The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-09-09
LEAVE IT TO THE SISTERSg-
BY GEORGE ABE

TN FLORIDA, what they call din
ner de luxe at a night-blooming
l. noise factory may bring you
check for S.. Anything around S.
is a bargain price for the hurry-up
repast served with dancing by the GUS
toners and cavorting cuties in floor
show" Two bits for the food and $4.75
for the smoke and the elbowing and
the alcoholic vapors. 1t may surprise
the spenders who frequent these noe
turnal resorts to learn that good din
ner or supper is worth, at the market,
just 80 cents. That is the top. That is
the stabilized price, decreed by custom
and honored by long practice. 1t is not
preceded by cocktails or washed down
with that very expensive fluid known
as "giggle-water" 1t is served by
friendly waitress who expects no tip.
The women of the small towns have
learned the secret of making money by
serving food for practically nothing.
They cannot raise their prices because
the traffic couldn't bear the increase.
Oyster suppers used to come as low as
25 cents head in the good old days
but now the patrons demand courses"
and are critical of the bill of fare and
take a lot Of waiting on-all for 80
cents.
Women are the mortgage-lifter for
churches, clubs and all kinds Of local
societies and helping-hand organiza-
tions. They have more enthusiasm than
the men and their teamwork is better.
What is more, they get lot of fun
out of modifying in buzzing flock to
assemble their contributions and spread
the tables.
Mrs. A. is natural born cake-maker
with figs and the other stuffed with
hickory nuts. Such cakes are practical
ly unobtainable in the city and are
priceless samples of homecoming but,
just the same, they go into the 80 cent
jackpot.
Mrs. B. is sensational biscuit max
er, with a good degree of local renown.
Her job is to provide the light and
fluffy rolls.
Mrs. c. is the local queen in the
domain Of trimmings" such as cot
tage cheese, grape jelly and strawber-
~ preserves. She robs her own shelves
in order to make the party a success.
She has to be a liberal contributor in
order to keep up with the others and
head off any sly suggestion that she
has strain of stepmother in her.
Mrs. D. is the prize coffee maker.
Mrs. E. is the supreme authority on
chicken and noodles. The T. girls know
how to get floral decorations for the
table. Mrs. G. has had long experience
in bossing mattresses. Mrs. Fl. is de-
mon pie maker.
The supper" represents an assem-
bling of units, turned out by experts,
and the finished product lays over
what you get at filling stations and
lunch counters.
If you have great crowd of peo-
pie to feed, the best thing you can DO
is to make a deal with the sisters.
They will bring an army of mattresses
who would cost more, If you hired
them, than the total bill turned in by
the lady manager. The girls of all ages
love the hutter and hopping about and
genial hub-bub of an indoor celeDra-
ton and waiting on the table, when II
is done as a labor of love, becomes an
adventure and a gay experience. The
comical male customers are given to
bantering conversation with the wait
ress (known by her first name), and
she must talk back and be sure OF
many a hearty guffaw, because every
thing is at high tension and any KIND
of wise crack is a welcome relief ana
sure-fire hit. After it is all over the
girls count up what they have taken In
and put it in the treasury as velvet. !"
It's a good thing they don't charge for
their time and the physical toll and
the nervous energy.
Out at my place in the country we
have had some big parties, mostly for
city visitors. They want fried chick
en-. You cannot provide "springers,
with an unlimited number Of helpings