A Lover in Homespun Part 17

"See! Monsieur," he exclaimed, almost superst.i.tiously, as he halted at my side and pointed to the mouth of the kettle, "see de size dat puddin' she's now! When I'm put her in she's so small dat she's go in easy; but now look! she's swell, and swell, and swell till she's fill all de kettle inside, and now she's tree times too big for de mouth, and she won't come out."

I glanced down, and true enough, the pudding had a.s.sumed alarming proportions. Little wonder the problem of getting the thing intact out of the kettle's small mouth had caused him such woful distress.

"Well," I said impatiently, "go pour off the water and take it out in sections; if there is more pudding than you expected, so much the better; there seems little chance of us getting anything else to eat."

As he was scudding away to carry out my instructions, Robbins, whose sharp eyes had seen the freak in the kettle, said to Ovide in an undertone, "Thou hast not forgotten, lad, to take the frost out of that, anyway."

After a very brief absence, Ovide hurried back again, bearing aloft the most marvellous pudding human eyes, I am persuaded, ever rested upon. Apart from the pitiful manner in which it had been rent and torn asunder, its complexion was such as to attract the most lively interest--no chronic sufferer from jaundice ever sported such a gorgeous yellow. The mystery of its unwonted complexion was solved the moment he laid it on the table: the car was permeated with the rank odor of baking powder.

Out of pure curiosity, I put a piece of the pudding into my mouth. It was something awful! A spoonful of pure baking powder could not have tasted much worse. It had been only partially cooked, too.

Fielding gave Ovide one look, and then, too full for speech, he pushed back his chair and strode to the other end of the car.

Slowly I leaned back in my chair and fixed my eyes on the face of the now thoroughly craven-looking Ovide. "What made you tell us you knew how to cook?" I asked, trying hard to speak without anger, but in utter failure. The cravings of the inner man, just then, were strong upon me.

After all the fellow was not without some redeeming trait, for he made a clean breast of it. "It is dis way," he began remorsefully, "when I'm tak de job for cook to-day I'm tink, for sure, I know de way for do it. De reason I get idea like dat, is this way: When I'm be little boy and sit in de kitchen and see my mudder bake de bread, and boil de puddin', and rost de meat, I'm say to myself, many time, 'Ovide, you can do little easy ting like dat, just so well as she can.' I'm ax my mudder, too, many time to let me try and mak de dinner, but she laugh loud and say, 'Ovide, you just lak all de boys and lots of men too, for dey all tink dat it's just so easy for de woman to cook de food as it is for dem to eat it.' And den she laugh some more, and say dat all de men tink dat what de womans do is noting at all."

As he paused, I had no small difficulty in preserving the severity of my countenance, owing to certain recollections of thoughts I had indulged in when a boy--and, I must admit, a pretty big one, too--when I had sat and watched my mother cook. From the way Fielding, at the other end of the car, put his hands into his pockets, I got the impression that conscience was hard at work with him, too.

"Even after I'm be away from home all dese years," continued Ovide, "I'm still have dat feeling dat I can cook just so well as she can; and so when I'm come into de car to-day and hear Mr. Fielding say dat he want cook, and say dat he will give a souvenir, and when I'm see, too, dat engine-driver man Robbin, dare, dat I'm not lak at all, and who I tink not know how for cook and yet going for get de job--I'm just tink dat a good chance she's come for me to please de bosses and make somethin' good for myself, and so I'm come straight out, and say I'm de best man for de job. And dat's all de truth."

He had been slowly edging his way to the pa.s.sage leading to the door, and as he reached it he continued regretfully, "If I'm only not forget to freeze out dat turkey before I'm put her in de oven, and tink too not to put nearly cupful bakin' powder in de puddin', everyting she's be all right den, sure." As he concluded he turned abruptly down the pa.s.sage, and fled out of our car into the baggage-car, with Robbins'

rasping cough in his ears.

Half an hour later, thanks to old Robbins' skill, we sat down to fried turkey, boiled potatoes, bread and b.u.t.ter, and tea.

The great French-Canadian cook gladly ate his portion of the banquet in the baggage-car, for no amount of persuasion could make him come to the table with us.

Twelve hours later we reached our homes.

On New Year's Day, a bulky blue envelope was handed to Ovide. As it bore the stamp of the General Manager's office, he opened it with fear and trembling, for he was sure that it contained his dismissal. I shall not attempt to describe his gratification when he found it contained a handsome silver watch, on the inside of which was neatly engraved a belligerent-looking turkey. The note from Fielding, accompanying the gift, read as follows: "May the souvenir bring as many pleasant memories to the receiver as the memory of Christmas Day, 1879, is sure to bring the donor."

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A LOVER IN HOMESPUN.

COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.

"These stories are of good merit and comprise some excellent descriptions of forest and clearing, and a clever delineation of the pa.s.sions which actuate humanity in the rough.... The stories, eleven in all, deal with love and life and religion in many aspects, and as character studies of the simple Canadian peasantry, French and English, can compare favorably with similar selections in which Scotch, Welsh and Irish rural life have been exploited.... Its readability might be further dwelt upon."--_Literary World (London)._

"After a careful perusal of 'A Lover in Homespun,' we are impressed with the fact that the author cannot only 'photograph' pictures but 'paint them'; all the characters live, breathe, act, feel and speak naturally. Mr. Smith gives individuality and charm to the personages of his stories, without involving any sacrifice to truth. One thing characterizes every story in the volume, viz., strong dramatic sentiment and situation, and a decided deftness and a naturalness in dialogue. In order to satisfy himself that this estimate of Mr.

Smith's powers and work is not an exaggerated one, let the reader take up the book and peruse it. He will find every story interesting."

--_Herald (Montreal)._

"There is not a poor story in this bright entertaining book. Many of the stories touch very high dramatic art--Canada has another writer to be proud of."--_Canadian Home Journal._

"There is undoubted power displayed in the stories in this book. Many of the characters are drawn in a natural and picturesque manner, and we hope that on a future occasion Mr. Smith will use the material, that he evidently has on hand, for a long romance. We believe Mr.

Smith's appeal to the literary public will be favorably received."--_Star (Montreal)._

"Mr. Smith's book, 'A Lover in Homespun,' is sure to be found a literary treat by the reading public. His stories have that polished finish which is so difficult to attain, and which makes the short story a work of art."--_Canadian Magazine._

"Mr. Smith is a talented writer; his style is pure and he possesses in a high degree the princ.i.p.al gift of a novelist, imagination. Mr.

Smith's new book is made up of a dozen short stories, several of which are French-Canadian. The author shows himself very sympathetic to our race."--_La Presse (Montreal)._

"The contents of this volume give evidence not only of innate capacity for story-telling, but of conscientious elaboration of the various plots. All the stories have their characteristic merits, and they are all Canadian."--_Gazette (Montreal)._

"A book to be looked for and read, and which is sure to go down to the future."--_Our Monthly._

"As a writer of short stories Mr. Smith is truly delightful."--_Ma.s.sey's Magazine._

"The studies of French-Canadian character in this book are exceedingly clever. The stories are peculiarly charming and the volume should certainly be read by French-Canadians."--_Le Soir._

"This book is well written, and all the stories are very interesting; some are very amusing, some pathetic and some thrilling. The scene of each is in our own country. The book should certainly sell well."--_Christian Guardian._