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153 
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SAVED BY GOOD COOKERY. 
Careme was the most famous of French cooks, and 
many curious anecdotes are told of him. 
One day he was sauntering along the 
quays of Paris, dreaming of some new 
dish, when his attention was suddenly 
arrested by a middle-aged woman who 
was crying bitterly at the 
door of a wine-shop. Ca¬ 
reme kindly asked: 
“What is the matter, / 
my good woman. Can I 
do anything 
for you ?” 
“Thank 
you, sir; but 
if 1 cry it is 
because no 
one can help 
me. My hus¬ 
band, who is 
a first rate 
s i 1 v ersmith, 
spends all he 
earns in that 
abominable 
tavern, and 
leaves me to 
starve with 
my two chil¬ 
dren.” 
“ He is too 
fond of good 
fare, then*?” 
“Ah, if he 
were half as 
fond of his 
work, we’d be 
well off.” 
“Yet, al¬ 
though he is 
a man of 
taste, you 
condemn him 
to eat boiled 
beef every 
day.” 
“Eh? Who 
told you 
that?” asked 
the woman 
with a look of 
Next morning Careme paid the promised visit, and 
found the workman in bed. 
“Sir,” said he, “I have heard of your talent as a 
chaser, and I have brought you this silver cup, which 
requires to be repaired. Though the task is a difficult 
PI i 
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life 
in 
fe¬ 
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surprise. V:-: 
“ I guess it,” replied ■< 
Careme. “ No man cares 
to go abroad for a bad 
meal if his wife can cook 
a good one. If you will listen to me, 
I’ll teach you how you can keep your 
husband at home. Where do you 
live ? ” 
“No. 33 Royal street.” 
“ Aud what is your husband’s name ?” 
“ Wagner.” 
“Very well. Take these five francs, and purchase 
some charcoal. To-morrow morning you’ll receive a 
basketful of provisions, lay them out in the kitchen 
and wait till I call, for I intend to do the cooking 
myself.” 
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bring me an apron. We’ll begin with the wood¬ 
cock.” 
Careme distinguished himself, and the meal was 
worthy of Talleyrand himself. Wagner, who was a 
real gourmet, had never tasted such fare. 
“ Why,” he exclaimed, “ Careme himself could not 
prepare a woodcock in better style!” 
“Thank you for the compliment; I 
am Careme,” replied the cook. “ With 
your permission I’ll come back this day 
week, and if my cup is ready, we’ll try a 
wild duck. In the mean¬ 
time your wife, to whom I 
have already given some 
good advice, will pay more 
attention to her culinary 
duties.” 
Careme, at 
his next visit, 
found his 
tankard ad¬ 
mirably re¬ 
paired. The 
\ wild duck 
\ was eaten and 
found more 
delicious than 
the wood¬ 
cock. Mad¬ 
am Wagner 
quickly learn¬ 
ed how to 
prepare more 
tempting food 
than boiled 
beef; her 
husband 
ceased to visit 
his favorite 
tavern and 
became an 
artist instead 
of a common 
workman. 
One morn¬ 
ing Careme 
received a 
box w li i c h 
contained a 
silver wood¬ 
cock, admir¬ 
ably carved 
and bearing- 
on its bill a 
small cup, 
with the fol¬ 
io 
wmi: 
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lowing inscription: 
“To Careme, from a 
friend who was saved by 
good cookery.” 
jlUlpf’ 
In Mischief. 
one, I know that I can safely entrust it to such an 
artist as you, and you can charge your own price. 
By the bye, I have invited myself to breakfast, as I 
want to show you that I too am an artist. Now, 
Madam Wagner, lead me into the kitchen, and 
A sudden gust of wind took a parasol 
from the hand of its owner, and a lively 
Irishman dropping his hod of bricks 
caught the parachute. “ Faith, ma’am,” 
said he, “ if you were as strong as you 
are handsome, it would not have got 
away from you.” “ Which shall I thank 
you for first, the service or the compliment ?” asked 
the lady smilingly. “ Troth, ma’am,” said Pat, again 
touching the place where once stood the brim of what 
was once a beaver, “ that look of your beautiful eye 
thanked me for both.” 
