"Great-uncle Jeremiah
King used to live where Uncle Roger lives now, when Grandfather
King was alive and Uncle Roger was a boy. In those days it was
thought rather coarse for a young lady to have too hearty an
appetite, and she was more admired if she was delicate about what
she ate. Cousin Annetta set out to be very refined indeed. She
pretended to have no appetite at all. One afternoon she was
invited to tea at Grandfather King's when they had some special
company--people from Charlottetown. Cousin Annetta said she could
hardly eat anything. 'You know, Uncle Abraham,' she said, in a
very affected, fine-young-lady voice, 'I really hardly eat enough
to keep a bird alive. Mother says she wonders how I continue to
exist.' And she picked and pecked until Grandfather King declared
he would like to throw something at her. After tea Cousin Annetta
went home, and just about dark Grandfather King went over to Uncle
Jeremiah's on an errand. As he passed the open, lighted pantry
window he happened to glance in, and what do you think he saw?
Delicate Cousin Annetta standing at the dresser, with a big loaf
of bread beside her and a big platterful of cold, boiled pork in
front of her; and Annetta was hacking off great chunks, like Dan
there, and gobbling them down as if she was starving.
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