The Washington times., 1894-04-06
The Matf6r Of
WaSt6 infh6 kiiCh6n.

The thrifty housewife is always on the look
out to prevent waste, especially in the kitchen.
She wants to know just how far everything
procured for the family is going to last. To
do this personal insight over all the food
and fuel consumed is necessary. Some
women who have but ono servant say they
can't do this because the girl In the kitchen
does not like to be watched; she will resent
1t as reflection upon her.
Now experience teaches us that she is Just the
kind of girl who needs an eye on her! There
was one such once upon time who always
went home OF nights, and her employees
noticed that she also always carried to and
fro little tin bucket holding about quart
That little pail with its regular trips became
an object OF suspicion, but when Saiiie was
asked about it she said she always carried her
dinner home in it, as she preferred TO eat 1t at
home with the children. AS Sal1e nau peen
specially engaged on account OF peing "a
"single woman without family" the chill
Gren heard of for the first time, became
another object of interest, and this little LADY
concluded that more than iikeiythe TIN bucket
was filing the place OF the father in iamiiy
that had never been able TO Identity tnat
member with their interestsi
Sallie was sent TO the grocery on an errand,
and a usually indulgent mistress began to in
vestigate First, TO search Tor that bucket
Somehow for once. she concluded that 1t
must have been left at home, and she was
half ashamed of herself for having suspicious,
as she failed to find it. One more place only
remained to be looked into, away back
under the front stairs, over the areaway, and
there she found it, Taking off the lid, she
discovered that il was full-the wonder was
one little pail could hold so muchi There
was a ball of the breakfast biscuit dough,
enough to make a pie tin full, package OF
nlyorva nf a.
tatoes with a couple of raw turnips, and a
bit of fried steak.
To saw that she was astounded hardly ex-
pressed her feelings, for. in addition TO this
collection of scraps" there lay beside the
bucket big bed-ticking pocket. with strings
on il to tie around tine waist and II was full,
too In it was paper bag with about three
pounds of flour and six green apples, and a
bundle OF kindlings.
Ii this was days HAUL the irate house
wife wondered what a week of such espion-
age would amount to in dollars and cents,
To say she was mad" is but to transfer her
feelings into the common tongue of common
place life. She, however, knew how to rule
her temper SO she sat down in the kitchen to
wait.
Sallie was girl obtained from the country,
who came with a pocketful of recommenda-
tions from one of Marylands old historic
families She was recommended as being
faithful, respectful, and honest.
Much those good people who had known
her all her life knew about it, unless TO get
rid of her they willfully misrepresented the
facts.
Sallie was rather surprised to see her en-
ployer sitting in the kitchen when she came
in, but as nothing was said Immediately, she
went about her business. which happened to
be washing up the kitchen hearth.
Sallie abonlinated Yankee notions. such as
mop with handle; therefore she went at it
on her knees.
She had on a big gingham apron with bib
coming up over her shoulders, and had only
cleared q little way before a cream cracker
fell out over the top of the bib.
Revelation No. ., With that Mrs. Suspicion
went down on her knees beside Sallie regard
less of consequences, and as she put her hand
on her maids rather full bust, behold the
'bib" had a pocket behind it, and something
like dozen crackers were in that.
Getting up as both did at once. Sallie be-
gan to say she bought the crackers, but when
the pocket and bucket from under the front
stairs were brought out and laid out on the
kitchen table she took refuge in that trait of
her race. sullenness.
OF course, it was only question of which
to do. to arrest her on trifling grounds or to
dismiss her. Not wishing to disgrace the
girl, and with faint hope that one such dis
covery would be a warning, she dismissed
her and finished up the mornings work her
self. which took all day, as it was. and always
is, necessary in such cases to dig OUT the
dirt left behind the DOORS in the corners and
cupboards. before the new girl comes in, that
she may see how YOU expect your kitchen TO
be kept.
This is but one incident of many equally
fagrant which might be cited to show how
necessary it is to watch for this peculiar kind
of waste in the kitchen.