A gloomin' yonder in the dark, I can't keep back the sigh

An' I'm weepin' like a woman as I bid you all "Good-by!"

The work I've done is with you! may be some things went wrong,

Like a note that mars the music in the sweet flow of a song;

But, brethren, when you think of me, I only wish you would

Say as the Master said of one: "He hath done what he could."

And when you sit together, in the time as yet to be,

By your love-encircled fireside in this pleasant land of Lee,

Let the sweet past come before you, an' with somethin' like a sigh

Jes' say: "We ain't forgot him since the day he said 'Good-by!'"'

-F. L. Stanton.

RICE AND SLIPPERS.
Rice and slippers, slippers and rice !
Quaint old symbols of all that's nice
In a world made up of sugar and spice,
With a honeymoon always shining;

A world where the birds keep house by twos,
And the ringdove calls and the stuck dove coos,
And maids are many, and men may choose,
And never shall love go pining.

For the rice shall be shed and the shoes be thrown,

When the bridegroom makes the bride his own, He and she in the world alone,

Though many a man came wooing; He and she and no other beside,

Though the ways are long and the world is

wide,

The proudest groom and the prettiest bride That ever went billing and cooing.

Slippers and rice for an omen meet,
Fling them out in the open street,
High over heads and low under feet,
Precious beyond all posies;
Glad as the song that greets the day
When wedded lovers are whirled away

the breeze,

And a sense of sadness stealin' through the tresses of the trees;

And it's not the sad September that's slowly drawin' nigh,

But jes' that I remember I have come to say, "Good-by!"

Or a whole round year of roses. Say, is she fair, the wife of an hour? Then fairer was never the fairest flower, Lily or rose, in a maiden's bower,

Blush-white on a summer morning; Or say, is she dark? Then never yet Was Southern beauty with eyes of jet,

the trees complain,

As they bend low down to whisper with their green leaves white with rain;

So lovely beyond adorning.

Is she rich? does she bring a dower of gold?

lilies sigh

As if they all felt sorry I have come to say "Good-by!"

I reckon all have said it, some time or other soft An' easy like-with eyes cast down, that dared not look aloft,

Her lover will learn to be twice as bold
With fortune at hand to aid him;

Is she poor, in all but her own fair worth?
Then that is the richest dower on earth,
And her lover will laugh at wealth and birth
When he owns it was she who made him.

that choked the sigh

Is a bride in her bridal beauty; And he, he too, is a noble sight,

VOLUME IO, No. 10.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

FOR THE LENTEN SEASON.

FOOD.

FOUND AMONG FINS, FLAKES, SCALES AND SHELLS.
"Many fishes swim in the sea."

UTRIMENT is contained in fish about the same as in flesh of the same weight, and the less oily varieties of fish are richer in nitrogen, or the flesh-forming element. It has always been reckoned good food for nerves and brain, from its large supply of phosphorus, but that is questioned and we must wait for the doctors to settle the point definitely. That it is good and savory food most of the human race would maintain, and that Our Lord must so have reckoned, and reckon it, the enormous quantities in which He has provided it in all waters of the earth would seem to prove. The cheaper kinds are often better food than the most costly; and when properly cooked may be made most palatable. Fish is best when fresh from the water. Who that has eaten mackerel, herrings, salmon, whitings newly caught, or perch, pickerel, or trout, that have made, so to say, but a spring from lake, river or brook to broiler, or frying-pan, but would enthusiastically endorse that dictum? A salmon dressed so soon as captured is not oily, the curd between the flakes not having had time to melt. Cod is not injured by a brief keeping if a little salt be rubbed along the inside of the back-bone. Fish, when fresh, are firm, yet elastic to the touch, the gills red, the eyes full, the smell only "fishy," not ancient. Eels should be briskly alive when bought. The fresh oyster closes forcibly on the opening knife; the fresh clam will not allow liberties to be taken with his unattractive head; the quahaug, or ground clam, in good condition, resents the opening knife like the oyster. Lobsters, if bought alive, are chosen for their weight and pugnacity. When coral is desired, the hen lobster is purchased; but the male is better eating. Freshly-boiled lobsters, crabs, and shrimps, are stiff; if relaxed and watery, pass them by.

If the fishmonger does not dress the fish, it must first be scraped free of scales, then carefully cleaned inwardly, cutting the fish open some distance below the vent, and being particular that no blood be left clotted about the back-bone. Handle the fish as little as possible, and wash it just enough for cleanliness, not leaving it to soak in the water, and dry carefully with a towel. Some fresh water fish have an earthy taste; these may be left for a time in salt and water, which will remove the objectionable flavors. In soaking salt fish to freshen it, the skin side should lie uppermost in water.

The vessels in which fish are cooked must be perfectly clean, and they must be freed from all smell of fish after

WHOLE No 127.

using. Some fashions of cooking fish require the bain marie, an oblong vessel made for the purpose; but a jar or crock set into a saucepan of boiling water will serve the same purpose, which is to keep the cooking article, or compound, at simmering point without burning.

Put fish to be boiled into boiling water, but do not drown it. Water to cover the fish is sufficient; it should be generously salted, and have a strong dash of vinegar. French cooks in France very commonly boil fish in white wine. The fish is boiled enough when its thickest part will separate readily from the bone. So do not allow it, then, to remain another moment in the water. The proper fish-kettle has a false, perforated bottom, with handles, by means of which the fish is lifted out without breaking.

Marinade is a flavored broth in which fish may be stewed or boiled, and it has the advantage of making a tasteful dish of a comparatively poor, flavorless fish.

Marinade.

To prepare it, cut up a carrot, a large onion, two small shalots, and half a clove of garlic, if obtainable, and put these into the stewpan with a couple ounces of butter, a bunch of parsley and other sweet herbs, and let all brown lightly. Add gradually a pint of home-made wine or cider, or cheap foreign wine, and then a heap

ing tablespoonful of salt, one dozen peppercorns, six allspice, and

two cloves. Simmer one and a half hours and strain. Let the fish which is to be cooked in it stew very gently, and if the marinade is boiled and strained after using it will serve again and again, adding, each time, a little water. If put by for days it had best be tightly screwed in a jar. To cook a large fish in a marinade it must be cut into thick slices.

To broil fish the fire should be clear, but not furious, and the gridiron bars should be rubbed with suet or a little salad oil. Nothing is so nice for frying fish as this same salad oil, in a deep kettle, a supply as generous as the hot lard used both for frying doughnuts and fritters. It should be heated smoking hot, and with a little care in pouring off clear from crumbs and sediment, may be used over and over again. For frying, whole fish may be rolled in flour, in cracker dust or Indian meal; slices of fish are best dipped in thin batterone egg beaten until it froths, just flour enough to make the batter adhere to the fish when dipped into it. Salt and pepper to taste, and a dust of mace, if the flavor is liked.

Baked fish may be stuffed with plain dressing, or the fish spread open, and covered with the dressing put on as a top layer. Put a little water in the pan, butter, pepper and salt. Baste while baking. Time, about fifteen minutes to the pound. Scalloped fish, or fish remnants warmed over in various ways are almost more appetizing than at their first appearance. Any cold fish may be scalloped. Divide it into flakes, roll them over in the melted butter, thickened cream, and flavor to taste with salt, white or cayenne pepper, minced herbs, a pinch of mace, or grated lemon zest. Pack the fish on a bed of fine bread crumbs, either in a deep pie plate, or the regular scalloped dishes, cover with more bread crumbs, lay bits of butter over the surface, and bake until brown. Mashed

potato may vary the bread crumbs, and tomato sauce be used for a seasoning. In New England, at least, cod and haddock may be said to be the stand-by fishes. The cod has white stripes, the haddock black; the cod is best for boiling, or chowder, the haddock for baking, broiling or frying. The head and shoulders of the cod are considered the choice for eating, but the prudent buyer chooses a cut from the middle of the body, where the fish is large. To boil cod, see that the fish is scrupulously clean; put it into the kettle with cold, well-salted water-or warm, but not boiling water. carefully, and boil gently twenty minutes for moderate-sized fish. Drain, send to table on a hot napkin, and serve with melted butter, oyster or Hollandaise sauce, or with either of the following sauces.

Cream Sauce.

Skin

Melt two ounces of butter in a small stewpan, add a little lemon juice, pepper and salt, and the beaten yolks of two eggs. Stir till it begins to thicken, then stir it quickly into half a pint of drawn butter.

Gherkin Sauce.

Mix smoothly one tablespoonful of water with one teaspoonful of flour, and put it into a saucepan with two ounces of butter, a little salt, some chopped gherkins, or pickled nasturtium seeds. Simmer till it thickens, stirring it constantly.

White Sauce.

Thicken half a pint of cream with a teaspoonful-rounded-of flour, add about two ounces of butter, two chopped young onionsfour shalots instead, if you have them-a little minced or grated lemon peel, and a dust of white pepper; boil, and just before serving add the well beaten yolk of an egg, a spoonful of white wine, and two spoonfuls of lemon juice.

The addition of the yolk of an egg, a spoonful of horseradish vinegar, or of soy, or walnut catsup to ordinary drawn butter makes a good fish sauce. Where much fish is cooked a fish stock should be made by stewing down bones, fins, etc., in the water in which fish has been boiled. Add an onion, a little thyme, summer savory, or a bay leaf to the stew. Strain, when done, and thicken with egg, cream, flour, roux, and add butter. Any flavoring liked may be added to this, and it not only is an excellent, rich gravy to serve with boiled or baked fish, or fish rissoles, but is just what is needed to mix with remnants of fish for re-warming, or re-serving in some tasteful fashion. Several very appetizing réchauffés are made of boiled cod. For one, remove the skin and bones from the cod, and break it into flakes. Strew the bottom of a deep pie-plate earthen - with finely chopped parsley, shalots, chives or young onions, add a little grated lemon peel, salt, pepper, two tablespoonfuls of cream or good salad oil and a little bit of butter. Arrange the fish flakes over this, repeat the seasoning, lightly cover with fine bread crumbs and bake brown. Serve very hot with slices of lemon. Another is Curried Cod.

For one pound of fish, free from skin and bones, take two ounces of butter, one ounce of curry powder, six ounces of finely chopped onions, and salt to taste. Melt the butter, add salt, onions and powder, and boil thoroughly, else the curry powder will taste raw. Put in the cod broken into large flakes; cook briskly for five minutes, stirring constantly. If the curry seems too dry when the fish is added, pour in a little milk, just enough to moisten it, but not to make it sloppy. Pile the curry high in a hot dish, with border of boiled rice. To boil rice for curry, wash the rice well, soak it for half an hour in warm water, then put it into a stewpan nearly filled with boiling water. Boil sharply for a quarter of an hour, drain off the water very dry, cover rice with a coarse cloth and let it stand near the fire till wanted,-half an hour at least. Take it out of the stewpan with a fork, and pile very lightly in the dish in which it is to go to the table.

Another savory réchauffé is

Fish and Macaroni.

For this, cod, or any white boiled fish, serves. Break pipe macaroni into short lengths, drop into salted boiling water and boil till

tender, but firm to the touch. Drain, and mix with an equal quantity of flaked fish. Put into a saucepan two ounces of butter, a little lemon juice, pepper and salt, add the yolks of two eggs. When quite smooth, stir in thoroughly one-half pint of drawn butter, then put in the fish and macaroni, and heat it thoroughly in the sauce. Pour it into a pudding-dish, keeping it heaped high in the center, cover it lightly with fine bread crumbs, and brown it delicately in the oven, or with a salamander, or a hot shovel.

For breakfast a good réchauffé is

Kedgeree.

For this any delicate white fish serves. Boil, as for curry, a teacupful of rice. Mix two ounces of butter with the hot, drained rice, then stir in the fish, flaked, seasoning with salt, white pepper and a little cayenne. Stir over the fire till very hot, then quickly add two beaten eggs, which must not boil, and serve at once. Fish Rissoles.

These may be made of cod, or any cold fish. Pick the bits fine with two forks. To a breakfast cupful of fish, add one heaped tablespoonful of bread-crumbs, one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a little chopped lemon thyme, a little grated lemon peel, pepper and salt to taste, and one ounce of butter. An egg may be added at pleasure. Mould into small flat cakes, fry a light brown in smoking hot fat, and serve with any preferred fish sauce poured round them in the dish.

Fish and Rice Croquettes.

To one breakfast cupful of any remnants of fish add two or three tablespoonfuls of boiled rice, a little onion chopped and fried, one ounce of butter, a little sugar, pepper and salt to taste, a grating of nutmeg, and a few bread crumbs. Warm, mix well with one or two yolks of eggs, make up into balls, fry brown, and serve with mashed potatoes.

SALT COD.

Salt cod is perhaps most acceptably served in three ways— boiled, broiled, and fried in cakes, or balls. In the writers' household, from time immemorial, a relished dinner has been boiled, floury potatoes, codfish soaked in one or two waters, according to its saltness, a long forenoon on the back part of the stove, brought, finally to the boiling point, left for a moment, then drained, and served with potatoes round the edge of the dish. To accompany this a thick cream sauce, with an egg hard-boiled and chopped within it, or drawn butter with pickled nasturtiums, is made ready, and boiled beets, sliced, buttered while hot, sugared slightly, and then covered with vinegar.

Broiled Salt Codfish.

This is keenly appreciated sometimes by a capricious or a convalescing appetite. To prepare it take a piece of the thickest part of the fish and soak it twenty-four hours. Remove the bones then so far as can be and leave the fish in good-sized flakes, and broil in the frying pan slightly buttered. Brown both sides, then add a small teacupful of real, or mock cream, a tablespoonful of butter, a little white pepper, and let it stew gently for a few moments. Send to table with baked potatoes, and the bread to be eaten with it should be of unbolted wheat meal, or the simple, unmatchable Rhode Island johnny-cake.

FISH-BALLS.

It is perhaps needless to give a recipe for fish-balls as several good ones have lately appeared in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. The writer prefers an egg used in mixing them, and they are prettier to be shaped not larger than an English walnut. Smoking hot fat to drop them into is their supreme requisite. If it is of the right temperature they will be so dry as not to need draining. At a very elegant table in Newport last summer some perfectly browned tiny balls were served. Their looks were irresistible, but on pressing the fork on one, to break it apart, at least a tablespoonful of fat flowed all over the plate.

Baked Fish.

Haddock, blue-fish, and black-fish are best baked. Stuff the fish, sew it up, rub a little salt over it, dredge well with flour and put some butter in the bake-pan. Baste frequently, and dredge

Herrings and mackerel are very good baked to be eaten cold. They must be washed, boned, and the heads cut off. Mix, on a large plate, a good supply of salt, black pepper, a little cayenne and allspice. Press the inside of the herring on this mixture, roll up the fish, and tie with twine. Pack the fish in an earthen jar, with a few bay leaves, fill the jar with vinegar, and bake in a slow oven. These will keep some days if covered. Broiled Fish.

Mackerel and shad are at their best broiled, and, perhaps, too, trout and perch. Clean, wash, wipe dry, split, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil over a clear fire. Either shad or mackerel is good broiled whole. The shad should be stuffed, or filled with its own roe; the mackerel have a deep cut made on either side the back bone, at a half inch distance from it, and the whole length of the fish. Into the cuts put, with a feather, a little cayenne mixed with salt. Wrap in thickly buttered writing paper, twisting the ends, and broil over a moderate fire,-the shad one hour, the mackerel half an hour. Serve the shad with caper sauce, or drawn butter to which has been added a little cayenne and lemon juice. Sea bass and halibut, good in any way, are perhaps oftenest treated as a pan fish;" that is to say, dipped in sifted meal, strewn with salt, and fried brown in the hot fat where salt pork has been fried. The bass is, of course, whole; the halibut in thick steaks, or cut in pieces about three inches

square.

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Smelts, also, are a pan fish." They should be dredged with flour, fried in salad oil, drained, piled high on a hot napkin, garnished with parsley, and sent to table very hot. To be eaten with lemon juice.

The head and shoulders of salmon are cheaper than the middle cut, and very excellent eating boiled, and served with white or Hollandaise sauce, or sliced and broiled, and served with any salad in season. Halibut neck, too, is good broiled, buttered, salted, peppered, and sent to table with lemon juice, or dressed fresh tomatoes. Left over bits of fresh salmon, or canned salmon may be served with lettuce and mayonnaise dressing, or scallops.

Halibut, haddock, bass, any of the firm-fleshed fishes, make excellent chowder. Butter may be used in place of pork for the chowder, and onions omitted if onions are disliked. Fish Chowder.

The ordinary chowder is made by slicing, say, a half pound of fresh pork and frying it in a chowder kettle. Remove the pork, put in a plate upside down to prevent burning, and arrange, in layers, sliced raw potatoes, onions, and fish, or chopped hard-shell clams, seasoning with salt and pepper, and covering with water. Boil until onions and potatoes are thoroughly cooked. A little while before it is done, add pilot crackers. Some add chopped parsley, sliced tomatoes, wine, milk, and thicken with flour, but these are considered very heterodox innovations in regions where the chowder is indigenous.

DRIED SALMON.

This makes a nice relish, or even, served with egg sauce and mashed potatoes, a good dinner dish. Cut in pieces, twist in oiled writing paper, and just warm thoroughly through upon a broiler. Or it may be soaked, and boiled

like fresh fish.

SHELL FISH.

As for the dainty dishes that may be made with shell fish of all kinds, surely, their name is legion. Fortunately some of the very best of these, even from an epicure's point of view, oysters roasted, broiled, steamed, panned, clams roasted and boiled, are best also in a sanitary sense.

Roasted Oysters.

These should be served on the deep half-shell, with accompanying salt, pepper, slices of lemon and thin brown bread and butter. And both roasted and broiled oysters are best eaten in the room in which they are cooked.

It seems superfluous to give recipes for boiling, roasting or

Preliminary: Have some toast nicely made, the oysters drained and freed from any suspicion of a bit of shell. For a solid pint of oysters put two rounding tablespoonfuls of butter in a stewpan, and let it begin to brown over a hot fire. Then put in the dry oysters, and stir until their edges begin to curl. Add a wine-glassful of Madeira (may be omitted), pour over the toast and serve instantly.

Fried oysters are wicked things, and stewed ones tolerably indigestible, but here is a recipe for a palatable, and innocent as may be, oyster stew.

Stewed Oysters.

Allow ten oysters, good size, to each person. Put the liquor (a teacupful for three) in a stewpan, one-half teacupful of water, a little salt, pepper, and a teaspoonful of powdered cracker for each person. Boil, and the moment it boils pour in the oysters. The instant these begin to boil, count thirty seconds, and remove from the fire. In the tureen have cream or milk, a tablespoonful for each person, pour the oysters in, stir, and serve at once.

BROILED OR STEAMED OYSTERS.

These are very nice, put upon buttered toast, lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper, cup of hot, rich cream poured over, and kept hot until the moment of serving.

Oyster Patties.

Beard two dozen oysters, boil the beards in water, remove when the goodness is extracted, put in the oysters (cut each in three pieces), two ounces of butter, a wine-glassful of cream, a little grated lemon peel, salt, cayenne and white pepper; boil five minutes, take off from the fire and add one teaspoonful of lemon juice. Line some small patty-pans with puff paste, put into each a bit of bread, cover with paste and bake light brown. When done, take a thin slice of paste from the top, with a teaspoon scoop out the bread and inner paste, leaving a shell, and fill with the oyster mixture.

ABOUT CLAMS.

Roast clams are only to be tasted in ideal goodness at the seaside bake, or Squantum. Clam soup is so digestible and so tempting to a capricious appetite that a recipe must be given.

Clam Soup.

Chop the clams, strain the liquor and add to the meat, adding one quart of water to every dozen large plump clams. Let the whole simmer, but not boil, for one and a half hours. By this time it should resemble a thick broth. Season to taste with butter, salt and pepper, pour in a tureen, and send to table with dice of thoroughly toasted, buttered bread. Clam Fritters.

Cut the clams, if large, stir them into a batter made of half a pint of flour, one gill of milk, one-half gill of clam liquor and one egg. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into boiling lard, turning them while cooking.

LOBSTERS.

The somewhat ill-famed lobster is oftenest served in salad, which hardly needs a recipe, but lobster croquettes are only less good than those of chicken.

Lobster Croquettes.

Take the meat from the shell, chop fine, mix with a little salt, pepper and powdered mace. Add to the meat one-fourth as much bread crumbs, make it up into balls with melted butter, brush the balls with yolk of egg, roll lightly in crumbs, and fry. Serve with gravy, or, if dry, with parsley garnish.

CRABS.

The crab is both more digestible and of more delicate flavor than the lobster. It requires a little longer boiling than the lobster. Here is a very nice dish of Stuffed Crab.

Boil the crabs, carefully keeping the shell whole, rub the meat fine with salad oil, add one-fourth fine bread crumbs, a little