The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-25
Mrs. Meri7ue1er Tells Dolly How the Fifteen Cent
 Lunches at the Y. w. C. A. Tea Room Are Gotten Up
sy DOLLY DALRYMPLE

Every morning between the hours of 9 o'clock and the late afternoon, there may be found at her desk in the Young Woman's Christian association tea room a stately, beautiful woman, her crown of snow white hair forming an aureole above her bright. lovely face, speaking the grand dame of the old school that she is.
 Her presence lends a dignity and an elegance to the simple surroundings which make no claim to aristocracy-ex- cept the aristoeraey of genuneness and wholesomeness of sweet camaradarie among girls who are out in the world struggling for a livelhood-the best aristocracy, the finest arstocracy and the most sincere aristocracy that society has ever known.
 Mrs Mary S. Meriwether. whose per- sonality has thus been but faintIy drawn--is the genius to whose splendid management and wonderful business acumen the Y. ". C. A. tea room owes it's success
 ''In the years gone by, Mrs. Meri- wether belonged to the army one of the members of the board of directors of the Young Women's Christian association said. in speaking of this clever woman recently. She was out west for sev- eral years living at army posts among the soldiers and presiding over their mess halls,'' and that's where she learned system, order and method. She s a West Point graduate when 1t comes to discipline. She's taken her degree Of general. No wonder she has been a success here.''
 
 Yes, that's the point exactly; Mrs. Meriwether observes the old precept that "order Is heavens first law" to the let ter.
 She's as systematic as an eight-day clock; she's thorough; she's economic, and she knows how and when to buy. and if the Young Women's Christian association had looked the world over they couldn't have found anybody who could have taken charge of the tea room and brought it up to the high standard of excellence and popularity that Mrs. Meriwether has established.
 At the entrance to the pretty tea room, the guests are greeted with a distinct impression of cleanliness, wholesomeness and refinement throughout.
 The little bamboo hangings, the att tra actively tinted walls, the spick and span little tables with their snowy white lunch cloths and the dainty napkins make an appeal to the fastidiously in- clined and do not fail to impress the perspective most pleasantly of those who are, as someone expressed it, used to ee ting around at all sorts of places
 The food is delicious, well cooked, nicely combined and quickly served.
 Everything that the market affords in season is presented on the menu, and 1t would indeed be critical appetite that couldn't find something eatable each day at this cozy little place.
 And such lunch for 15 cents you've scarcely ever seen as they serve at the Young Women's Christian association tea room.
 Glancing around at the empty plates during the lunch hour you are reminded of the precedent set by Jack Spratt and his wife, who Clicked the platter clean which after all that is the greatest compliment that can be paid to any hostess when you are partaking of her hospitality it shows that you've cer- tainly liked the food and thoroughly en- joyed it, and you feel like the little boy who said after eating a whole cake.' it taste like morei