Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-17
BIB ON 1RE ART
Of GOOD living.
Copyright, 1917

ZIG duUuI Things TO eat. IL was IOr-
tunate request, since if he had asked me
70 discuss parliamentary law or the ad-
vantages of Greek in every day life, or
demanded my opinion regarding some
very abStruse book, should have been
unable to answer him. Butt have opin-
ions on things to eat,very decided opin-
ions, and, | fiatter myself, very sensible
opinions. Once in a while one is privi-
legged to bow to oneself and appreciate
ones own ability, and do this when it
comes to choosing a dinner.
Talking about eating, did you ever
happen to think that we were the most
Ortunate people in the world-we peo-
pie who live in the UniTeI States
There are not more than two months in
the year when fruit is not plentiful and
cheap, and during these two months WE
have superb apples and fine nuts. We
have the best beef and mutton, Guanti-
ties of game, great deal q good fsh,
the greatest variety of vegetables and
an embarrassment of riches rs lar as
fruit goes. But there ale women who
wonder what they can do for dinner.
The English Or French woman looks at
us with horror. She canno- understand
our great waste. She does no. realize
ludI We are HOuAS ACtiOH, oIhd tIII
everything to eat is SO plentiful that we
do not find the necessity for economy
that exists in the older COUNTRIES and
those where the earth IS less bountful.
Sometime l think that all over this
big land Of ours the earth absolutely
laughs because it gives forth such good
things. Our cousin across the sea pays
IS for a pineapple and $3.50 for taste
less melon. The pineapple is put on
the table when great dinner is given.
On its first appearance 1T is not cut,
iut is simply decoration. On its sec
end appearance it will be cut in tiny
squares, one given to each person, and
that pineapple is made to serve for at
least three dinners. A melon has The
same treatment accorded to it. And,
while it is gloated over, it no more
compares with our magnificent water
melons and our spicy cantaloupes
than filtered water does with the rich
est burgundy.
Having everything that can be de-
sired in the eating line, we do not ap-
preciate it. The average American wO-
man does not study out how each
dish can be made most dainty and most
attractive. Her market basket comes
home filled to the brim, and for dessert
she may choose many fruits and many
sweets, where her English or French
cousin as but two or three fruits from
which to make her choice and is forced
to fall back on made dishes. We have
too much and the consequence is that
in the average household proper service
and economy are unknown.
Until within the last ten years the
American dinner consisted Of a heavy
meat, served with as many vegetables
as the marke@s afforded. all put upon
the table at once, and topped off with
rich dessert, oftenest pastry or
pudding-no fruit-and tea or coffee
served, with the main dinner. Of course
i ~ = gy4.s wrong. You who are del
fcate IN your taste lose all appetite
when the steam from a vegetable for
which you do not care flies in your
face. You who are tired and have
hoped to find rest during the dinner
hour, become disguised at seeing so
much, and consequently can eat but
little, and there is waste and waste
and waste.
Even among the people that we call
poor there are no such hungry faces
as are noted among the poor in the ola
countries. In the proper seasons our
-poor get fruit of the best, and only
occasionally is absolute Starvation
found, while absolute starvation, my
friend, exists every day in the mag
nificent city of London.
The first mistake of the American
housekeeper is that she buys in too
great quantities. She would consider
herself mean if she locked up her gro
ceries. And as for giving out the
quantity required for every day she
would scott at that as stingy. The
wiser woman who elects to buy enough
to last for one week finds but little
waste in the household, for before pur-
chasing she has discovered just how
much of each will last for a certain
length of time, so that no impertinent
cook can tell her that she does not
know what she is talking about
She is poor housekeeper who does
not comprehend the meaning of the
order which she gives, and it is strange
but true, that the best housekeepers in
this country are among the very
wealthy. The wife of the man who
has $4,000 year, who keeps one maid,
Is lpSS dDI W SIuuy uOuOSIIOlu GCOuOHlN
than the wife of millionaire, who has
a housekeeper and many servants I'M
der her control. You insist upon say
ing that where there is only a moder-
ate income there cannot be daintiness
of service, and l tell you, because |
know by personal experience, that this
is not true.
The woman who looks we'll to the
way of her household can be economic
al, can have a dainty table, can offer
appetizing dishes to her husband, ana
yet she need not be overworked nor
need she leave her table for one min
ute during dinner. Properly trained,
the maid who has cooked dinner can
serve it. | do not advise the house
keeper who has determined to do right
to engage as her one maid an elderly
woman who has what the servants
call "set ways" But instead let her
choose a young woman, one at least
younger than herself, who has lived
in this capacity with no one but her,
for then she cannot cite to her just
how Mrs. Brown or Mrs. Black man
aged her affairs. The average maid
THE Curse