The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-11-11
aadersau g,stelliseneer.
The Sorrows of Cooks Nowadays In
the Sunny South.
BY ONE OF 'E,l.

or OF underpald governesses; anu many
tears have been shed by gentle eyes over
the fictitious sorrows of fictitious Uncle
Toms, ETC., but you never see any men-
ton of the sorrows of cooks. l suppose
people think their sympathy would be
wasted, but I don't think so. Cooks
have never had full justice done to them,
and it is time that, amid the numerous
appeals of the day, their claims for SYM
pathy should be appreciated too.
The truth is, that it is most unsenti-
mental occupation. Don't. I know, for
am not cook myself? Haven't l tried
to repeat Tennyson's T..
Break, break on thy cold gray crags, o, Sea!
while making the biscuits for breakfast !?
It wouldn't do; they don't harmonic. I
had to give it up.
There's nothing like being in misery
yourself to make you feel for Others, 0,
my sisters, Biddy in the North, Hannah
in the West, and Dinah in the South, I
stretch out my hands to you, and hold
hands with you all, fguratively. l for
give you all the burnt biscuits, Kitchen
coffee" and raw meat with touch of
smoke on it, that you have ever made me
eat. am cook myself! To this have
the destinies of war reduced me!
happen to hold the honorable posi-
tion of cook at present to highly hon
orable, but extremely poverty-stricken
family. o, that could induce some one
else to take the position, but I can't! I
have been shedding tears, grimy tears of
SCOT and sorrow combined, since seven.
o'clock yesterday morning, that being
the hour at which I was "inducted" into
the mysteries Of kitchen life.
The bread auon't brown, and the water
,con't boil, and the fire acon't burn, and
altogether / feel as il, I should like to say
s'confound it'' good many times, only
Mammals hair would stand on one end
under her cap if did, so I content my
self with weeping clears, idle tearsp
Now, Tom, out in the yard cutting up
wood, has great advantage over me.
He says ''dog gone it" every time he
gives cut, and I really think it relieves
Elm, for he isn't near so cross as when ne
first commenced. went out some little
time ago. to bring in some wood for the
stove. He, looked as if he had been TAX
ing a shower bath, perspiration rolling
down from his face. His heart seemed
too full for utterance, he simply remarked
that he wished we'd never seeded. 1t
was simple remark, but it awoke tor.
rent of feeling in my heart. I grasped
his hand and said, 30, my brotherP
How true it is that re never thorough
ly prize what we have until we lose it!
It is certainly true in regard to our cook
Jane. So long as we had her, l was ac-
customed to regard her as very black,
good humored, Indifferent sort of cook,
rather lazy and fond of talking. Now l
look on her as an individual whom J. did
not half esteem; her very faults have
turned to virtues in my eyes. When
shall I look on her like again?
Tom announced to me to-day that we
should soon have a. cook, as he had pos
ted himself at the corner Of the street
and engaged each colored lady that came
along, up to the number of six. They
all unhesitatingly promised to come, but
so far not one has made her appearance;
but don't bear them any malice on that
account, oh, no! The African hath a
gentle heart, and hateth to pain people.
Il was to avoid seeing the anguish depic-
ted on Toms countenance if they had
refused; not that they ever had the
slightest intention of coming.
Well, if there is anything that could
console me, it ought to be James parting
words. When she mentioned that she
was going to 'tquit," I was overcome
with sorrow, and ventured to ask why
she was going to do so; if had not
given her satisfaction. Ihad endeavored
to do so. But Jane answered quite affa-
bly,, "No, honey, faint that, Pm VERY
well satisfied wild you an the rest, but
my health amt what it used to be, and
I mus have change of air, or the dispep-
sy will carry me off; an amt able to
cook this hot weather" As soon as I
heard that it was the "dispepsy," gave
off the enfeebled remnant of the African
ladies in South Carolina. None OF them
are able to use either molasses or brown
sugar for fear of it, although we, robuster
mortals that we are, do, would far
rather go out in the rain than ask any of
them to do so, for it would not hurt me,
but it might put them in their graves.
But TO return to Jane. AS soon as
"dispepsy" came on the scene, said no
more, but entreated her acceptance OF
polonaise, and requested her to send one
of her friends to fill the vacancy, which
she graciously promised to do. "For,"
said she, II like you all very well.
Mas Tom does provoke me wild his
teasin' about my grandfather bein'
monkey runnin' up and down the trees
in Afriky, but Itries to put up wild him,
an I has always given you all good
charikter !"
Shades of my ancestors, have we de-
scended to this! o, my great-great-
great-great-grand-father, you'd better
come down out of that picture, and
throw away your helmet, and your shield,
and your coat of arms, and your diamond
ring, and grovel in dust and ashes 1! Our
cook has given us a good character!
Well, Jane has gone, and | am weep
ing and alone" in the kitchen, the ther-
mometer only 96 in the shade, and stove
Contrary" and smoking like steam
boat. I used to- pride myself on my
hands, but, alas! there are three burns
on one hand and FIVE on the other, and
"pot-black" is ingrained on my fore
finger. As to that stuff about a lady
being a ladyunder all circumstances, it is
simply nonsense. Why, when III walk
round the house in my cooking-costume,
our old dog Dash takes me for begsar
and barks at me. Igaze at him reproach-
fully and say "Et tn .Brute%
And now am going to strike a chord
in the hearts of many "cook" all over
the country, who reads this piece. After
all the morning trotting about on your
little (or big) feet, from kitchen to store
room, from store-room to dining-room,
and from dining-room to kitchen, when
dinner time comes, you wash your poor
red face and hands, and appear at the
dinner-table with the rest of the family,
when Tom, Dick or Harry, as the case
may be, comes in, and you, really feeling
that voI1r arduous labors ought to receive