THE BLACK-FIS H. 



185 



"Thou hast it, my choice Mary! The small, deep stew- 

 pan with its thin cullender or strainer, on which the fish is 

 to be lowered to the bottom, that it may, when stewed into 

 soft delight, be gently raised again, without injuring its integ- 

 rity of form glows with brightness in front of thee ! Thy 

 vigorous arm of mottled red, thy round wrist, and small 

 compact fingers grasp the sharp pointed knife with which to 

 satisfy thyself that not one scale remains around the head, the 

 fins, the tail. 



" Now tail and fins are nicely shortened in their termina- 

 tion, not hacked off. A little salt is thrown over the fish, 

 merely to harden and not salt it, and it lies two hours for 

 this purpose. It is then scored, that it may not break when 

 it swells, and browned well upon the gridiron : from which 

 it is carefully taken up, and laid to repose upon a bed of 

 nicely peeled and very fresh mushrooms, daintly spread over 

 the strainer. 



" While the fish was hardening, Mary has had a commu- 

 nication from up stairs. An extra bottle of the Chateau of 

 twenty-five had been unavailingly opened the day before, to 

 tempt a total temperance friend who had arrived from the 

 country. Good part of it remains, and at this moment it is 

 decanted into the stew-pan ; the freighted strainer descends 

 into the wine ; and the fish, entirely immersed in the ame- 

 thystine element, regrets no more its loss of life, of liberty, 

 and youth. A white onion or two is sliced into rings, that 

 fall as decorations over him ; a few berries of pepper thrown 

 in ; six cloves ; two blades of mace ; an echalot, if you think 

 proper ; and cayenne or not, according to your taste. The 

 stew-pan is then covered, and a careful, slow, epicurean sim- 

 mer completes the work." 



