Teddy’s Housekeeping.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IV, 28 July 1900, Page 183

Teddy’s Housekeeping.

\BOUT A LITTLE BOY WHO FORGOT TO ORDER SUNDAYS DINNER. ‘•1 call it very hard that I should have been the only cue to have whoop-ing-cough. Now. if Gladys or Jim had just had it a little as well I should have had someone to play with. But it is so dull all alone!" And Teddy drummed on the window- sill of the little old nursery, and sighed as though he had the cares of the nation on his shoulders. It was very sunny and warm in the garden outside, and the birds were singing their very loudest to please him: but he was tired of seeing James roll the grass and of helping to pick the cherries, and he made up his mind to be very miserable instead, and stay indoors. “And .to think 1 shall have a whole six weeks' of it. It’s just fearful!" And then the noise of hoofs on the gravel below made him look out hastily. It was Uncle Charlie on his brown horse, and he was waving his hat over his head. ■“What do you think, old fellow? You are to come and visit me at my fishing cottage on the river. But you must work hard if you come, for we will have to do all the cooking ourselves.” “How just jolly! Of course I will come! Thank you so much. And I will do the housekeeping ami the cooking.” “Very well. Bring a eap and apron and your cookery-book, and we will give dinners fit for a prince. 1 will fetch you this evening at five, and you must be ready packed up by then all right.” And before the horse had trotted out of the garden Teddy was deep in looking out his fishrod and lines from the cupboard where they were all a-fangle with broken toys and all kinds of rubbish. And it was not till he was in the dogcart, driving through the lanes in the evening sunshine, that he remembered he hadn’t. Isirrowed a cookery-book from the old housekeeper. who was in charge of the Hall while every one else was in London. But Uncle Charlie said it did not matter a bit. And then Teddy explained that even if he couldn’t cook, be could at all events make toast and cocoa. “Very well. then, you shall get up early to-morrow and get breakfast."

Ding before six Te<k|y was up trying to light the tire in the tiny cottage kitchen. He had watched the nursemaid light fires so often ami had lent a hand more than once, that before manv minutes were over his

fire was roaring up the chimney and the kettle put on. “I will boil the eggs in this saucepan and make some toast at once.”

So when Uncle Charlie came down an hour after the breakfast was all ready, and Teddy very impatient to begin. To be sure the eggs were all very hard, and the toast and the eoeoa were quite cold, and the water was smoky, because the lid of the kettle had been taken off so often to see if the kettle was boiling. But Uncle Charlie never said a word, and ate his breakfast with a smile. But Teddy saw him boiling the kettle all over again, this time with the lid on. and getting out the tea. “It’s very thirsty weather, old chap,’" he said, as he made himself a cup. “So to-morrow I think the kettle must stay on till we finish breakfast, don't you?" And of course Teddy agreed, though he thought to himself that grown-up people did have the queerest tastes. What could it matter if the eoeoa was warm or not? After breakfast there were the breakfast dishes to wash up, and the house to help put tidy. But after that there was nothing to do but to fish till dinner-time. “We will open a fresh tin of meat every day, and so you won’t want the cookery-book after all,” said Uncle. But Teddy was quite sorry, because he was sure he could have managed splendidly. Still, there would be milk, and bread and butter, and all sorts of things to order, so he begged tha instead of cooking he might be allowed to be housekeeper and get in the stores. Uncle agreed, and all that week there was no hanpier boy in the three kingdoms. But Saturday came, and it was such a lovely morning, and he found a nest of little fieldmice the first thing, and was so occupied with them that he quite forgot to do the marketing, and when Sunday morning arrived there was no bread and no milk and nothing for dinner. and they had to drink their tea without any milk and manage with biscuits. But uncle didn't mind a bit. though he made great fun of Teddy, and told the vicar on the way home from church what a capital housekeeper he had: and the vicar laughed too. ami insisted that they should both come back to dinner with him. So it turned out all right after all. and after that Teddy tied a knot in his handkerchief the first thing every Saturday morning. so that he should not make such a mistake again.