"BAKED IN A PIE."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 9

"BAKED IN A PIE."

i That anonymous book, "Tho Lady of the •Deoorationj , ', having: passed through'./ eight editibns'.'.ih .boards,. has .how 'been put upon the /marked. in:''paper,::coyers r : and no doubt! the mild, "charm, ofihe'work will win it many friends in its new. fonn;y v Some' readers, will find certain associations stirred by this extract from; the menu of [the' Japanese dinnerat Nagasaki^'.'A-'^big;. silver ' bowl . : ~.was Brought-.in.. covered-,.with,pie-crust. ..'When tho carver-broke the' crust there was a flutter rif wings', and ■:'four-ahd-twerity: J -'Dlackbirds' flew out..;' This, jt seems,' was'-'donei'b'y .the Japanese^cook■ as : .a sample -of his'^-skill. , ' Siich. things , ' have happened -outside ■ nursery , 'rhymes.. It -is related of a French' -duchess ! of/the.eighteenth century, .at a time.'Wheii vast headdrtsses were in iashion 'and;extravagance ran; to every -fantastic, extreme;'; that she served:-up to her, guests a pasty contain-; ijig'a hundred song-birds'. ,'She expected.that on beihg : ::liberated "the birds -wonU fly; to and-fro. and; with'.their song, and;.indeed, !"i ; .any''idyllic'.pp'em of-Jhe day; that'.'. would have done. :;ln:'reality^-howeyer/'the'-suddenglare of the- lights:--and'-the l jibise.bf -the ; guests' alarmed. them,Vand: they, dashed wildly about in •search',':of":shelter. TheVbnly- sKslior ; they. - bould;'.find-''^as : -;the-'headdresses;of,'t'hiß-Mies,'' and for. them .accordingly'they made, with result that: there; .was "jiot'a lady ; sent • who ■didi-not have.' ; three' or four> songbirds'struggling in :'her. hair. '■ Larger living creatures... than ■> bii'ds, •■. however, '■ have- been brought: to table■m; T pies. : ; ; ."The girl.:of -the piej' , i . ; wb6;.'figvired: in,:ohe:of the ; trials":that shpwed; > up v a certain .'phase 'of; New. :,York' life, is jstflriii 1 the--public memory'.V She''had this -name, for 'haying/appeared at- table in ithis" way:-:';Gcoffrey Hudson-s,experience: is.'i one of, s ,the;.'-historic : ; .facts 'of-;.the ; rß^gii : : .of ChaTlea^l;j-?.arfd;^a%rs:;pf ; ;V?e'yeriV' : Peak-' '■jhave: smiled; 'pyer- , ; the vproiid'. ldesprip..tion of--the■■incident, which Scott ■"puts-: upon "■.■..'■''■.';;;•';;-■ ! "'i "I. started;up:toj.the sound of-trumi>et-and ,clarion,.;lik"e; the.: soul -of \a ( warrior: when- the ■Ust": summofis .shall- 7 sourid-7-or;rather• (if thai simile', be. bver-audacibus), like-.a-:spellboiind .cl^ampibV;Teiie^lfr6m:'.'to-encnanW/state. , ft': was::,thep.'. ; tbaty': with my .buckler: on; my arm. and} -my;' -trusty;'Bilboa in":my.'harid \'•' I •.eVec.uted a'.soft"of war-dance." 'Naturally, those!"heroics; on, : the,-, part .of j a i dwarf : ; had their., due.-. reward. <■; "I' was" almost '.deafened •With the applause 'of/all; (around- me ,, and' half drownedvby .the ■scented. ,waters .with which the "ladies of the" Court, deluged -me-from cpting-bottlesi'-.-rManchester "Guardianl"';