Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-18
DON'T ECONOMIC
ON THE TABLE


Copyright 1905 by Joseph B. Bowles)
+ was sitting day in a ferry boat,
and 1 could not avoid hearing the con-
% versadon of the women who were my
fellow passengers. One of them was very
beautifully dressed and her friend seemed
impressed with the elegance of her costume,
on which she made admirng comments.
particularly praising the richness OF the
material and the exclusiveness of the style.
You don't get style like this said the
first, unless you pay for it. I went to
Nine. x, and her prices are frightfully
high, but was willing to meet them, for
1 had made the subject of dress a study,
and was determined to look as we'll as.any
one in the town. I see by your expression
that you are wondering how 1 managed it
on Edwards salary. I did it by economy.
I never go beyond my means. I make It
a rule to save on my table. Edward and
the children get along quite as we'll on cheap
cuts of meat and on Goldfish and potatoes
as they would on beefsteak and chops such
as you have on your table all the WHILE
The other woman shooh her head. John
would never allow saving on the table. He
insists that the children must be nourished
with the best food and that he would
rather pay the butcher than the DOCTOR
The boat bumped against the dock, and
as our custom is in this hurrying country,
we all rushed together to make the land
ing with what speed We Hi6ni anu ~ Sldft
on our several ways. OF my neighbors In
the cabin I saw no more, but l had my
private conclusions about wife and
mother whose vanity was go pronounced
that for the sake OF personal adornment,
rich garments, and costly finery, she delib-
erately abridged the supplies of her table.
/ had a vision of her husband somewhat
scantily fed and of her children aenemic
and palNd In order that she might hold
her own with the wives of weather. men
than Edward. l had great respect for
John OF the sturdier fiber, and for his SEN
sibIe wife. 1t Is misnamed economy that
puts the emphasis of living on dress and
spends so much for clothing that neither
body nor brain can be furnished with
tains physical strength at the highest
point of excellence.
l do not think that many American Wom-
en- make this egregious blunder. Inc a1pha-
be, Of frugality is so little understood by
most of US that expend far more than
we need on the table, the same rate OF Law
isfiness running straight through all our
daily conduct and through the ordering Oh
our homes Every one has heard the Oft
repeated observation that 1anily All
France can 1--we comfortably on what In an
American kitchen Is hanituaiiy throWn
away Undoubtedly there is some truth IN
this, many women having had no preiin-
mary training in taking care of left-overs
and of odds and ends, and others having
not the faintest idea Of what and how 10
buy course in marketing should be
part Of every young womans education and
@ course in catering would do few girls any
harm.
The ordinary cook and housenlaid survey
with scorn the mistress who keeps tally of
the sugar, butter and eggs that are used In
the kitchen. and regards with dlstaVor me
thrifty habit of keeping on the back or the
range that pot-au-feC, into which every
hoIsekeeper In France puts the scraps ana
bits that combine to make a saVory SOUP
4
A good table is one on which at every
meal appetIzing and nourishing food Is
placed In sufficient variety to tempt the pal.
ate and build up the family. from the baby
to the grandfather, in health and Vlgor
We hear a great deal in these days about
food adulteration, and 1t is safe to say that
people who depend largely on canned goods
and prepared foods should buy only OF the
best manufacturers, and avoid those whose
wares cannot stand the test OF chemical
analysis.
To say that all such foods are adulterated
Is to speak foolishly. and to utter sweep
ing censure that Is not deserved. Tnere are
firms whose very names guarantee their re-
sponsibility, and whose imprint on any
brs nd of meat or vegetables may be IN
stantly and fear!essly accepted. Here there
is peril in choosing what Is offered at
bargain The cheapest viands on the gro
GERS counter are not invariably the best
Probably a day is coming when foods of
every kind will be submitted, as milk and
cream now are. to critical inspection. SO
that homes may be guarded from the subtle
nelson's that Turk under the disguise of at
tractive articles for the table.
What constitutes a good table? The an
A..