Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08
BY CASPAR s. YOST.

Copyright. 1906, by G. s. Yost)
n DEAR JOHN: Your mother
ia ~ requests me to inclose her rec
IN ipe for making biscuits, for
which you asked her. She is too
tired to write tonight, but IN
this connection she has made lew
remarks and, as you have reason TO
know, there's always more good moss
sense in what she says than you can
find in a days search through the writings
Of the philosophers, from Plato to Tom
Lawson. / have few thoughts OF my own
on the subject and 1 am going to mix them
up with those OF your mothers and sehd
em along for your ediflcation-sort of an
admonitory sandwich in which the meat Is
from her and crusts from your dad.
The Joke about mothers biscuits IS so OLD
that these scientific fellows who chase
the painting syllable back to Noah's. ark
have found traces Of it in the ruins OF
Nireveh, and it is apparent that II had lost
it's youthful freshness even then. But the
fact that 1t survives the centuries proves
that it is an Illustration of an immortal
crisis In family affairs The gustatory
sense is most acute in youth. AS boys our
chief characteristic Is an internal ana un-
anpea sable hunger. Everything we put
into our little insides, from batter cakes to
ice cream soda, gives us enjoyment That is
animal in its ferocity Naturally the per
son who provides us with the pleasures or
the table during this period becomes the
culinary ideal of our lives. You never
taste such mince pies as mother used 20
make Mother makes the same pies now
uses the same ingredients ana mixes them
with the same consunmate skill, oht tneS
wouldn't give you the supreme satisfaction
they once did. The trouble isn't with the
pies, my boy. 1t is that you have changed
Not a Parallel Case.
So for this reason, and some others 1t
is not fair to compare your wifes cooking
with that upon which you fed in your grow
ing days In these times of really practical
cooking schools It is possible TO find young
women who can give the most experienced
housewives a handicap and peat EN- by d
length Understand me, l say II IS posi-
ble but you would probably have 10 search
a long time before discovering such one
Cooking schools, however excellent, are IKE
all other schools. They merely lay the
founda tions of an education that must De
completed in the postgraduate university
of practical experience, and it Is only once
in while that they turn out a tuti-nedgeu
cook. The average young housewife KNOWS
a little-usually a very little-aDout cooking,
and yet the average man expects ner 10
have the culinary skill of $4,000 chef or
of a woman who has been experimenting
a kitchen for a generation what they
ought to do-what you ought 10 dos To
you come to the table, and If you can't
help making comparisons, for heavens
sake keep EN- 10 yourself GIVE her
chance She'll learn, and with little en-
couragement she'll soon be making pies as
good as mammals best You won't be able
to enjoy them quite so well, because you
have lost some of your capacity for enjoy
ment, and you can't appreciate their equal
excellence because you have placed halo
around the memories of mammals pies.
Your mother is a mighty good cook, but
she lacked a whole lot of being one when !
married her thirty years ago, and your wife
VIII have to be ground through the same
MILL Help her along. No matter II the
biscuits are little soggy or the steak over
done. You are young yet and can stand 1t.
At any rate, you won't make matters better
by comparison or criticisms.
There have been about as many homes
broken up by smart Aiecky husbands as
there hive been from causes recognized by
the law Your wife may be lacking In some
of the qualifications of housewife. but
have strong doubts about your ability to
teach her. When my old chum Rob RAM
sey got married to little Mollie Peterson he
at once assumed the high and mighty lord
protector air. She was just out of a con-
vent and didn't know anything but French
and fancy work. and Bob undertook to
education she made up in spunk, and In
side of two weeks she was back at her
mothers, and Bob was down on his knees
asking for forgiveness 1t WAS case OF
genuine love, and they fixed 1t up Today
she Is one of the best housekeepers and
one OF the most faithful and devoted wives
In America, but she wouldn't have been II
pointed out to you before. you can't break