Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-12-27
THE ART OF MEAL SERVING.

| THE ART OF MEAL SERVING.
If a man but knew it one of the
most fattering signs in his house
hold is the outward evidence, which
his wife and daughter are usually the
first to exhibit, of desire to be some
body. 1t takes three generations, it is
said, to produce a gentleman or a
| lady.
Three generations of men and Wo-
nen determined to advance in life
yill accomplish wonders.
There is no reason why the honest
man of humber circumstances, even
though he be a day laborer, should
| live in his home without an attempt
at decency and self-respect at least.
| The wife of the day laborer wonders
vainly why she cannot keep her hus-
band at home. She is always there
erself, and she is usually pretty tired
and careworn when night comes.
| She gets the evening meal ready the
! way she thinks the easiest.
cts only my husband" she says,
as she prepares the unattractive food
I and sets lot of cracked and broken
dishes upon one end OF greasy,
stained table.
/ She herself is neither tidy nor pleas
ant-looking. When a woman lives IN
three rooms ON $40 or $12 a week,
and when all the family work-wash-
ing, ironing and cooking be
done in the same three tiny rooms,
which often also accommodate a
growing family, she is to be forgiven
| for much.
The husband comes home from his
days work tired and dirty. He
throws himself into the nearest chair,
asks for a bit of supper, eats it raven
oUsly without the slightest regard for
real comfort, or even decency, and as
soon as he has bolted his food he
picks his hat up from the floor or
eli airs and sets out for a walk, where
he may enjoy brighter surroundings,
| where everything looks clean, invit-
ing and CHEEKY.
Then the poor wife signs bitterly
and remembers the time when he
used to come to see her when she
was laundress in an uptown private
house in the bright days of her COURT
ship, and she says to- herself that
marriage makes a great difference. :"
! 70 one would know her husband for
| the nice, well-dressed young man who
used to come once a week and sit in
the kitchen and tell her how happy
they would be when she was his wife
/ and they had a couple of little rooms
of their own for home.
| She forgets sometimes that when
! she kept company with her big, fine
ooking sweetheart she was. always
neatly dressed, and On Thursday
nights how pretty she looked and how
| tidy the kitchen was. Sometimes,
| just by chance word or possibly by
a line read in a great paper, she may
realize that she is not making home
or herself attractive to her husband.
Then she will perhaps determine to
| see whether the fault is hers, and her
/ husband will return to his home some
evening TO find it spick and span.
/ The floor and windows are clean, the
stove is BACKED and the tins are
shining. A cloth is spread upon the
table and the simple meal is decently
laid The wife with her hair neatly
brushed, a clean dress and apron and
| her sleeves drawn down, will greet
him with an old-time smile, and she
will say to him:
/ fFDnap I1cn6 IN Iowa hpttnr
tran the friends you meet outside.
I've been thinking that it was because
[ was more attractive than any place
to you in those days, and that I
haven't treated you right in neglect
ing myself and the little home. So
I've made up my mind to have every
thing nice and tidy for you and try
to be somebody in the world for you
and for the children
In ninety-nine cases out of a hun
dred the husband of such wife will
fall into line with delight, and you
will see him with clean face and
hands, his coat on and bright smile,
seated at his honest table. Nothing
SO pleases the self-respecting man as
to live decently
Once these people, who are really
the strength and hope of the country's
future, have determined to be some
| body they will make long strides in
the right direction, and from just such
beginnings we may look with certain
| ty for the true gentleman and lady
of the future.