312 THE COOKERY OF VENISON 



invidious reservations and smuggling away choice 

 morsels. He was supposed to act on Mr. Lowton's 

 maxim in ' Pickwick : ' ' Friendship is all very well, but 

 d n hurting yourself for anybody else.' More- 

 over when he was careless or incompetent, the guests 

 first served were sure to come best off. Perhaps, 

 when the party is small, and the plates are set on 

 spirit lamps, the fairest course would be that adopted 

 by Mr. Moulder in ' Orley Farm,' when distributing 

 his Christmas turkey. Mr. Moulder divided breast, 

 liver, stuffing, &c., into as many portions as there 

 were guests, and then dealt them out with judicial 

 impartiality. So would only unimpeachable justice 

 be done, and those heartburnings which play the 

 mischief with the palate would be avoided. 



Before railways had run the coaches off the road, 

 the Scotch forests were far removed from southern 

 dinner tables. But, by a beneficent arrangement of 

 Providence, venison may be kept with due care for a 

 fortnight or even three weeks. When it has been 

 hung in the larder the precautions are simple, 

 though close attention is needful. Cut out the pipe 

 running along the backbone, which is likely to taint, 

 and wipe away the mould which gathers on the surface 

 and in the folds of the meat. You may dust from 

 time to time with flour or pepper or pounded ginger. 



