New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-26
for erpstrstpg or ens'avirg the free cclored pops
lation of the South. All honor to both.

We have seldom initiated more wholesome agi.
taton than BY recent article on the average Fool
of our countrymen-or rather, their average Cook
cry. The multiplicity Of tho letters drawn out oy
that article. few of which we publish on another
pase. shows that we have probed tender spot.
We shall repeat the operation from time to time,
and hope thus to be instrumental! In working great
ard much. needed reform.
II would be provoking If ii were not amusing to
note how much ingenuity is shown in perverting
what we said. Thus one lady writes bOastingly Of
her Mix, Butter, fresh Vegetables, fresh Eggs, 6ne
Fruits, pure Water, and wonders how we can
pretend that city people have equally good. Why,
madam, we never thought of such thing You,
in the country, have incompsrably the best mate
rails from which to prepare food-nobody ever
doubted that; but il is the use you make Of those
materials that we criticised. Your table may be
model of good judgment and good cookery; We
know those that are; but this is BY no means the
general case On the contrary, we know some OF
the finest Fruit sections in our country in which
you viii not be offered particle Of fruit with
breakfast or dinner for at least pine months In each
year; salt pork, poor bread and muddy prepara-
ton that they call coffee, are the staple Of break
fast and the same minus the coffee and plus lot
Of watery potatoes are the substance Of most din
ners. Should not this be reformed It is far
dearer less nourishng, less palatable, less whole
some, than more varied, digestbIe and savory
fare.
Our young lades-there being no girls, now except
Irish-are educated to play the piano somehow, to
work supdy articles in embroidery or otherwise,
which we could not safely name and would prefer
not to Judge, and to imagine they know something
of the tloQies but their education for the manage
ment and overnight of household is sadly neglected
It is rather hard that young mechanic, with no
fortune but his hands, having just married vie,
should be compelled the next month to hire an Irish
Girl to cook his dinner; but that is often the case
Let family in the country be visited by sickness,
30 as absolutely to need feminine help, and if there
be not an Irish colony within easy reach, they must
suffer; for the great mass of our farmers daughters
are too proud, too ignorant, or too ndolent to do
homework, even for good pay. These be deplora-
bic TRUTHS it was not so in the days Of our grand
mothers; and it must be otherwise in the days Of
our children.
We might proceed with comments on the mis-
spprehensions and blunders Of our indignant Gull.
nary correspondents; but we will let their produce
tons serve ss critiques on each other. Once for
all, we repeat that the country people have far bot
ter materials for food than can be secured BY fam-
I.s - Eka c;rcuu skancpa in the cties-aud some
of them improve their advantages, but the great
majority do not. They ought to live much better
than they DO, considering the resources they have
from which to prepare their food. They ought to
battle far more than they do, and have better VEN
tilated aplrtments, especially sleepingrooms. Those
who are growing up to be farmers and mechanics
wives, ought to think nore, study more, and prac
tee more, with reference TO their prospective house.
hold duties, even though they should have to omit
their piano lessons and stay away from the dancing
sehooI to that end. There be sober truths, and
the best housewives know it. They may cavl at
some rather sweeping assertions in our first article
on this subject but the scope and drift Of that arti
Gle were right, and if our indignant correspondents
don's realize it, their husbands probably do. We
msy aggravate our original Ofsase by saying it, yet
We uiH say nevertheless, that the best housekeep-
ers in the country know that the average cookery
all around them 10 hideous,, and that, instead OF
scolding u.s. they approve Of most Of our strcture'
We apprehend that some Of our shrewish critics
coLfound abundance and variety Of food with gen
erous living. They could not make q graver mis-
take