The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-01

the face OF a dozen applicants during the FIRST
day. Her husband, as yesterdays "baked
meats did coldly furnish forth" the dinner-ta-
BILE, was surprised, but more amused at her
account of proceedings. He inquired If with
so many applications she did not consider her.
self as sufficiently Sought"
mot yet, she said. Il am little coy, as
you may remember. Do not come home to
dinner to morrow till seven O'clock" s
81 am all obedience. What ale YOU going
to do?" rrr--
Don't ask. And don't come to see. | am
not at home TO any callers. Like Mrs. Gar
gery,I am on rampage, and if you value
your peace, keep out OF it. Send up your
porter from the store, if you can spare him"
And verify she was on a rampage. With
supplementary force enlisted somewhere by
her day woman, she turned every dust-hole
on the premises inside out from attic to Gel
lar. Besoms. brooms, mops were the order
of the day. The kitchen department. harder
ID pantries were so turned up as they had
never been before. All the damaged, batter
ed, bruised, and dirty utensils were cast out
or distributed as perquisites to the women
who had ofliciated in the cleansing process;
and at five in the afternoon Mrs. ounSpriee
was ready 10 rest on her laureis. Ar the day
long the door-bel had jingled in VAN. The
rinoers who had an .'oifice" look about them
wese nermitted TO ring at their leisure, aud
| all Inc other applicants were turned ciYilly
swav. II was day OF triumph; and Mrs. Y.
! fell ike a heroic commander who has srs-
| tanned siege, and successfully repealed all at
tacks. a5as ls-s .aat iea
The dinner was a success. Ii was per-
feet treat for an epicsre, and her liege lord.
who had little weakness in that direction,
asked her how she contrived to get it up.
Il did not, she answered. 81 came from
the restaurant"
sGood again he shouted. "But can We
do this every day?'
"Wait and see. / am not done yet. You
are not to come tomorrow until seven again"
On the morrow Mrs. Youngbride made a
| sottie from her citadel, leaving her sister,
whose aid she had now secured, in charge OF
The garrison. She went to the Office ?"
| Not she. She went to kitchen furnishing
store and invested judicously in half hun
| dred OF those really ingenious contrivances
| which true housekeepers can make use Of
but rough Biddles only destroy. At an-early
hour they were all In place, and many of
| them were in operation. And at seven a
| little dinner was ready to which Lucuilus
| might have been invited. +s.4
Better and better." cried the husband
"Where did this dinner come from?
sour own Kitchen" she answered, "and
after dinner you shall have look at it,
"But you and vour sister do not really
| mean to turn cooks ?"
81 don't know. She could make better
wages at it than many well educated young
lady does at teaching; and a cooks wages
| and board together amount to a greater sum
annually than many parish pays its clergy
man. We might do great deal worse than
| turn cooks"
After dinner they adjourned TO the kitch-
en-. A nice new oil-cloth was on the floor !;
bright tins and other utensils, and every pos
| sible convenience which ingenuity could de-
wise were in place. "Upon my word,' said
Mr.. T., lighting his cigar, and taking chair,
81 could toss you up supper here myself, fit
| for the Queens majesty. Will you have your
| oysters stewed, fried or roasted in the shell ?''
"You get up supper. said his wife, laugh
ing. evees sIA
"Yes, indeed. Did not graduate at Yale !?
| And didn't we have nice little suppers there
| Suppers they were. too, got up under diff
| culties; and here you have all the modern
| improvements, and more too. think will
| get up the breakfast tomorrow morning. at
any rate" ..ssz.-s.g..s =. n
| keeping was a rare frolic for two or three
| days longer. Then Mrs. Y. announced that
her new servant was coming, and that Mr.
| Y must keep out of the kitchen.
Zone only?s he asked. you discharged
three.a
'Yes, and the best days work in house
| keeping that ever did. i won't take three
| oyergrown creatures into my house again to
overturn my new Kitchen furniture. l shall
sake one at a time, and break her in."
The one, when she came, was halt-grown
girl, who was glad of home, and knew how
| to prize it. Mrs. Y. was head and eyes to
| her, and the small servant was only hands
| and feet Breakfast and tea were easy
enough. Bread came from the bakers, and
| about every other day, dinner from the res
taurant. And when Mrs Y. gave an enter
tainnlent, it came from the same place, SER
| wants and all.
In few weeks another young girl was
| taken on trial, and was made to understand
that she was the junior. The two, kept dis.
| tinct asto their duties, worked well together
| To make a long story short Mrs. Yonngbride
herself overseeing everything, soon had a
| trio of competent, respectful young girls at
work. Not the least of their wages was the
| instruction they received. When any cause
removed one from her service she supplied
| her place with another, training them all, like
| the members OF French theatrical company,
| to do what they were told.
Her household moves like clock-work. She
| has asserted her independence of the "office,"
and maintains it. When she happens to get
| herself into a temporary dilemma, she can
help herself, or find help, without any Diff
| Guilty. There are always In cities women
ready to do days turn, and glad of the
chance, if you will be charitable enough to
seek them out, and keep them in mind.
l. Never again, Mrs. Y. protests, Will she sub
NIT TO the impel Thence Of protested cook,
in small family, while there is a restaurant
| left il. the city; never will she be broWbeaten
By lalmdress while there are poor women
eady to take her work. home; Inever eucom-
| ter the assurance OF tharkless strangers,
while she can find poor young girls who are
glad to be taught in her kitchen. Her hus-
band says she is a true SISTER OF charity
domestic missionary" aud that her kitchen
is a training school of the very best kind.
She certainly accomplishes not a little good,
while she secures her own comfort and that
of her Observation-Disclosures Book.