**Not unless you were left-handed,*' smiled her mother. * * The rule is : put on the right side what you will use with the right hand, and on the left what you will use with the left hand. That is, if there are no knives, all the sUver goes on the right, and the fork or spoon you are to use first goes the farthest away from the plate, the next one next to that, and so on ; if you re- member that, you will never be puzzled as to which fork to use. Now the teaspoons — ^put those on the right, too ; and the dessert spoon or fork may go at the top, across the plate if you Uke, though I prefer it on the dessert plate itself. Put the napkin at the left, always ; and the tumbler goes at the top to the right, and the bread-and-butter plate and knife at the top too, toward the left. There! Doesn't that look pretty?" Mildred had been getting out the best cups and saucers and arranging a small round tray in front of her mother's place with cream and sugar and the tray bowl, and a place left for 78 THE FUN OF COOKING the tea-pot; the cups she put at the right, ar- ranging them in twos — two cups on two saucers. ** Mildred, after you pass the sahnon, you may put the dish right in front of Father; and the potatoes may go on the table too, as Norah isn't here, though I like best to have them passed from the sideboard. The muffins may stand at the side of the table, half-way down. Now let us carry out all the dishes and begin to cook.'' So Mildred took a pile of plates to heat, and Brownie carried a dish for the potatoes, and Mother Blair brought the little custard cups; they arranged these on the kitchen table where they would not be in the way, and then Mother Blair told Mildred to see that the fire was all right. ** Always remember to look at tiiat first," she said. *^It needs shaking down a little, and to have more coal on ; and pull out the dampers so the oven will heat. ' ' Mildred hunted for the dampers, but could not find any. **I don't believe there are any on this stove, ' ' she said, just as Jack came in to see what was going on. **No dampers! Is n't that just like a girl I" he exclaimed. **See, here they are, tucked un- der the edge of the stove. You puU them out — SUNDAY NIGHT SUPPER 79 so — ^and then you shut the draft at the top, op- posite the coal, and open the one at the bottom, so the air will blow right up through the fire and make it go like everything. And you have to turn the dampers in the pipe, too, to let the heat go up the chimney. ' * **Good!'^ said his mother. **I didn't know you knew so much about stoves. Now suppose you shake the fire down and put the coal on — that 's a man's work.'' **A11 right," said Jack; **I don't mind things like that; but boys don't cook, you know." His mother put both hands over her ears. ** Jack, if I hear you say that once more, I shall believe you are turning into a parrot ! And you are all wrong, too, and some day I am going to give you some special lessons myself. But to- day you may just tend the fire and bring us things from the refrigerator as we need them, to save time. Now, Mildred, we will begin with the custards, because they must be nice and cold. Brownie, you bring the spoons and bowls and such things, and. Jack, you get the milk and eggs." BAKED CUSTARDS 1 quart of milk. Yolks of four eggs. 80 THE FUN OF COOKING 4 teaspoonfuls of sugar. % teaspoonfol of vanilla. 1 pinch of salt. % teaspoonf ul of grated nutmeg✪ Baked Custards. Put the sugar in the milk; beat the eggs light, and add those, with salt and vanilla. Pour into the cups, sprinkle with nutmeg, and arrange the cups in a shallow pan. Bake half an hour, or till, when you put the blade of a knife in one, it comes out clean. It took just a few moments to make these, and then came the next rule : CURRANT CAKES % cup of butter. 1 cup of sugar. 1 cup of milk. 2 cups of flour. ✪ Currant Cakes

AI-modernized reading of the original text

**Not unless you were left-handed,*' smiled her mother. * * The rule is : put on the right side what you will use with the right hand, and on the left what you will use with the left hand. That is, if there are no knives, all the sUver goes on the right, and the fork or spoon you are to use first goes the farthest away from the plate, the next one next to that, and so on ; if you remember that, you will never be puzzled as to which fork to use. Now the teaspoons — ^put those on the right, too ; and the dessert spoon or fork may go at the top, across the plate if you Uke, though I prefer it on the dessert plate itself. Put the napkin at the left, always ; and the tumbler goes at the top to the right, and the bread-and-butter plate and knife at the top too, toward the left. There! Doesn't that look pretty?" Mildred had been getting out the best cups and saucers and arranging a small round tray in front of her mother's place with cream and sugar and the tray bowl, and a place left for the tea-pot; the cups she put at the right, arranging them in twos — two cups on two saucers. ** Mildred, after you pass the salmon, you may put the dish right in front of Father; and the potatoes may go on the table too, as Norah isn't here, though I like best to have them passed from the sideboard. The muffins may stand at the side of the table, half-way down. Now let us carry out all the dishes and begin to cook.'' So Mildred took a pile of plates to heat, and Brownie carried a dish for the potatoes, and Mother Blair brought the little custard cups; they arranged these on the kitchen table where they would not be in the way, and then Mother Blair told Mildred to see that the fire was all right. ** Always remember to look at tiiat first," she said. *^It needs shaking down a little, and to have more coal on ; and pull out the dampers so the oven will heat. ' ' Mildred hunted for the dampers, but could not find any. **I don't believe there are any on this stove, ' ' she said, just as Jack came in to see what was going on. **No dampers! Is n't that just like a girl I" he exclaimed. **See, here they are, tucked under the edge of the stove. You puU them out — so — ^and then you shut the draft at the top, opposite the coal, and open the one at the bottom, so the air will blow right up through the fire and make it go like everything. And you have to turn the dampers in the pipe, too, to let the heat go up the chimney. ' * **Good!'^ said his mother. **I didn't know you knew so much about stoves. Now suppose you shake the fire down and put the coal on — that 's a man's work.'' **A11 right," said Jack; **I don't mind things like that; but boys don't cook, you know." His mother put both hands over her ears. ** Jack, if I hear you say that once more, I shall believe you are turning into a parrot ! And you are all wrong, too, and some day I am going to give you some special lessons myself. But today you may just tend the fire and bring us things from the refrigerator as we need them, to save time. Now, Mildred, we will begin with the custards, because they must be nice and cold. Brownie, you bring the spoons and bowls and such things, and. Jack, you get the milk and eggs." BAKED CUSTARDS 1 quart of milk. Yolks of four eggs. 4 teaspoonfuls of sugar. % teaspoonfol of vanilla. 1 pinch of salt. % teaspoonf ul of grated nutmeg. Put the sugar in the milk; beat the eggs light, and add those, with salt and vanilla. Pour into the cups, sprinkle with nutmeg, and arrange the cups in a shallow pan. Bake half an hour, or till, when you put the blade of a knife in one, it comes out clean. It took just a few moments to make these, and then came the next rule : CURRANT CAKES % cup of butter. 1 cup of sugar. 1 cup of milk. 2 cups of flour.

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