"No dampers! Isn't that just like a girl!" he exclaimed. "See, here they are, tucked under the edge of the stove. You pull them out--so--and then you shut the draft at the top, opposite the coal, and open the one at the bottom, so the air will blow right up through the fire and make it go like everything. And you have to turn the dampers in the pipe, too, to let the heat go up the chimney." "Good!" said his mother. "I didn't know you knew so much about stoves. Now suppose you shake the fire down and put the coal on--that's a man's work." "All right," said Jack; "I don't mind things like that; but boys don't cook, you know." His mother put both hands over her ears. "Jack, if I hear you say that once more, I shall believe you are turning into a parrot! And you are all wrong, too, and some day I am going to give you some special lessons myself. But to-day you may just tend the fire and bring us things from the refrigerator as we need them, to save time. Now, Mildred, we will begin with the custards, because they must be nice and cold. Brownie, you bring the spoons and bowls and such things, and, Jack, you get the milk and eggs." BAKED CUSTARDS 1 quart of milk. Yolks of four eggs. 4 teaspoonfuls of sugar. 1/2 teaspoonful of vanilla. 1 pinch of salt. 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. Put the sugar in the milk; beat the eggs light, and add those, with salt and vanilla. Pour into the cups, sprinkle with nutmeg, and arrange the cups in a shallow pan. Bake half an hour, or till, when you put the blade of a knife in one, it comes out clean. It took just a few moments to make these, and then came the next rule: CURRANT CAKES 1/2 cup of butter. 1 cup of sugar. 1 cup of milk. 1 egg. 2 cups of flour. 2 rounded teaspoonfuls of baking-powder. 1/2 cup of currants. 1 teaspoonful of vanilla. Wash the currants and rub them dry in a towel. Put the flour in a bowl; take out a large tablespoonful and mix with the currants, and then mix the baking-powder with the rest of it. Rub the butter to a cream, add the sugar, then the milk, then the egg, beaten without separating, then the flour mixed with the baking-powder, then the flavoring, and, last, the currants. Grease some small tins, fill them half full, and bake in an oven not too hot. "You must always mix some flour with raisins or currants to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake; but do not add any to the rule--just take a little out from what you are going to use in the cake. Now, Jack, please get me two cans of salmon from the pantry and open them; and we will need butter and milk from the refrigerator, too. It's fine to have a 'handy man' around to help us cook! Now, Mildred, double this rule, because there will be so many at supper." SCALLOPED SALMON 1 good-sized can of salmon, or one pint of any cooked fish. 1 cup of white sauce. 1 cup of cracker crumbs.