The Republican., 1892-01-29
HOUSEHOLD DRUDGERY.
The Subject Discussed by Our
Washington Correspondent
The Bright Idea OF . Washington Negro
and Its Excellent Results - Meals
Furnished Twice Day ut
Very Low Rates.
Especial Washington letter.

Especial Washington Lettcrl
In figuring up the household ex-
penses for the past year and the pros
pective cost Of living for the new year
Just commencing, the average husband
and father will be likely to omit from
his calculations the wear and tear and
waste of muscular energy, nervous
force and gentle life of the wife and
mother of the family; and yet if these
factors could be dealt with, in dollars
and cents, they would far exceed the
other expenditures which are often
times so carefully watched and so
grudingly met. In this day and gencr-
alton throughout the civilized world,
woman is the creature of mans pas
sions and whims; is, in fact, the will
ling slave of the man whom she origin
ally desired to love and honor as well
as obey. II Is not an exaggeration to
state that the condition of woman in
civilized life is but slight improve
ment over her condition In aboriginal
life. so far as her relations to her hus-
band are concerned. True, men, wom-
IN and children live In better houses
and enjoy better food; they wear better
clothing and have better education; but
these betterments are uniform from the
eldest to the youngest, and the woman
Is as much the slave of her civilized
lord and master as her sister upon the
prairies yet reserved as happy. hunting
grounds for the original inhabitants Of
America.
In the national capital probably more
than any other city in this country an
industry has grown up in the past few
years which will undoubtedly lsngthen
the lives of all women and prevent the
early coming of wrinkles about the
eyes, in the forehead and upon the cheek.
The principal labor of keeping house
consists in the matter of meal getting.
It is enough to wear away the brain OF
the strongest philosopher in the history
of the world to do the marketing for a
small family day after day and cater to
the tastes and appetites Of unapprecia-
tive husbands and children who sur
round the board. 1t is matter of con-
slant effort, worry, anxiety and fear to
every woman in the world. Therefore,
probably the greatest luxury that can
be conferred upon any housewife con-
sists in relief from this trouble, SO that
she may have the meals placed upon
her table by a skilled cook at any hour
desired. with no effort upon her own
part
There are several caterers in this city
who have built up the business of sup
plying people with meals at their resi-
dences Nowhere else in the world
probably is there such a large catering
business done as here, for our citizens
are in the habit Of relieving their minds
as far as possible from all cares, do
mestic or otherwise. in order that they
may devote their time and talents to So
ciety and social pleasures It was
about ten years ago that this business
began to flourish in the west end. and
it was by reason Of the enterprise and
energy of freedman, whose skin Is
blacker than charcoal He was acting
as butler for prominent society family
and daily heard the complaints
Of his mistress concerning the
annoyances of marketing and looking
after that branch of her household du-
ties. Although he knew nothing of the
experience of people in other cities
throughout the world, it dawned upon
him as an original thought that he
might relieve his mistress Of all this
trouble, and he asked her permission to
do the marketing for her. She at first
consented that he should assist her and
accompany her to market, which he did
and Immediately took the initiative, fore
stalling her in every selection of food
for the table, until she recognized his
ability to do marketing better and more
economically than herself. She turned
over the entire culinary department OF
her large and well kept establishment
to the colored man. 1t then occurred