A School Girl's Composition.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12796, 30 September 1905, Page 3 (Supplement)

A School Girl's Composition.

The following is a specimen of composition by a standard VI. girl at one of the Timaru public schools. The writing, it may be added, is as good as the composition, and there are but two errors in spelling:— A VISIT TO A COOKERY SCHOOL. The girls are preparing to go in to cooking. There is a great bustle and fuss, and the cry of " Oh, I've forgotten my ribbon 1" " I have lost my cuffs !" " Did anyone see a cup with blue flowers round it ?" " Where can my serviette be? I know I had it when I left school."

At last when all the lost -things were recovered, and the forgotten ones replaced by something else, the door opens and in they troop to their places. Some girls are thoroughly mystified at the very words " Name the six primary methods of cooking meat-." Gaping round at the group of busy girls answering questions, they find that their time is gone, and not liking to hand in empty papers, they scrawl down, " Boiling is cooking in the oven," "and pass in their papers fully confident that they have one out of the six .right. At last the time comes when the girls, for of course there are no boys there, have to bake something for themselves. Then the stupid girls, who will not attend to what is being shown, bustle round and ask " How much flour do you put in to clarify fat?" " How many tablespoons of vinegar do you put in fruit cakes ?" "When do you take scones out of the oven ?'

" Wlien they are done, if you know when that is?" answers one of the girls. Thus the time is whiled away, and when half-past twelve strikes, the owner of tlip aforesaid' r scoiies ' jumps up, rushes' to. the oven, and-opening it; discovers to her dismay, that although she does not know when they are done she would know whether they Trer'e burnt or not. This 'time;they happen to be burnt, and she will have ;.to pay for them. Allthis' did not- actually happen, but words similar to some I have used have been heard at one cookery class at any rate.