The herald., 1893-05-25
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SBLF-RESPECTING "HRLP.w

New York has just had a curious cpl
code. One Of the great hotels there
had famous cook; but the poor man
was only getting $1,000 year, and so an
envious rival hired him for 0,000.
The heads OF the two houses do not
speak or even nod when they meet, and
the occasion has been the talk at the
hotel tables all over the city.
All this is not only surprising and
more or less amusing to common folk,
but it is curiouSly and deeply instruc-
tive. 1t ought by this time to be under
stood that all work well and skilfully
done 10 worthy OF reward and praise and
will command good place in the world
for him who can do it. 1t is no longer a
menial business to make mems or
women's clothing The tailor and the
male dressmaker are filing an honora-
BILE calling. Once it was the fashion to
gibe at them. Once the culinary craft
was not followed by men at all, but was
held to be peculiarly and almost dis
tInctively womanly calling. But hll
this is going by, and the brave disciple
of the higher cult of cookery will soon
find his place alongside the worker in
the other branches OF necessary and
therefore honorable labor.
A thoughtful writer has recently com.
mented ON this problem this way:
"Whle we have been turning all our
educational efforts to the training Of the
head, we have too far overlooked the
close connection between brain and
stomach now as the former develops
the latter becomes more exsoting.
Nothing is more obyious than the plain
and "6lling" cookery OF the past no
longer satisfies the average American.
But with this knowledge open to OBJ
servation, how is it that vastly i'm
portant field of industry is left almost
wholly unentered by Americans? To
be fine cook is no longer a matter OF
mechanical or unintelligible work The
cook OF today must be one of delicatey
strung mental equilibrium; nicely
blended compound of artist and chem
ist. At the best, the profession is a
craft not unworthy the intellect of the
most self-respecting American.
And why not? What, after all. in
this practical world, establishes the
worth of anything, and it's Importance
and place in the world? Is it not large
ly the very price it commands? Who
shall say that the man who makes
great hotel famous as to it's table is not
q man to be respected? Has he not hon
ored his calling? Has he not exalted
his Officer Who shall laugh at this and
ridicule him for doing work that women
were supposed to do2 His place in the
world may not be equal to that OF the
passenger agent of great railway, or
the head OF college, and yet it is not
easy to say exactly how and why. The
fact is that we shall never get good
"help" in our houses, whatever the
classification may be, until work is done
in an honorable spirit, with true sense
OF its value and at just price. The
days OF the farm hand" and of the
. drudge in the kitchen, who is also maic
of ell work, are passing away. Hours
of labor q better classification OF tbs
things to be done, little time to one'
self Tor play or profit, and prices accord
ing to individual skill and deserving
must all be taken into account in The
plan of reconstruction that is evidentl,
going on.
The people most vitality concerned il
the running of households, the mis
tresses themselves, must give heed t
the principles that underlie their diff
cultiea, and we suggest that they begi
with serious attempts to increase ever
workers respect for his or her callint
and to dissbuse every mind OF the tee
ing that any intelligent and well pal
labor can ever really be menisl an
slaVish.