“How thus?” I delay.
“Because so,” say Sago. “Them Declamation pronounce ‘All persons is crated free & equal.’ That are nice maxim for school-houses, city halls, grocery stores & other patriotick edifices; but it ain’t no good maxim for put over kitchen stove. Each Household Lady what require to keep Hon. Cook in kitchen must keep pretty silent about Hon. Declamation of Independence, or Hon. Cook might get suspicious that there is one.
“Suppose that Hon. Cook should see such a Declamation while she was setting down to skin hon. potatoes for lunching. While there she hear Hon. Mrs. from parlour-room play tune of ‘Jolly Widow’ in key of piano. Of suddenly Hon. Cook drop pair-knife with immediate brain-thought.
“‘Sake of!’ she decry. ‘If all persons is crated free & equal, why to skin potatoe? No person what is free & equal ever skin a potatoe. Therefore not.’
“Silence from kitchen, then. Pretty soonly it are 1.30 of clock-time and Hon. Mr. Phillup retire home from paint-works enjoying faintness.
“‘Hon. Mrs.’ he say-so to female wife, ‘where is them lunch to eat it?’
“‘I will seen about,’ say Hon. Mrs. from piano play. So she go kitchen expressing angry rage by feet. There she find Hon. Cook wearing Jolly Widow headware & setting on valise meaning good-bye.
“‘Bertha, kindly please, where is them lunch to cook it?’ she deserve.
“‘Can not do, thank you,’ deliver that Hon. Cook. ‘I are crated free & equal. Also dam gas-range enjoy large leak. Therefore I am delight to tell you farewell because I am a decent average girl.’
“That Bertha then depart from kitchen taking part of it with her,” say Sago.