El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-01
The Cook Girls Secret
Was That OF Happiness ana She
Found 1t IN Trying to Do Her
Best and Be Content.
By Lillian Lauferfv.

T-ST how much do you know about
your cook? On, yes, you may an
swer that she always burns the
steak on one side, or that her salad
dressing has that Thousand Island
stuff at the Lobster palace beaten a
thousand and one ways. OF that her
lemon pie deserves the name. But do
you know your coOk-unIess she hap
pens to be also your wife-as an in
dividuaI, as a living, breathing human
being, with thoughts and ideas and
feeling very much like your own?
Pretty, red haired Irish Nora had
been the presiding deity of our
kitchen for three years and had
always prided myself on the kindly,
friendly spirit-entirely free from
cOndescensiOn-I had shown toward
her. But have recently learned 4
pleased with yourself for the charm
ingly democratic spirit you are show
ing toward some one, you are prob
ably treating that individual in a suf-
ficiently Lady Clara We're de we're
Naughty Beauty manner to make the
" ord sister" stink in shame right out
Of the English language
Nora, as an individual, introduced
herself to me IN this wise: do you
think your mother would be willing
to get another vegetable man and let
Mr. Hobbs gOF'
why do you ask that, NoraE'
Just as favor to me, Miss. You
see, it's this way. Mr. Hobbs keeps
a-cOmIn' TO see me, though I have
asked him not agin and agin- and last
evening he asked me TO marry him, an
I said no, so I think it would be best
to get a new vegetable man"
was inclined to treat the matter
facetiOusly; it was only an affair OF
the cooks DO you think he viii
revenge himself BY giving Us in
feriOr vegetables in future, EOra?"
'Oh, no MISS ne IS Tar too much
the gentleman for thatI You see that
much the gentleman"
Too Much the Gentleman
You see, ne owns his own vege-
table farm and has a high school edu-
cation and his folks stand well IN the
community. Now, how would it do for
him 10 marry q servant girl2 He does
not belong to my world, Miss. ] don't
belong to his class, and as I don't hold
with such marriages, and there amt
much happiness in them, an he will
I just thought maybe your mother
would fix things SO I won't be tempted
to do what would never come out well
for any Of Us both"
I considered Nora as a girl like my
self suppose you consider her, too,
little sisters, In your home nests
Think her over as a girl-a real girl
not merely as cook, and q repre-
sentative OF the servant class
In her own world Nora has many
friends She works hard and plays
God called her to a certain place in
the world 50 why not fill that place
to the best OF her ability, instead OF
trying to leap two or three rings OF
a social ladder TO a place she might
De entirely unable to iii when she
got there2 That is Nora's philosophy.
Ambition and ATarfce-
Now don't think that have no
ambition at all, Miss. I just would
like to go on slow and sure In this
world ana when / am going to go
anywhere make sure first that can
stay put aIIer I arrive.
I've tried other things besides be-
ing servant could just live aIOner
on the dollar and a quarter a day
could make as seamstress. Working
up in that TO where I could SUPPORT
myself and do a little for nv folks
was too slow for what 1 seemed to
work up most OF all was my appetite
And could not live on what 1 could
Duy- So / took a place and tried to
learn manicuring the while. I wasn't
the kind for shOp-not bright
enough IN the way a manicure girl
has 10 be- 1 seemed lost somehow, and
here 1 am found; so here I stay in the
class belong"
Do You Enjoy Life.
But you are young like ne, Nora
Don't you want to enjoy life? Don't
you ever want q good timer
Indeed DO, Miss, and I have it
It, but sometimes I think I have more
fun than you and your friends 1 can
90 to a dance in a white shirt waist
and enjoy il fine; IL I haven't got a
fellow to take me, I can 20 about Nv
mesilf and have a good time without
anyone saying a word against me
And on. Miss, dear If you only knew
what fun II IS TO have no worries
about what anyone says 7 Just 20
on my own way, working all I can.
and havin' all the fun I have time
Tor and there's no one 7 envy or who
envieS me-sO now, what more should
/ be after Wantin'Ts
Pretty red haired Irish Nora - I
think you have Just missed the great
secret after all
Catherine, the chambermaid. who
was ashamed of her work, and who
dared not let her friends know the
nature Of that toll lest they cast her
aside in scOrn-Catherine had no
clue to the secret
aiecercBTf-s etaoin shrdIu shrdluuuu