The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-12
BIDDY O'FLANNIGAN AS A COOK.

Cook" DR.. Dio Lewis touches upon a subject
of the greatest Importance to every ono of ua,
man, woman, and child. 1t is that of entrust-
ing the preparation of our food, which is to
form the brain, bones, and muscles for ourselves
and our children, to an ignorant Irish woman
who, perhaps, u month ago was living in
mud but on q diet of potatoes, whilst at the
same time we are so particular to employ the
best tailor for ourselves the best milliner and
mantua maker for our wives, and the best care
for our horses. But let the doctor speak
for himself - Deacon W, residing
six miles out of Boston, quarrelled
and parted with his cook and coachman on the
fifth of July. They returned from Boston late
on the evening of the fourth, little too patri-
otic for practical purposes, and the result was
that on the morning of the fifth they were
sent off. a.
Mr.. W, being an invalid, was in great
distress, as she expected company, while the
deacon was very, very sorry about his horses.
But he hurried in after breakfast, put an adver-
tisement in three papers, with directions to call
at his Office in Kilhy street. The next morning
they began to come. The deacon understands
the necessity of good hostler, and asked GER
tain questions of every man who applied for the
position OF coachman:-
''How often do you think horses should be
fe1? WHAT do you think is the best food?
s ould it be given whole ground When
should hly be given? Should it be fed from a
rack from trough When should the
horses be watcred Should they be allowed to
drink all they want, etc, etc. The deacon had
determined that he would not be humbugged.
He knew that if his horses were TO flourish, the
man having charge of them must be intelligent
and understand the business of feeding driving,
aud taking care of them. The deacon asked
many questions about the use of the curry
comb, brush, blanket, ETC., etc. Nearly thirty
men called before he found one that suited him.
After receiving satisfactory answers to his many
questions, and examining the mans ''characo
ter" he concluded, with some msgivings, to
engage him. The wages were thirty.ive dollars
per month. He cared little what price he paid
SO he got man who could fill the bill.
The deacon engaged the secood girl that ap-
piled for he position of cook The first one was
evidently Incorporate. The second one was
quite young but clean and healthy. He asked
her if she could do plain cooking? She replied,
'Bedad, and it's meself that can do that same ~
The deacon wished to see her character"
which, although written by an unknown party,
stated that she was honest, a good plain cook,
with but little experience. The deacon said that
would.do- simply cook they wanted.
30 after agreeing upon three dollars week, he
gave her car ticket and a card with the direc-
tions, and forwarded her to madame, that the
machinery of the country home might be set in
motion. The deacon has four children depen-
dent with himself aud his wife, upon the cook
for health OF brain and mind. This ignorant
Irish girl, without experience, was given unre-
strained, unlooked-after charge of the prepara-
tion of all the food for the family. The health,
the happiness of the group, were made to hinge
upon Biddys skill in cooking.
Wnen the Deacon returned ia the evening he
l,.1c-
month looked after his horses more or less every
day, lest Thomas skill should not fully meet
the necessities of the case.
But no one seemed to doubt that Biddy would
be able to prepare the food all right for the
family.
There is no doubt that the best cooking re-
ouires rare skill. One woman takes from GER
tain barrel, -four; from a certain other barrel
potatoes; and from table, piece of beef
| Another woman takes the same things. Each
/ proceeds to prepare dinner for ten persons
In one case the food is delicious easily digested
and gives health and strength; in the other the
food is not palatable it is very difficult to di-
gest, and, instead of giving health and strength,
produces an attack of dyspepsia. Among cooks
one in ten may be ranked as good; the other
nine are bad or Indifferent.
If we had schools for instruction in cookery
and all the aspirants to the profession were
obliged to earn diplomas, nine in ten of the
cooks would be good ones. The Irish brain is
not particularly susceptible to the patience re-
quired in the best cooking. Bat while man
insists upon the best tailor in town, upon the
best upholsterer, the best dressmaker, the finest
church, school, actor, and artist, and would
laugh at the idea of green Irlshman in any of
them, he goes to an Intelligence Office, picks up
fresh caught Irish girl, and hires her to per-
form services more Important than all of these
put together-I mean more important to the
happiness of himself and his loved ones.
For the present the most feasible means is to
do what several towns are already doing, VIII
Join in a cooperative Kitchen in which, by the
best skil food may be cooked for the whole
town, and in those little tin boxes now so much
used for transporting soups aud hot meats,
everything may be delivered at the farthest
house in town as hot as in a room next TO the
kitchen. This, if we make up our minds to it, is
altogether the cheapest, most satisfactory, and
healtbful.
/ should not so much object to employing
Bridget to make dress for my wife, to teach
the piano, or to do any other similar service, if
we were hard pushed, but protest that igno-
rance and stupidity shall not rule in the kitchen.
The physical, intellectual and moral life of the
household rests upon the kitchen, almost to the
same extent that a building rests upon its foun-
dation. In the kitchen, if nowhere else, we must
have judgment and skill.
Two things must be done If We continue to
i've in this isolated WY each family running a
kitcheo for itself: we must establish schools for