New-York tribune., 1874-12-01
viii probably como when the courts will have the queS
ton pr0pOunded To them for solution. J. b.
Nee York, Nov. N 1874
| MRS. DIAZ'S "THE SCHOLARSHIPS
| TRUNRn
To tAe Editor OF The Tribune.
SIN:
When tho pie was opened.
The birds began 10 sing,
Wasn't this a dainty dish
To set before the king"

"When tho pie was opened.
The birds began 10 slug,
Wasn't this a dainty dish
To set before the king"
There have been blasts and counterblasts against
"pie" From Alcott down TO Do Lewis, relormers have
attacked ii from Josh Billings up to Charles Dudley
Warner humorists have caricatured IT. none SO deiy
as the last named adding delicousy to the recorded
atitudes of his country the NewEngland is0therma
pie line" But Mrs. Diaz has done better than them ALL
In her hands the pie" speaketh. II before the kings
of our American households there could be read this
first paper In the schOomaster's Trunk, doubt not
at least onehalf Of these households pie woud
be banished at and forever. When the man who
gives good advice gives 1t to WIN our
own laughter, he makes pretty sure or our TAKING IT,
This is the OF Mrs. Diaz's success In this tle
book The same odd pungent realistic humor which mas
made of "William Henry's freckes" established by
word among thousands OF people, has been here brought
TO bear on some vexed questions OF domestic
life Beginning with onslaught upon pie, the Schoo
master proceeds the discussion OF gtayer questions
all affecting the economy OF households ana or womehs
daily life 1t easy for captious critic to say
there IS not original new idea In the booK'
There is not Stripped Of Illustration and OF all that Is
dramatic In construction tho propositions that the
schoolmaster forth be very succncty stated
Perpetual pie is unwhoesome. troublesome, ana IA
guing to make. Women in average households are over
worked and obliged TO neglect their little children De-
minds run waste because OF the monotony and mar
| rowness OF this routine of hOusew0rk HouseworK
ought to be smpllci that mothers can have more
time; time for themselves, time for their children Men
are habualy ncOnsderate OF their wives needs IN the
way Of kind words, small helps and so forth There Is
injustice in the law which does not allow married
woman or a company OF married women to invest her
or their earnings In building and own IT, All thcsc
statements have become truisms. We have heard OF
little else for the past years. In certain quarters 10
tell the truth the accusations have become wcarisome
aud OF have almost begun to feel Ike the man
who carrying milk down the cellar stairs one day. ie
and nearly broke his neck and when his wife called out
from the top angrily:
"NOw, Mr.. Jones, yOu haint been ana Droke tha'
pitcher, have you 2" replied,
"No, haint; but will now!"
A thousand Psychologists and five thousand female
lecturers (Or do they lecturessesi or Is II ccturer
looms might have said all these things every day all
their lives and they would not have struck so answer
ing chord Mrs Daz does She does not trouble her
self or us with statistics distractions. She simply
creates tender hearted, sarcasctongued' keen-eyed
bachelor named him Henry McKmber, and sends him
TO teach a district school in the village OF Iweeht
There is great deal in names) Mr.. McKim3er takes
notes Of what he in the families Of Tweent Five
times in ten days he up against the bulwark Of
pies TO made when he proposes rides walks, books
10 be read magazine TO bc bscrbed to. to his over
worked landlady and her daughters The scene where
his Indignation at last bursts forth is as ue little bit
OF genre painting in dialogue as one often Sees Not
New-Engand-born but will laugh TIL tears come
over the truthfuneSs Of it,
ave can't afford to spent money on readin', he tMr.
FenncD answered., IN his usual drawng monotone.
Costs "A sight to i've Now, II didnt raise our own
pork. should be hard pushed to git shorth Tor our
such constant reiteration hld made me ,sperae. /
strobe 10 the doorway. "And why must We have pies"
demanded in tones OF smOthered lndignatiol. why
not bread and butter with fruits or sauce stciF way
not drop pies out OF tne world aioSetheff res uroP
Miss Martha was the first to from the shock of
along without pies, Mr.. McXtmber," she said ~
pie crust does make slave , 8i % wonth, & uni
I'M on your feet all the forenoon rolin' OF 1t on.
"Denno bout dom without pic' drlWle1 Mr' Eenne &
",Pears If bread N sarse ID be mighty poor sho" Tor
Twoad take OFF the heft Of the cooSin," said Mrs.
Fonncl, thoughtuliy; but" (Tth sIGhj You couldn't
satisfy the men folks"
Mr.. McKimber flies to his chamber in despair. and
gives vent his feelings in writing an Appeal to be
read at the Sewing Circle. Is first question is
"Can any tell who first Imprisoned our luscious
fruits in paste OF and nour baptized the thing
with fire and named !" Sure enough. Can any one
tei Would that knew, that his name might be llted
up 10 endless and iniamy.
Mr.. McKimDer's notes OF the conversation at the Sew
ing Circle one afternoon are SO iuimably e-ke that
great as my admiration for Mrs. Diaz creator Of
dramatic scenes, 1 strongly suspect her Of having
copied this conversation from some vertabe sewing cir
Gle hundred miles from Boston This is true also Of
the where y amy Joe tasks Mrs Laura elendy
for pair Of plntaoons to 10 poor boy. The ava
ricOus woman shaking out pair after pair or Old worn
trOwsers, and finding some good reason for keeping
each one-thc brown pair too short to be worn with
splicn' " the final discovery in the bundle-bag OF
bundle OF cloth put for that purpose and la
beled Ebridge's brown small 'gs pantioOns;' the ul
mate gilt declined by Nanny JOe) OF pair sun with
paint, which Mrs. Melendy had been "savn to braid"
but which, close examination, she decided were too
stiff TO be used for that purpose and last and best OF ALL
the throwing OF the :" brown snalegGrd pautalOous"
out OF the window at Nanny JOe feet by the ashamed
OF them the tnrtyyear-Old boy Elbrldge-all
these have been Ii studies Mems lack of cOnsid
Grafton their wives needs the way small heus
treated OF in chapter called &" kiDdlnE Wood" Mr.
McKImber taken notes OF n cOnyersa ion IN which
fortunes which had at one time and another beialcn
them because their husbands mad forgotten split up
the kindliug wood night"
"Aud now | think OF H." SAYS the SchoOlmlstcr "
wonder If there be not in the lives OF women
much green pine IL some husbands don't forget
the kindllng all the way through" Mrs Meendy said
that light wood would make the heavy wood 20
better. wonder II little lgnt wOOi now aud then
In the shape Of plea;urotrlp or Of books music,
ycncnce-, sets of furs. pretty Things IN tn house.
even OF an appreclatye or cOmmendatOry word would
not make ms heavy burden Of work 20 better"
| wonder too II. II.
Bethlehem, " H., Oct. IL, 1874.