ER.

Lyndsay had some literary friends in Edinburgh, whose kindly intercourse
greatly enhanced the pleasure of a month's residence near the metropolis
of Scotland. The foremost among these was M----, the poet, who, like
Lyndsay, was a native of the Orkney Islands. Having been entertained at
the house of this gentleman, he naturally wished to return his courtesy.

"Flora," said he, addressing his wife, the day after their visit to the
Greggs, "do you think you could manage a dinner for a few friends?"

Flora dropped her work, and opened her eyes in blank dismay at the very
idea of such a thing.

"What, in these poor lodgings? and Mrs. Waddel such an impracticable,
helpless old body? My dear John, it is impossible!"

Now, Lyndsay had set his heart upon the dinner, which he thought not
only very possible, but could see no difficulty at all about it. Men
never look behind the scenes, or consider the minor details of such
things; and on these trifling items, in their eyes, the real success or
failure of most domestic arrangements depend. But Flora had been behind
the scenes, and knew all about it, to her cost, for it was with the
greatest difficulty she could prevail upon Mrs. Waddel to cook the
plainest food. Mrs. Waddel declared she could "na fash hersel about;
that dainties were a' verra weel, but the meat ate jest as sweet without
them." The idea of such a tardy mistress of the kitchen cooking a dinner
for company, appeared perfectly ridiculous to Flora, who knew that any
attempt of the kind must end in mortification and disappointment.

"Flora," said Lyndsay, quite seriously, "I am certain that you could
manage it quite well, if you would only make the trial."

"It is from no unwillingness on my part that I object to your
entertaining your friends. But there is but one cooking range in the
house, and that one small and inconvenient, and I fear the cooking
utensils are limited to the dimensions of the fire."

"There is a large fireplace in our bed-chamber, Flora," said Lyndsay,
unwilling to beat a retreat.

"True," replied Flora, musingly; "I did not think of that. It would do
that damp, cold room good to get a fire lighted in it."

Seeing her husband determined upon the dinner, she began to question him
as to the items of the entertainment.

"Oh, nothing particular, dear. M---- knows that we are in lodgings, and
can't manage as well as if we were in a house of our own. A nice cut of
fresh salmon, which is