The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-02
How tbs French MANAGE.

When we Au.ericans are botheripg
about '.family help" it is aggravating
to think haw muca better they manage
these things in Paris. A correspond
ent who has been studying up these
points writes as follows:
Imagine the convenience of having q
nice, tidy woman coming up to your
rooms early in the morning, say s
O'Clock, cooking your breakfast and
then doing all your chamberwork.
sweeping. busting and leaving you in
perfect order for the day by 10 o'clock,
Just two hours, and all this for the mod
est cost of ten cents Their charges are
actually but five cents an hour. A
great many quite well-to-do families
live in this wa, having the femme de
q1aena9e two hours three times day to
prepare their meals and do the neeessa-
~ Homework. For those who do not
care to take their early. breakfast at
home there are tae incest little places,
called c1'enae1ieS, where you can get n
bowl of coffee or chocolate and n roll
for four or five cents. These little cs-
Establishments, in addition to their early
breakfast trade, sell fresh butter and
eggs, milk aad cream, cheese and fruit.
1t is surprisinL what a small quantity
of provisions you can buy in Paris. For
example, who would dare in New York
ask for Two e..ntS' worth of butter?
Here it is O matter of course, and the
fresh, clean-looking girl, always wear
ing a white apron and cap, serves you
across a snowy white marble counter,
and cuts the exact quantity with wire.
never making a mistake as you will see
when it is weighed. Among other con-
veniences for those who do not want to
cook at home are the chaTc1tte13e shops,
mt which are sold cold ham. tongue,
veal and delicious gelatine, sort OF
boned chicken and turkey, all kinds of
sausages, aud even sardines at retail,
two for cent These are all sold by
the small quantity.
A slice of ham for five cents Is
enough for several sandwiches. Again
at the Rottsse11e you can buy roast
chicken Just out of the oven, whole or
by the piece, a leg on wing, or slice of
breast. ALI kinds of game or meat are
to be had already roasted. or cooked to
order, and sent home at any specified
hour. 1t is an immense convenience.
and a great saving in fuel alone. There
are also to be seen little stalls where
fried potatoes and small ilsh are sold
hot. every day from II till to 2 o'clock,
when you VIII 1Oeeb StIiAS , W gins oHA0
men in their blnuses hurrying off with
a brown paper bag steaming in their
hands. two or three cents worth being
enough for meal, even for hungry
man.
Speaking of fuel, must tell you OF
a little continuance discovered which
is invaluable, and certainly the cheap
est cooking apparatus ever invented.
1t is tiny stove of sheet-iron. hardly
larger than quart measure + costs
about twenty-five cents. The material
burned in it is u sort of very fine char
coal called druise. which is bought at
the bakers. 1t is the residue OF the
bakers fuel. and it is sold very cheaply
-four cents worth being enough to
ast the whole week. The fire in this
little stove is enough to make tea aud
coffee, and to boil eggs, or even to broll
fish or chops. It makes no dirt. and 1t
is exceedingly easy to light fire.