Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-03-14
ENGAGING A PLAIN COOK
INTERESTING METHOD OF A FIFTH
AVENUE YOUNG WOMAN.

rhs Ordeal from Mans Standpoint.
| Some Of the Requisites That One Has
to Have to Earn Fifty Cents Day
and Board.
business man who lives in Madison
avenue wanted n 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
Its business IL mostly with female help
The business man 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 man who is familiar
figure down town stepped briskly in. She
WAS tall and handsome and stylishly
dressed. Just why she chose to undertake
the engaging OF servants herself she might
he at a loss to explain; but she did under
take It, and there she was.
The agent was obsequious in his atten.
tons. The young woman glanced dubi-
o,isly mt the chair he offered her, and re.
manned standing. There was just the sus-
picion Of a curl ON her fine lips ~ she told
what she wanted. II want two girls--one
who can do plain cooking and a second
girl to 20 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 a
brogue as broad as the grin on her gener-
GUS mouth. She answered every question
with vigorous nod and an extra grin that
accumulated her jolly ito be shure, num-"
An expert stenographer could not have
taken all the questions the society damsel
asked that poor cook. Her first statement
was danpener to the cooks hope. 1t
was to the effect that the wages would be
but fourteen dollars a month. Now, you
can't get a 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
A FEW QUESTIONS.
Then came in rapid succession something
like this: Can you do plain cookingS and
washf and from and do up shirtsf and col
lars and cuffsS and bake bread2 and make
good bscuitsS and make piess and bake
cakes and can you sew anyf are you will
ing to go to the country do you think
you'd like the placer and you are sure you
can cookf and make piesS and bake cakes
and breadi 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;
An work an sweat an puff an cuss,
An drill, We tarriers, drill
Well, the young woman cross-exGmined
the cook. She traced her genealogy as far
back as she could, and entered pleasing
comments on it whenever she chose. She
asked more questions than western mort
gage sharp asks on a granger's application
for n loan. Life insurance agents would
have skunk 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 mild
protest at the wages, the tall young woman
smiled sweetly and said "Oh, guess we
could make it fifteen II you can really do
plain cooking and can make beds and do
housework 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 and paint the house with the Juice
II this keeps up"
CONTRASTS.
After the cook had agreed to every i'm
aginable 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 a second applicant. Anybody
could have noticed the contrast No. Q
was not bit proud and she was not what
you'd call handsome. She was short and
fat and frowsy. A cloak which might
have been made out of the oat sack in
which Noah kept his mule feed was
wrapped around her ample form in mys-
teriously intricate way. Her hair was
trimmed a Ia Peter jackson. Her hat was
a Division street marvel aud her abbrevi-
ated dress skirts displayed large splas hes
OF mud on her bulbous boots. The con
trast WAS noticeable to Miss Fifth Avenue.
She was visibly struck by it, but she
braced herself and began again her new
catechism. 1t ended much quicker than
the first one and resulted in the employ
ment OF the first applicant.
The business mau left before the second
girl had been secured Three applicants
were examined, and again the first was
chosen. While this young woman was en-
RaHiuU two servants q Iovap ntha, rao,l,