The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-06-26
LADIES COLUMN.
HARoL1NE HAROLD, EDITOR.
In the Basement. {"

Yesterday learned that AFR,
for many years in business down
town, was forced to make an assign
ment. No doubt scores of his
friends will lay the misfortune upon
the extravaganza OF his wife, but
they will do her injustice. She is
not alone to blame. /, the cook in
the family for several years, do
hereby assume at least one-half the
cause of his failure in business. /
entered the basement of his fine
mansion when the family moved in,
and left it only few weeks ago.
was not good cook then, and /
learned nothing while there-noth-
ing but the fact that the basement
is the grave of the house and the
bankruptcy of it's owner. Mrs
is fraIl lady. That is, she has
been told so. She eats arsenic to
improve her complexion, laces to
improve her form, wears tight shoes
to improve her feet, and is subject
to fashionable headaches. 1t was
beneath her dignity as a lady to
enter her kitchen, or to post herself
on what was going on there, and so
l had everything my own way. 1
went there a tidy, careful saving
girl, and l came away Il reckless
sloven. For the first month / tried
to make the groceries go as far as
possible, and kept every utensil in
the incest order, but got no praise
for it. Down there in the base
ment / was dead to the family.
When / found that they had no
care to save for themselves l had no
care to save for them. When /
found that they had as soon pay $50
for groceries per week as half
that, l run the bills up. l gave
away and l wasted more each week
than the family consumed. threw
pounds and pounds of cold meats
into the alley. 1 furnished the
coachman's family with tea, coffee
and sugar. Girls who came to see
me ate up the dessert and carried
away whatever they fancied. The
once clean pots and kettles were
kicked about, the sinks left full of
shops, the tinware left to rust, and |
felt happy in smashing crockery. |
No one up stairs questioned me.
| had only to order and they would |
buy. The woman who fixed over
NY hat was paid in groceries from
he basement; the coachman bought
ny shoes and took smoked hams
md salt fish from the cellar; the
who made my dresses took
Iour and butter for pay. l broke
he range and let the pipes and
rains fill up; l smashed platters
ather than wash them; and / in
reased that mans expenses by
1000 per year. If he wondered
here the leak was, he was too blind
} find it.
Yes, l was the cook. / cooked
bout what l pleased. If the ket-
es and pans were only washed
nee per month, what did / care?
l washed the potatoes in the
ash dish, what did they care up l
airs? When my baking was good, !
was all right; when it was bad, it /
as all right. Mr.. -never !
fought of invading the kitchen, '
I'd his wife was too fashionable"
, concern herself about domestic {
economy. I
Well, I'm in want of another I
lace. 1t must be a basement. III
ould not hold a place two hours
here the wife knows how things |
hould be done. l want a place in
fashionable family again, where
hey don't care what l cook, how l
ook it, or what the expense. Per
-anting wasteful, extravagant
ook, will please address,
Il MAGGIE, il Detroit Free Press.