n those others," she said, as she mixed
some fresh butter and added an extra quantity of yeast. "Keep them
warm while rising," the receipt read. She placed them near the
register near the dining-room and retired with a complacent feeling
that now all the conditions had been surely met.

"The total depravity of inanimate things." Mrs. Thorne had reason to
believe in that doctrine next morning, when she entered her
dining-room and found a small sea of batter on her carpet,
surrounding the pail and widening in all directions, though this
stuff could hardly be called "inanimate;" it oozed from under the
pail cover in a most animated manner.

"It is light, at least; that is one consolation." said Mrs. Thorne,
trying to be philosophical as she ruefully surveyed her carpet, then
hastily calling Joanna to clean it up--"Philip should not see that."
When the cakes were brought in this morning, Ruey cast a little
triumphant look at Philip. By dint of a hot griddle and much grease
they had a streak of brown here and there.

"Horrible!" exclaimed Mrs. Thorne, after her first mouthful; "these
cakes are sourer than vinegar." Philip should not be the first to
speak of any lack, as if she were not supposed to know more about
such matters than he. "What does ail them? I'm sure I made them
exactly right this time. I must tell Joanna to put some sugar in
them."

"My dear wife, if you will allow me, I would suggest soda instead of
sugar."

"Really!" responded Ruey, her pride touched in an instant--there it
was, he actually thought he knew more about cooking than she
did--"and pray how do you happen to be so wise? You must have
assisted your mother in the kitchen," she said, with a slight curl of
her pretty lip. "Up there in the country, boys do those things, I
suppose."

Philip was nettled. Ruey had cast little slurs on his country home
before, when she got her spirit up. He controlled himself, however,
only saying:

"I don't profess to understand the science of cookery, but I do know
a little chemistry, and understand that an acid requires an alkali to
neutralize it."

Mrs. Thorne went straight to the kitchen--shutting the door after her
with the least perceptible bang--and sprinkled a liberal allowance of
soda into the batter, and then returned to the dining-room to await
developments. These cakes were yellow and spotted, and savoured of
hot lye. Mr. Thorne went bravely through a few mouthfuls until he
encountered a lump of