The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12
0. HENRY'S INSPIRER
COOK IN GIRLS CLUB
Anne Partlan Volunteered in
Emergency and Is Glad
She Did.
BELIEVES IN REAL SERVICE
Thinks Toll in Kitchen Would
Save Many Women From
Sanitariums.

Anne rartlan. the New York newspaper
worSn Who esvs o. Henry his facts about
working girls, Is now cooking in a work.
ing girls club.
81 have been trying to help girls all my
life" she said yesterday, land this is the
FIRST real service | have ever been able
to do them. The cook burned her arm
last week while I was sitting here at
luncheon and ] tied towel round my
head and went out into the kitchen. I've
been there ever since and don't mind
how long stay. Big business Is making
women a race OF clerks. but every woman
can be an autocrat In her own kitchen,
you know"
She wiped her flushed cheeks and smiled
a tired. contented smile as she glanced
about the cool deserted sitting room OF
the Girls Protective League. at 162 Madi-
son avenue. There was not girl In
sight. though big party had just left
for the new camp at Butler, n. j.. with
which Philip J. Van wyck has Just pre-
scented them The only reminder was
stray tennis ball.
I'm so glad people are coming to realize
that there are girls in the world who are
living on s. week" Miss Partlan con-
tinued. as she picked 1t up. They never
gave thought to such thing when I
came TO New York and began to write
twenty years ago. The first woman TO
do any real social service work was Miss
Katherine Diamond matron OF the Belle
vue Hospital dispensary.
Beginning of Interest In Girls.
"She had no help at all except her own
salary and such encouragement as a few
doctors like young DR.. Goldwater gave
her. One terribly cold night she came to
mel was living in n furnished room and
doing my own cooking-you see now
whore learned-to ask II could spare
some clothing for a girl she had found
working in button factory in Crosby
street for 81 week She had lived In
cellar with an old German couple until
she got tuberculosis and had to go to the
dispensary.
II gave her what could spare, though
il wasn't much But I have seen the
SOCIAL service grow into a real force until
even sheltered women who have never
known what II was to earn $3.50 a week
and live OH It began establishing places
like this where girls could get something
besides crackers and pickles and cheese
10 eat. You wouldn't know II to look at
them--they have to look well to keep
their jobs--but ! have seen the terrible
nervous breakdowns that come before 30,
when a girl begins the crackers and tea
diet at i6
"Girls to-day are worse of than we
were, for their mothers don't make them
learn to cook and they live out of the
dclcatessen stores. I've always had to
be thankful for that no matter how little
l had to cook | could make IL palatable.
for was one of big family, where every
one of us had to share the work.
"I got acquainted with o. Henry
through n little story called Among
Themselves which was printed in Success
MaOasine and then copied into the Dallas
Times. He told me the hand to mouth
Efe that girls led in New York room
Ing houses interested him. and when he
oame to New York he looked me up.
Genius, hut Did Not Pose.
81 used TO have parties of my friends
I'D to meet him. and they never dreamed
that this Mr. Porter, who fitted 30 well
into our queer makeshft life. was a
genius He had absolutely no pose He
used to call me the wonder because l could
get "A dinner for four Oh n one burne gas
pl..te---but he had come from the land of
plenty. But The Unfinished story and
Tn, Third Ingredient were taken straight
from life. That is why there Is never
anything sordid in the little stories. We
were poor enough in our dingy rooms. but
he saw the little pleasures and surprises
that made life bearable to us.
81 did advertising and fiction and mems
styles-oh. anything ] had even gone
into a department store to get local color,
though that was unusual in those days.
Everywhere ] found the terrible lack OF
food The girls were starving with a
smile. OF course | never could do any
thing about it--not until tied that towel
around my head last Tuesday. walked
into that kitchen as | might have gone to
an editor with good story and set TO
work cleaning up. had been worried 20
death over my own affairs, for have been
out OF work, but it took me just about
half an hour to get back my mental poise.
1.-THE big quantities that | had TO cook
staggered me at first but ] had plenty OF
advice, and everybody seemed to like
what | cooked. You see my hands arc
all swollen from trying to carve the four
teen pound roasts-I had to have the
butcher cut them into two pieces for me
| had never cooked en- casserole before
that is something new, you see, but | go
along all right ! forgot the ice tea n,
nrst day, but that was the only tragedy
And no matter how tired ! am II all goa'
when I look in the door and see sixty
girls who have had good meal for /.
cents.
How to Avoid sanitariums.
Even when I have both hands full
am so happy that | could stamp my fee
and whistle. The kitchen IL n flne place
after all. II some of the nervous womei
realized IT and spent more time working
with their hands there they wouldn't hav
to spend much time in sanitariums.
don't know how long | shall stay and
don't care"
Here is the menu which Miss Partlal
served yesterday:
Corned beef, carrots peas...... .le
Vegetable salad ...,,,,,.,,..,.. ~
Beef loaf. mashed potato, IL
Hot Cold.
-ss....... o2 Milk........ 90
toHee,...., .oS Tea. ,O3
cocoa ,..... .OS
The restaurant couldn't do il a
those prices II II had to pay any rent,
added Miss Partlan. but the Protectiv
League has to have room for it's efficienc
classes. II has all sorts of classes 10
lonely girls who need a helping hant
There are 100 members now, though