The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-25
FOR FEMININE READERS
"A PLEA FOR SUMMER CHARITY TO
BE APPLIED IN THE KITCHEN.
Amenities That Make the Summer
Outing PIensanter-The Misleading
Social Phrase, "Not at Home"

When the cook gets into a temper and
the laundress grumbfes over her tubs dur
ing the hot, midsummer routine, the
fretted housewife settles back in an easy
rocker under the cool shelter of her porch
awnings and confides her domestic worri-
ments to some sympathetic friend, says
Dorothy Maddox in Philadelphia Inquirer.
'Oh, this dreadful servant question" she
signs. Il suppose 1 must change maids
again. Their complaints to-day have been
too exasperating for anything"
Then she fans herself YEARLY, and the
friend says:
TOO bad for you to be bothered so in
warm weather L believe l would almost
rather do my own work than be troubled
with disagreeable servants"
Meanwhile the maid or maids under dis
cussion, are hurrying about from laundry
to kitchen, from kitchen to pantry, from
pantry to range in an atmosphere calcu-
lated to bring their tempers to boiling
point. The luncheon dishes are scarcely out
of the way before preparations must be
begun for dinner From soup to dessert the
cooking must all be managed by one pair
of hands. Frying chicken isn't the most
soothing summer duty, neither is turning
the crank Of an ice cream freezer But
tanning directions for the days fare she
sees that she is expected to serve soup
chicken, mashed potatoes, SQUASH peas, a
salad and a water ice tor the final meal of
the trio. So She bustles around from one
point to another until the last dish is sent
TO the table. Then her nerves Cooks some
times have nerves, well their mis-
tresses) and her patience gives way, and
when little while afterwards the house,
wife calls her to receive instructions re-
garding to-morrOw's breakfast the heated,
oVerworked woman makes some sharp re-
tort, is rebuked, retorts again and-there
is trouble below stairs"
1t never occurs to the indignant mistress
to offer excuses for the maids irritation
Small thought she gives to the tiresome
work carried on in the hot kitchen from
IN the morning till or at night To her,
cooks physical breakdown was merely i'm
pertinence The servant is being paid for
her services, argues the housewife, and
must render them accordingly Courtesy is
one OF the requirements OF her position.
Madame demands this with a fine diSre-
sard OF the warm weather, peevishness
WIlcn mas mace her that very day snap up
her husband, punish the children unjustly,
ana quarrel with her dressmaker.
stop subscribing to your ice funds, your
mower missions, your outing clubs and sim
llar summer charities, you who complain
OF servant trials, and carry your phllan-
thrOpy down stairs into your own kitchen.
See what you can do towards Tightening
the cares OF the poor woman, be she white
or black, who three times a day must bake
and brew, and stew your food over a hot
IRE. II you can't provide a gas stove or
some such cooking luxury, your best
towards simplifying the meals. Your own
digestion and that of your family will be
quite as good if it doesn't have to struggle
with rich cakes, pastries, buildings and not
breads.
1t IS quite a different manner, writing
down a menu up stairs in your airy sitting
room, and following it out in d heated
kitchen, the cook must.
1t is vastly different sitting on your front
porch, in a cool, freshly Numbered dimity,
and wrestling with it's trils and furbeloWs
on the ironing board, your laundress
does.
DO not" suggests one good-hearted
housekeeper to her laundress, trouble to
iron the towels while the weather is so hot
Just fold them, send them up rough dry,
and we can use them very nicely"
But, objects narrow minded task
mistress servants are certain to take ad-
vantage of any let up in their work 1t
isn't wise to give them the slightest Ii
cenSe"
Better risk having your humanity abused
now and then, than destroy it altogether
by a spirit of SelfiShnesS.
Let the summer hOuSekeeper adopt con-
sideration as a counselor for the next two
months, and see how the VeXed servant
question will be Strengthened out.