"It seems hard, Mrs. Hunter, almost cruel, does it not?"--and here there was a lump in Lilian's throat. "It was his holiday, and he was going home to his mother and sweetheart, but God called him and he went straight to his Father's house instead. Perhaps there was work for him to do up there. Oh, we cannot tell, but God knows best, and he will be waiting there for you and Susie. You believe that, do you not, dear Mrs. Hunter?" And then she added solemnly, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." INVALID COOKERY. BEEF TEA. _Ingredients._--One pound of shin of beef, one pint of water, a little salt, a few drops of lemon juice. _Method._--Take away all skin and fat from the beef, and shred it finely, putting it as you do so into a jar with the water, lemon juice, and salt; put on the lid and let it stand half an hour; stand the jar on a dripping tin with cold water, and put it in the oven for two hours. Stir up, pour off against the lid and remove any fat with kitchen paper. QUICK BEEF TEA. _Ingredients._--Same as preceding. _Method._--Cut the meat up small and let it stand in the water twenty minutes; put in a saucepan and let it just heat through, pressing the pieces against the side with a wooden spoon. RAW BEEF TEA. _Ingredients._--Same as preceding. _Method._--Prepare as in the first recipe for beef tea; cover closely and let it stand for two hours; stir up and pour off. This must be made fresh often as it soon turns sour. STRENGTHENING BROTH. _Method._--Take equal quantities of beef, mutton, and veal, and prepare in the same way as ordinary beef tea. MUTTON BROTH. _Ingredients._--One pound of scrag of mutton, one pint of water, two ounces of pearl barley, salt, a blade of mace, a little chopped parsley. _Method._--Cut as much fat as possible from the meat; cut the meat up small and chop the bones; put the meat and bones in a saucepan with the water, mace, salt and barley, which should be blanched (see "Odds and Ends"). Put on the lid and simmer very gently for two hours. Stir up and pour off against the lid into a basin; stand in cold water in a larger basin for the fat to rise, skim well, re-heat and add a little chopped and blanched parsley. ESSENCE OF BEEF. _Ingredients._--One pound of shin of beef, two tablespoonfuls of water, a little salt, a few drops of lemon juice. _Method._--Scrape the meat, put it in a jar with the water, salt, and lemon juice; put on the lid and stand the jar in a saucepan of boiling water; let the water boil round it four hours. Stir up and pour off. RAW MEAT SANDWICHES. _Method._--Scrape a little raw beef finely and put a little piece in the middle of some tiny squares of thin bread, cover with other squares and press the edges tightly together with a knife so that the meat may not show. MEAT CUSTARD. _Ingredients._--One large egg, half a gill of beef tea. _Method._--Beat the egg and beef tea together and steam in a buttered teacup for twenty minutes.