The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-03-03
WHEN THE COOK Is SICK.
A Little Domestic Narrative Illustrating the
Helplessness of the Average Household.
philadelphia Timesl

A Little Domestic Narrative Illustrating the
Helplessness of the Average Household.
philadelphia Times.
There is distress In the household. for the
light of the kitchen and the Joy of The de |,
psrtment of domestic drudgery lsnguishes
on a bed of rheumatism. Having during q
long term of service regularly answered to
roll-cRll, she has unwittingly conveyed to
her employers the idea that she might be
counted on forever and in any emergency.
The possibility OF her absence from days
duty had not occurred 10 anybody in the
house. 1t would ssem as natural to find the
church s.eeple lying fiat on the pavement as
TO mark Cooks absence from stated duty.
But as the frost of winter arrests the sctivi-
ty even of the busy brook and confines it in
letters OF ice, so does autumnal rheu-
matism catch and cripple the
poor girl while waiting too late at
night outside the gate TO wish her departing
cousin safe journey home. 1t is not so
much hearty sympathy for her sufferings
that fills the family with sorrow. True,
there ls' fair amount of sympathy, and
what there is is deep and sincere. But the
trouble is to know how to get along without
her services. So long as il has been the Gus
tom to depend on her for slmost everything
necessary to daily existence that the various
members of the family are almost he'll pless
There are some things which the girls know.
Sophia Serena can make Charlotte russo and
meringues and whipped cream and SOAP
bubble pie and seYen-story Jelly ceke in
flats, with layers of jam to keep the flats
apart Maria Magenta can tastefully adjust
on the parlor mantel and the etagere the
neat little plaster Samuels. japanese paeodas,
and other articles of bric-a- brac which have
been bought with her own pin money or
presented by adnirIng friends. Bot neither
of these young ladies knows
how 20 kindle fire in the
kitchen range, or TO keep ii going in the
event of having succeeded N setting the
fuel ablszs. After some discussion as 10 the
proper relations of kindllng wood to anthra-
cite, they decide 10 place the hard coal at
the bottom, because ii is the heaviest, and
to lay the chopped wood aud newspapers on
top, because they ara so light. A neighbor,
who kindly comes tothe rescue. explains 70
them why this method of lighting the fire
was failure. Old Mrs. Naterfamiifas has
not for many years taken an active cart in
detail OF household effort or culinary art
In a rash moment she resolves to try her
skill in compromising and baking dish of
tee biscuits. Disrespectful little Billy says
that he and some of tbs other bore are going
to have game OF croquet, and he wants 10
know if he can. take these biscuits for balley
IS they are exactly hsrBsnd tough enough.
The family wiring their hands in disgustfal
despair over their various failures, and hope
for the speedy convalesoence of the poor
serving maid.
But felicitoUs thought strikes Sophia Sc
rena and Maria Magenta and even worries
its way into the brain Of the in0pFOvident
Mrs. Materfamilias, who has never trained
her daughters in the ways OF household
usefulness. Why should these amlable and
excellent people have been so helple 81?
Why should thev have depended on the
servant for works of daily necessity which
somebody must perform for every family 2
vob1r 81 han n,
ignorance of all that woman ought to be
mistress Of Have they not sold themselves
out to the kitchen administration, aDd made
t1e cook queen OF the household Have
they not been her too-wi ling slaves and de-
pendents? They will turn over q new leaf.
They will still esteem the young woman
highly for her work SsaBs. But they will re-
member that however helpful she maybe, she
msy be taken sick, or die, or get drunk, or be
married 10 her cousin and stop living out.
They will learn. how to do for them
selves So when this necessity is LAID
upon them they set to with willing haDdS'
and eager hearts to learn those domestic arts
IN which every woman SHOULD excel, whether
she intends 10 pSas,ioe shem or not. They
become experts in all manner OF kitchen
plishments end are independents.
They learn how to rell the difference be-
tween a steak and asturksy, so that the mar
ket men no longer impose on their ignor-
anee. Their pies are wholesome, their bis
eEiis are digestib,e, their roast meats are
faultless. And Jar above the mers ability to
make eatable things, they have the joyful
satisfaction of being able to reign supreme
IN their own home, instead OF being sold out
to tyrant. Some of these days Sophia
Serena and Maria Magenta will marry. IF
they are slaves, their liiges and the poor hl.
lows who wed them will be miserable. IL
they are able to manage their own house.
holds in all the details, they will be sHa-
presses, whether they keep one servelt or
half dozen, and whether the whole kitchen
force of hired help is sick or well.