The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-06
THIS WOMAN FEEDS
 TIE BACHELORS Widow Finds Hay to Earn $50
 a Week IN HE WINTER TIME Discovered That Bachelors Keeping House Need Somebody to superin- tend Dinners They Give To
 Their Friends.
IN HE WINTER TIME

Last winter made 80 a week super 1 intending dinners for bachelors and expect to make as much every week dur ing the present season." The speaker was an attractive widow in the early 40's who until a few years ago had a charming home of her own.
 Not very long after my husband s death,' she went on, "an unmarried friend of his while calling on me lamented the fact that he had invited party of friends to dine with him two evenings hence. He wasn't a bit sure he wouldn't after all take them to a restaurant instead of having them come to his house. AL though he paid his servants good wages he couldn't be sure the dinner when served wouldn't be a mess.
 l" Pay me for my trouble and I'll see that it is not d mess,' 1 told him, and while l was in earnest I little dreamed what a business would grow from it.
 "As there was nothing the matter in his household except that his servants needed a head there was little for me to do and things went off swimmingly. l never gave a better dinner in my own home, which is saying a good deal If one can believe ones friends. As my em- ployer was candid enough to give the true reason for the success of his dinner when his friends complimented him on 1t two of the men present wanted to give me orders at once.
 ''The next day my friend called on the pretext of thanking me for coming to his rescue and to hand me his check in pay ment Before he left he let me know, after considerable embarrassment, about the two men who were willing to pay me for the same service. Poor fellow, he seemed to fancy that I would look upon it as an affront to be asked to go to the house of men I did not know.
 q saw at once that it was my oppor- tunity to put our relations on a business basis Laughingly I assured him that it had not been his friendship for my hus- band that had induced me to take charge of his dinner but the desire to earn much needed money. It would give me great pleasure to do the same work not only for the two men he mentioned at the same price but also for any other gentlemen who had need of my services, I added.
 That is the way I began. My method of procedure is almost as simple
 "Of course 1 can only take one order for an evening. My first step after book ing an order is to find out as nearly as possible the ideas of the host. l divide my inquiries under three heads-cost, number of guests and color scheme
 "Often the number of guests is all that I can learn. 1 am usually told to go ahead and give a good dinner and make the table look as well as I can. Such an order gives me an opportunity to ap- pear at my very best, and when I know the taste of the man I am to work for I never feel the slightest doubt about pleasing him.
 My first appearance in the house is always the most trying, for servants, especially cooks, seem to resent the entrance of an outsider as a personal insult. On two occasions every servant in the house walked out of the base ment door as soon as they learned that I was upstairs in the dining room.
 "In the first instance I explained my position and prevailed on them to return, but in the second there was no such good luck. It was either they or I. If the master was not satisfied with cooks way of preparing his meals and the buffers s way of serving them they'd get out. If he was satisfied, then l should go back where I had come from and leave them to attend to their business.
 Fortunately I had very good general houseworker in my own apartment whom I had taught to be an excellent cook. She was plucky little Swede and she dug up two cousins, a young man and a young woman to help.
 With the assistance of .these three I not only cooked and served the dinner for F gentlemen, but also had a valet and a parlor maid on duty whenever their services were needed. It was work, yes hard work, but 1t won me the reputation of being able to meet any sudden emer- gency.
 My employer was so pleased that I think he would have paid me almost any amount but I stuck to the terms of our bargain and would only take $5 for my share of the work. He paid the man and woman, of course, but not an exorbitant amount, and gave my little cook gen. erous tip. He also followed my advice by refusing to take back the striking ser Va hts afterward.
 It was rather amusing less than month later as I was finishing my duties in house where 1 had known the host socially before my husbands death, to have the cook confide to me that she had been the leader of the strikers. She had the grace to add that had she known me as well then as she did at the time she was speaking she would never have dreamed of walking out.
 Besides arranging the table, serving the dinner and seeing that all the articles of food are of the quality desired I have a good many recipes of my own. which I often use. When I go into house for special dishes myself, or at least superin- tend the doing of 1t.
 Where the cook is willing to learn and help this Is not necessary on later occa- sions. Every intelligent cook Is only too glad to add to her list of accomplish ments. On several occsions l have been called on to give recommendations to cooks changing their employment They ask me to state that they have given sat isfaction while under my management and have learned to make dishes which are my specialties.
 ''Of course my field Is limited to gentle men who have their own homes, either houses or apartments. It Is not only pleasant for them to be able to entertain their friends In the privacy of their homes but it is much cheaper. Where the serv- ants are reliable, dinner for F can be given for what the same dinner would cost if served for three in a irst-class | hotel or restaurant.
 | "Foodstuffs in New York are not so | vary coatlv If is the service and rents