask them to stay to supper, but if I do, I shall have to stay with them and visit and can't help you at all ; and Norah is out. Do you suppose you three children could get the supper and serve it all by yourselves ! * * **Why, of course. Mother Blair,*' said Mildred, reproachfully. * * Of course we can I You don't know how many things your children can do when they try! Now what shall we have? It ought to be something very good, because they have never been here before. ^ ' "We were going to have canned salmon,'* said her mother, thoughtfully; "we might scallop that, and have potatoes with it, and perhaps muffins or biscuits. ^ * "Oh, have muffins. Mother! I have seen Norah make them lots of times, and I 'm sure I could, too, if you give me the receipt. ' ^ "Well, you may try,** said her mother, "but I think you had better have some toast ready, too, in case they do not come out right. And what else can we have ? Preserves, I suppose ; but, Mildred, aU the nice preserves are gone, because it is so late in the spring. But we might have little baked custards. * * "Yes, in the cunning little brown baking dishes ; those will be lovely I And I *11 make some little cakes to eat with them; Norah said there were just cookies for supper. * ' * * But do you really think you can do all that t Don't you think the cookies will dof "No, indeed,** said Mildred, "not for extra nice company I But little cakes are no trouble to make. And isn*t it fun to have company come when you don't expect it! It *s so much nicer than to specially invite them!** Mother Blair laughed. **I hope you will always think so/' she said. And Mildred ran away to call Brownie to get her apron and come to the kitchen. * * We will lay the table first, even though it is so early,*' said their mother. ** Brownie, bring me the pile of the best doilies in the sideboard drawer. ' ' ^ * The Wheelers always use a regular big cloth for supper," Brownie said, as she came over with them to the table. ^*Many people do, but I think the table looks prettier at breakfast and luncheon and supper with the doilies. And then, too, if anybody happens to spill anything — " ** Jack spilled gravy yesterday, awfully," said Brownie, soberly. **Well, you see Norah had to wash only one little doily because of that; if we had had on a table-cloth, all of it would have had to go into the wash. But if we had no doilies, I should use a lunch cloth that would just cover the top of the table, and that would be pretty, too. Put one doily for each person. Brownie, and a large one in the middle for the fern dish, and little ones for the tumblers. Now for tlie silver." Arranging a Small Round Tray in Front of lier Mother's Place Mildred came with knives, forks, and spoons. **No knives, because there is no meat,'* said her mother; **but if we were going to use them, which side would you put them onf **Left,'' said Brownie, guessing.

The fun of cooking