The Washington times., 1911-05-05

nice ways OIL ISlnS tnat. And you may
| have griddle cakes and-you wait and
see the thing III give you for breakfast.
| You'll have to have q good luncheon of
course, but we'll have our principal meal
when You get back from work at night
| But you won't get steak When we do
get meat well buy soup bones and
meat we can bfil. And instead of pies
and cakes weA have nourishing pud-
| dings of cornstarch and rice. There's s
another good point-rice. It's cheap and
well have lot Of IL. Look at how the
Japanese live on 1t day after day and
keep fat and strong. Then there's cheap
hsh-rock cod and such to make good
chowders of or to fry in pork fat like
the bass nd tout / used to have back
home. Then there's baked beans. We
ought to have them at least twice a
week in the winter. But this summer
We live mostly on fish and vegetables.
l can get them fresh at the market"
1T sounds good,'' / said.
Just you wait" she cried excitedly.
'I'lI fatten up both you and the boy"
And yourself, little woman" / re-
minded her. I'm not. going to take
the saving out of you"
Don't you worry about me, she an
swered. This will be easier than the
other life. 1 shan't have to worry
the boy. And it isn't going to take
any time at all to keep these four rooms
clean and s9eet.
took the rest of the week as a
sort of vacation and used II to get ac-
qua1nted with my new surroundings
It's fact that this section of the city
which for twenty years had been with
foreign to me as Europe. | had never
before been down here and all ! knew
about II was through the occasional
headlines in the papers in connection
day or two l felt as though / ought to
carry a revolver Whenever / was
forced to leave Ruth alone in the house
instructed her upon no circumstances
ranged a secret rap-an idea that
pleased him mightily-and until she
heard the single knock followed by
two quick sharp ones. she was not TO
answer. But in wandering around
among these people it was difficult to
ment was laughing, indolent-appear
ing group: Ne scattered Jewish folk
were almost timid and kept very much
to themselves. l didn't find a really
tough face until I came 10 the water
front where they spoke English.
On the third morning after a break
fast of oatmeal and hot biscuit-and,
by the way. Ruth effected a 50 per cent
fashioned formula of soda and cream
of tartar instead of baking powder
and baked potatoes, Ruth and the boy
and myself started on an exploring trip.
Our idea was to get line on just what
our opportunities were down here and
TO nose out the best and cheapest places
TO buy. The thing that impressed us
right off was the big advantage we had
in being within easy access of the big
provision centers. We were within ten
minutes walk of the market. within
fifteen of the water front, within three
Of the square and within twenty of the
department stores. At all of these
places we found special bargains for
hn 40, IL -,
from a distance.
If one rose early and reached them
about as soon as they were opened one
could often buy things almost at cost.
and, sometimes below cost For instance,
we went up town to one of the largest
but cheaper grade department stores
we had heard its name for years, but
had never been inside the building-and
we found that in their grocery depart
ment they had special mark-downs
every day in the week for limited sup
ply Of goods. We bought sugar this day
at cent pound less than the market
price. and good beans for cents a
quart less. 1t sounds at first like rather
picayune saving, but 1t counts up at the
end of the year. Then every stall in
the market mad its bargain OF meats
wholesome bits, but unattractive to the
careless buyer. We bought here for
so cents enough round steak for several
good meals of hash. We couldn't have
and even at that we wouldn't have
known anything about It for the store
was too far for Ruth to make a per-
sonaI visit. and the butcher himself
would never have mentioned such an
odd end to a member of our neighbor-
hood.
We enjoyed wandering around this big
market which in itself was like trip
to another land. Later one Of our ia
yorite amusements was to come dawn
here at night and watch the hustling
crowds and the lights and the pretty
colors and confusion. It reminded Ruth,
she said, of a country fair. She always
carried a pad and pencil and made notes
of good places to buy. l still have those
and am referring to them now as write
this.
name) mice clean store with pleasant
statesmen. Has good soup bones"
Aagin, BLANK and Blank-good place
to buy sausage"
Here. too. the market gardeners gath
cred as early as o'clock with their
vegetables fresh from the suburbs. They
did mostly a wholesale business, but If
to buy of them a cabbage or q head of
lettuce or a few apples or a peck of
potatoes They were a genial. ruddy-
checked lot and, after a while, they
came to know Ruth. Often I'd go up
there with her before work and she with
a basket on her arm. would buy fec the
day II was always, Good morning,
miss" In answer TO her smile. They
were respectful whether / was along
or not.