The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-10-19

e y II lIIlU 0Iul: .
One Housekeeper Who Says She
Has Solved the Help"
Question.
"A Friend Of the Family" in the KAN
sas City Star:
I'm sick and tired of hearing tho
help question discussed, hopelessly,
by every woman 1 know. don't go to
card party, a reception, the matinee,
or make call or receive a call that
I don't hear the help knockers.
I've tried four in the last six weeks
low them around the house and tell
them what to do. They make more
| work than they do and it's something
| scandalous the way they lord it over
you! Why, they just tyrannize you
| with their independence. l haven't
| been downtown in" and so on. and so
on.
When I hear them go on like that
I just say to myself: "You foolish,
foolish creatures Why. don't you try
my simple. sensible plan; avoid all the
and bringing on the wrinkles?''
The secret? Really, it isn't any,
! thing worthy to be called a secret. II
you have a tyrant in your kitchen just
! tell her to pack her belongings and
leave-now, today. don't wait. And IL
you have searched the town high and
low for one, stop looking. You don't
| want her. Don't take her if she tries
| to break into your household. Just
| jump in and do the work yourself.
| You'll be happier, your husband will
like it better and the children. II you
have any, will be healthier, brighter,
and will love you more.
! 20 my!" you say. II can't do that.
I never cooked meal in my life. I
wouldn't know how to go about it."
Have You Ever Tried to Coo19
My answer to that is: Have you
ever tried? No? Well how can you
know what you can do until you've
tried. The woman doesn't live who
can't cook. It's natural women's work.
| OF course, you're not Mrs. Rorer.
You don't have to be. But with her
cook book you can get along splendid
ly. Fancy cooking isn't necessary.
Plain, wholesome food is best. And
you'll be surprised to learn how much
interest the others of the family will
take in your efforts and how willing
they will be to put up with some fall
ures for few days until you get into
| practice.
Take breakfast for instance. Some
fruit, cereal, bacon and eggs per-
haps. coffee and toast. Why girl Of
10 could prepare that meal and have
everything delicious. Even "a man
could cook it after couple of lessons.
| Luncheon? He'll take that down.
! fnyUn nd 20 orrHy hot I've
to school or buy 1t there. If they come
home, a cold meal is all anybody wants
in the middle of the day.
Dinner at night will be your prin-
cipal meal. And that doesn't have to
be elaborate. A roast of beef or leg
of lamb, broiled steak or chops or fish,
or even fried meat-if you're foolish
enough to cook it that way-none Of
them is hard to prepare. Potatoes are
easy, too. Boil them and mash them
or bake them at first until you learn
some of the SO or more various ways
| to prepare this useful vegetable. With
one other vegetable. salad now and
| then that you don't have to cook and
| a simple dessert you have g. meal that
you won't have to be ashamed Of You
| haven't any idea how easy It all is
| with natural gas.
One of Those Domestic <eTreasures.''
This is my experience. I was mar
| ried about three years ago and we
went to live in an apartment building
Five rooms was our allotment Of the
space. Never a bit Of homework or
| cooking had I done. Not even the
little experience that most girls have
at home was mine. Hotels and board.
ing houses had been my lot. I hired
a girl, of course, when went to
housekeeping. Everybody said 1t was
the proper thing to do and I got one
| of those treasures" that you all have
| had recommended to you. 1t wasn't
long before we learned that our domes-
tic was In the way. Our apartment
| was so small that there really wasn't
room for her. We hadn't any privacy
at all, and although she was good
hearted and meant well enough, just
know that girl gossiped about the
| little things that come up in every.
family-things you don't particularly
care to have noised about extensively.
| 1t wasn't long until we found that
our food bills were much larger than
we had expected they would be. We're
too extravaganza, I thought, and I be-
gan to economic wherever could see
an opportunity. But it didn't do any
good. And then learned the reason,
After the first hint Of it I watched
carefully for few days and the way
that domestic Of ours wasted good
food was sinful. 1t just made me sick.
And no amount Of persuasion and
caution and threatening affected her
In the least.
The Fun of Kitchen Experiments.
Then I discharged her. Not without
a pang. of course, and-weu, did CRY
a little when I reflected that every
thing seemed to be going wrong just
when I wanted it to go smoothly. I
didn't see how I was going to get
along until I found another girl-mind
you, 1t never occurred to me to try to
do without one. In desperation 1 went
to the kitchen. / was the victim of
circumstances but the way things have
turned out I regard it as one of the
most fortunate circumstances that
could happen to anybody.
Perhaps I've painted it all in colors
too rosy. There are some drawbacks.
Dishwashing IS drudgery Of the worst
kind. But think Of the china and the
cut glass you'll save from being
broken! Anyway it won't take YOU
more than an hour a day to keen the
dishes and the nOtS and name cloor