Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-05
ENGAGING A PLAIN COOK.
METHOD OF A FIFTH AVENUE
YOUNG WOMAN.
Ordeal from a Mans Standpoint-Requi-
sites One has to Have to Earn Fifty
Cents p Day and Board.

b.
I A business man who lives in Madison
avenue wanted coachman to go out TO
his summer place on Long Island. He
dropped in at the Fourth avenue place one
morning ''just to look around" This
place does not employ many coachmen.
It's business is mostly with female heip.
The business nan had to wait for about an
hour, and this is part OF what he saw: He
had been there less than five minutes when
the daughter of a man who is familiar
figure down town stepped briskly in. She
was tall and handsome and stylishiy
dressed. Just why she chose 70 undertake
the engaging Of servants herself she might
be at a loss 10 explain; Dut she did under
take it, and there she was.
The agent was obsequious in his atten-
tons. The young woman glanced dubi-
ously at the chair he offered her, and re-
NAMED standing. There was just the sus-
picion OF curl on her fine lips as she told
what she wanted. Il want two girls-one
who can do plain cooking and second
girl to go to our country place on Long Isl
and" The agent proposed that She try
first for the cook, and she accepted his sug
gestion-
The first applicant examined by the
Young woman was an Irish girl with
brogue as broad as the grin on her gener-
Gus mouth. She answered every question
with a vigorous nod and an extra grin that
accentuated her jolly ''to he shure, mum"
An expert stenographer could not have
taken all the questions the society damsel
asked that poor cook Her first statement
was dampener TO the cooks hope. 1t
was to the effect that the wages would be
but fourteen dollars a month. Now, you
can't get good cook for that money, and
that girl knew it. Maybe she imagined
she was showing some of her fathers bust
ness talent. In spite OF this disheartening
beginner cook remained cheerful.
FEW QUESTIONS.
Then came in rapid succession something
like this: "CaD you do plain cooking? and
wash? and iron? and do up shirts? and coll
lars and cuffs? and bake bread? and make
good biscuits? and make pies? and bake
cake? and can you sew any? are you will
ing to 90 to the country? do you think
you'd like the place? and you are sure you
can COOKE and make piese and bake cake?
and bread? and sweep; and dust?' And
the business man, who belonged to an
athletic club, and had heard the Irish care
taker sing, smiled little and hummed
softly:
AM work an sweat an puff an cuss,
An drill, We tarriers, drill.
Well. the young woman cross-examined
the cook. She traced her genealogy as far
back as she could, and entered pleasing
comments on il whenever she chose. She
asked more questions than a western mort
gage sharp asks on granger's application
for loan. Life insurance agents would
have SUNK away from her in despair. Only
a book agent could have hoped to cope
With her.
When the bewildered cook, who had
nearly nodded her head off and had COM
pletely ruined the decorations of her bon
net by the unmerciful shaking she had
given them, found time TO enter a mild
protest at the wages, the tall young woman
smiled sweetly and said: 'Oh, | guess we
could make it fifteen if you can really do
plain cooking and can make beds and do
homework and make cookies and fix salads
and haven't any children and don't want
company or days off and can make bread
and think you'll like the place and are
willing to 20 down in the country, and
we'll pay your fare down there. It's at
Bay Shore, YOU know" And the man in
the corner, who was watching, said to the
agent She'll want that cook to pick cram
berries aud paint the house with the Juice
if this keeps up"
CONTRASTS.
After the cook had agreed to every i'm
aginabie thing for half an hour the girl
suddenly announced that she wanted to
see another applicant. There is nothing
the matter with that agent; he knows his
business. The first applicant was bit
plain as to her looks, but she was neat,
clean, and evidently capable. The agent
brought in second applicant. Anybody
could have noticed the contrast No.
was not bit proud and she was not what
you'd call handsome. She WIS short and
fat and frowsy. 4 cloak which might
hsYs been made out of the cat sack in
84MFh Noah kept his mule feed was
wrapped around her ample form in mys-
intricate way. Her hair was
trimmed a la Peter Jackson. Her hat was
a Division street. marvel and her abbrevi- |
ated dress skirts displayed large splashes |
OF mud on her dubious boots The con-
trast was noticeable 70 Miss Fifth Avenue |
She was visibly struck by it, but she |
sraced herself and began again her new |
catechism. IL ended much quicker than |
the first one and resulted in the employ |
meut of the first applicant.
The business man left before the second !
girl had been secured. Three applicants |
were examined, and again the first was
chosen. While this young woman was en-
saging two servants a dozen other people |
had found help to suit them, 4 slender |
young woman with brisk, businesshke |
air came in TO look for a cook She was
dressed quietly in some gray stuff, which,
coupled with her expression, carried the
irresistible suggestion that her life had
been mostly gray.
She told the agent concisely what she
wanted. And when he sent a cook to talk
10 her she told the cook as simply and ex-
plicitiy what she would require. An |
agreement was reached in five minutes,
and it Will last long time. There are |
plenty of such cases, and complaints are
very few from them. 1t is from the bar
gain driving shrewd anes that the COM
plants are heard.--New York Sun.