The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-10-17
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
RESIGNATION OF HIS COOK RUIZ
FILES HIS SERENITY.

Every good thing in this world has
rs dark side, its shadow, and every
shadow is frightened by some COM
pensation-some rift in the clouds
that still makes life worth living. The
cook has quit, aud 1 thought from the
family talk that the bottom had drop
ped cut, for she was q good cook and
kept the kitchen as clean as parlor,
and the knives and the silverware al
ways bright and the dishes shining,
and there was napkin spread at the
lead of the table to keep me from soil
ing the damask when I carved the
chicken, or the steak, for l am little
careless about those things. She
dident talk much, nor seem to be in
hurry, and she was kind to the grand
children and made them little biscuits.
She took good care of the COW and
kept me in ice-cold butter-milk and
made enough butter to do us when We
dident have company. Sometimes she
brought us some green corn or some
but:erbeans from her own garden, and.
take her all in all, she was the best ser
want we have had since the war.
But she has one fault. She will
quit when she takes notion-when
the spirit moves her-and you never
know when it is going to move her.
She said she was tired and I reckon
she was. She might come back in
week or two or she might not. So we
concluded to go along without cook
for few days and see how it was, and
it is not so bad, after all. It nearly
kills my wife to get up soon, but l
like it. In fact, can't lie abed after
sunrise, and SO we parcelled out the
work to suit us all. William must fire
up the stove and put on the hominy
and grind the coffee and prepare the
ham, or the breakfast bacon, or the
beefsteak, and then call one of the
girls to make the biscuit and fry the
battercakes or bake the waffles. By
the time breakfast is ready my wife is
ready and we all enjoy it, and then
her part comes in, for she had rather
wash the dishes than do anything.
She wants to be sure that they are
clean. And then she churns to be
sure that the butter is clean. We
cook dinner if we feel like it. and we
don't if we don't. In fact it is relief
to eat cold lunch these hot days. It
saves work and saves time and expense
and makes digestion easy. My opinion
is that the average family has too much
cooking done, and 80 if we have no cook
and have to do the work ourselves, there
will be less done and less to surfeit
, ourselves with, and we will have better
health and sleep better and snore less
and feel brighter in the morning. This
is the bright side of doing without a
cook. Then, again / save 80 week in
silver at 16 to /, and if penny saved
is two pence gained, as DR.. Franklin
says, then we are ahead at the rate OF
! 81 week. That's big lot of money
now. I pay that over to my wife and
daughter to keep them reconciled, but
1 verify believe that they would be glad
to see Mrs. Sicily Minis back here to.
morrow morning. They hired color.
ed neighbor to milk the cow and some
times to kill and dress chicken. and
so we are getting along splendid while
running this independent line.
But there is no independent line. II
is curious and somewhat humiliatine
to think how dependent we are upon
one another. II the Vanderbilts AND
Astors were wrecked at sea and cast or
an island they would perish to death
within week. Dick Wilson wouldn't
for he was raised in the woods and
would soon grabble up something
We are dependent on the butcher and
baker and grocer for our daily sup
plies and they are dependent upon tn,
farmers who raise them and on theil
customers who buy them. Even tn
salt they sell us is an absolute neces
sity. Then there is the family doctor
How could we get along without him
It was only few months ago when
had to get up in the night and go hal
q mile for him in fox trot, and
feared the little girl would die befor
1 got back, but she didn't and he re
lieved her and relieved our great anx
iety, too. There is no such thing q
independence in this life, but it is ap
proximated by those who were raise'
to work. The boys who can cho]
wood and pillow and fit an ak helve t
an az or repair leak in the roof o
get tack out of shoe, OF take off par
of the heel tap or mend chair or
window blind, or lay hearth or pu
in pane of glass, or do q hundre
little things about the house and home
will save many dollar where other
would send for man and lose it. Tn
girls who have learned to cut and e
and make their own garments. an
those of their younger sisters and VIII
can cook good meal when it is neces
sary and hang q picture CD the wall @
make frescreen or lampshade or
pillow for the sofa or even put ne
court of paint on the mantle will max
good wives and good mothers. You won
find many of these boys and girls
high life nor in what is called eociet,
and the danger is that if mivfortur
comes in these perilous times an
riches take wings snd fly away thes
children of the rich gill be utterl
helpless.
The trouble with me now is that 81
the only hay about the house and m
..gs don't obey me with that alacrii
they used to. fell up the steps tn
morning with on armful of stove wooS
Init il il better to fall up than dow