HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1908-4-23, Page 6C/y
Ca -n2 e/2z,
WHEN one of my well -beloved
constituents lays to my )land
the text for the weekly fa-
miliar talk with the Ex-
change, I rejoice and atm exeet'dingly
thankful. I know then that I atm not
drawing a bow at a venture. Such defi-
nite aim was given nie by "Julia" a
fortnight ago. A young housemother in
another section of our territory compels
my attention today.
"I kept my father's house for five
years before my marriage. My mother
died when I was a child.. Tbtn my eld-
est sister took charge of the household
and held the reins until she was mar-
ried. I was then 1S. I married at 23.
another sister taking my place at the
head of the table as general manager.
"I am telling you this that you may
comprehend that I atm no novice in
housewifery. I even know how to build
a coal fire. (Poor Martha: My heart
bled for her.) What I do not know Is
hew to train a new cook. In my father's
hones we had trained workers. He
could afford to pay for them, My John
has his way to make in the world and
I want to be a true helpmeet. I would
have a wining plain cock and train her
If I knew how 1.0 set about It. 1 have
my eye upon a middle-aged Irish Wom-
en, who, her late employer says, 'is
neat, willing, sober, industrious and a
plain Wok.' I used the same phrase
just now. I take it to mean that she
does not know bow to make 'fancy des-
serts' and entrees. t'pon these I am
particularly strong. I am said to have
a genius for made dishes. I learned
much In this line from a good-natured
Frenchwoman who lived with us as
000lc for three years. She took a fancy
to me and let me into many secrets of
the trade.
"Will my 'Bridget' be willing to learn
these and other nice branches Of ber
profession from me? If so, how shall
I go about teaching her? I am board-
ing w•llile getting the house in order,
and the woman would like to take a
month off, She has e. friend In Harris-
burg whom elle has not seen in many
years, and this interregnum of service
seems a good time for visit.
'My sister-in-law (John's sister) dis-
eonrages the engagement of this wom-
an. She advises me to take h. young
girl and train her. She says old cooks
are unmanageable. And 5 recollect
your Martha's friend was of the like
opinion She thought that 'cooks over
forty are either drunk or crazy.' Please
tell me why: Is there any reason why
I should not teach a 40 -year-old woman
how to do certain things a little finer
and nicer than what she already knows?
Ssfy opinion is that she would be more
easily taught than a headstrong, bump -
1
Th�r� •s
frc��r .%%%I
Iia TBf�rra-g
Holm young...girl, whose mind is running
upon dress and beaux,
Let us have a symposium in the
Exchange en this head.
"Meanwhile, give me a few points
upon training a coolc into new woys.
Let me say that X said something like
the above to Bridget and she took it
kindly. She said, 'All mistresses has
their own ways, av coarse, mem.'
"Wasn't that promising?
"ADA I2. (Bradford, Pa.)."
It Is alwaysand everywhere en un-
gracious task to bring youthful enthu-
siasms down on the run. And the -men-
tor usually earns the 111 -will of those he
would serve. This risk I now incur, de-
liberately and, I beg you to believe, un-
willingly. For I have yet 1.0 see the el-
derly cook who took kindly to training
in unfamiliar ways. "Please tell me
why?" you ask, and I will try to an-
swer in as few words as possible.
USUALLY ILLITERATE
She is almost invariably Illiterate
and unused to menial effort, Daniel
Webster said In the last year of his long
life that he never took refuge In a
blacksmith's or wheeiwrlgbt's shed In
a thunderstorm that he didnot learn
something while there. But he was
Webster and your cook la—Bridget or
Thekla or Helms. or Dinah. His mind.
grew with what it fed upon. The habit
of observation and the love of learning
Were practiced all his life, He had am-
bitions. Your elderly cook has none.
He knew—as-does every ono who has
kept up the habits I have named—the
meaning of a "divine dissatisfaction"
withone's own attainments and the
longing for more light and knowledge.
Our cook "knows it alt." She may con-
descend to admit the right of the "mix-
tress" (by courtesy) to have )ler
"ways." At heart she Is sublimely con-
fident that her own ways and ideas can-
not be improved.
I had her in my kitchen once. If the
truth were known, she has been there
repeatedly, and ever with the same re-
sult. The "once" to which I allude
had been 1n "the one family for seven
years" before coming to me. At the
end of a fortnight sho informedme tear-
fully that she "hadn't expected to bo
called upon to do French cookery."
When I asked meekly for particulars, I
was told that none but French cooks
were expected to make soup every day
in the week. "Not that sho minded It
when there was company."
"Why," I hear you repeat, "should a
cook's temper be hotter than a wait-
ress' or achambermaid's, and why
should she bo more unwilling to learn
than they?"
I have asked myself the question a
hundred times. Sometimes I Incline to
belief in the explanation one of the
trade once gave me: "Shure, mem, and
I am thinkin' the fire has somethin' to
do with 11.. It kinder hardens as well as'
hates."
All of which leads me to sec-
ond your new sister's advice. When
I was many years younger and
many pounds lighter than I am
now, and not nearlyy, so busy with
other matters, I took a keen delight in
training young cooks. Now I insist that
those I engage shall know their busi-
ness. I may add that I have been
fortunate in Inspiring them with the
belief that I know it even better than
they can ever do. This should U0 your
first step in the training proem. Let
the woman understand that you are
wiser in your generation than she is in
hers.
ARRANGE YOUR KITCHEN
Arrange your kitchen to suit your-
self before Installing her. Have pot
closets, erOCkery shslveS, ere., in order,
dish towels in their place and plentyof
them, and the range all right as to
draughts and pipes. Leave no room for
grumbling and no dirt and trash for
her to clean away. Go over each de-
partment with her to show her that 011
1s decentand in order and that yon ex-
pect It to be kept thus.
If she be a novice in trio management
of the gas or coal range, lnstruet Lar
gently and clearly on these points. In
giving orders for meals see that silo
knows exactly what eke is to under-
take. If she be absolutely Inexperienced
in the preparation of a dlsll, tell ber
that you will be 1n the kitchen
at a certain time to show her
how it in to be done. Direct her as -to
the materials, to be used and that sho
must have thein ready against your
coming. This is an important step.
Make it clear from the start, and keep
it before )ler to the finish, that every
ingredient Is to bo weighed or meas-
ured. Be punctilious in your practice of
what you preach in this direction.. Ten
Iter that really competent cooks never
"guess"; that this is the trick of the
careless and the boast of the ignorant.
Begin with simple dishes, and let your
share in the manufacture of them be
as carefully performed as if you were
upon your promotion. When she has
done a thing properly, praise her and
encourage her to repeat it. Be content
for a few weeks to have less variety than
you and John would like, that the learn-
er may advance upon firm ground. ,If
sho fail, explain why the disaster has
come to her, and show her how 'to
avoid it in future. Let hor try again
the luckless dish while the lesson is In
her mind.
As she learns how to obey your orders
implicitly, teach her to follow written
recipes. I. bold this to be a n0Ce0sary
qualification in a cook. Some become
excellent workers through the ability
and willingness to do it. Others—usu-
ally the "settled women"—never acquire
the art.
I dined one day with a young house-
keeper who had for cook a girl of 16
THE HOUSEMOTHERS'
EXCHANGE
f"! 0 THE housemother who loves
pretty things and cannot afford
to buy many of them an Illinois
member has something t0 say,
and says it well:
A pretty end novel portiere may be made
by muting scr5ps 01. colored or black silks.
velvets or worsteds, as for rag earpeling.
T1110 done, make long strings of strong
Innen thread, run one end through the eye
of a largo carpet needle; string the strips,
"hit or miss," on the thread, shirring them
by running the thread through the middle
of oaeh and shoving them down close to-
gether. The shorter the strips the prettier
,0111 be the shirred ropes.
• Sicxl, make a loop In one end of each
tering, and bang the strings up on the cur-
tain pole. I make them short In the mid-
dle of the pole, and graduate them toward
each side, entlh they almost touch the neer
ne the casings of the door. 50500 the
strings long enough to make tassels at
the end b doubling the strands several
times, anti ,you have a tassel of She right
piss; Then tie a striate around the bunch
hbeet two inches from 1110 100, Make it
Mtn by sowing all 1.0 the control string.
With tiny 10000 fasten each striae to the
curtain rod, so ,that 1. Will not slip. Ar-
reng0 the 5lrings about two inehee 0110.rt.
Now, 11av0 ready another strand long
00000 to feeteee from Oraltoend 01 1.110
0010. and make 100118 In this nbotlt five
(001105 9 art,
'rtiere 1 is 10ae yell bare a much proffer
0ffair, a than a Ohenp 0060. or aapnnos0
affair, And 1t 00005 nothing, it Is good
rainy day dr ovetleg Work, and dee, not
try the h eyes. ent the 0nSfly a ed: limes,
and ri rho children 111 annoy the .part Of
Mande thorn, 3f you wish to hove the
8(81168 altalike,-. the 1110000 of mut
teller that 310n stlw 10001. 00p1 the ftr't sono, and
11101 want and 050001. tltom I0 hexes Or
"Mirk
them
oaeh ewer separate—and
work from (1080. It in quite children pretty to
Lav 110 1301 110110rn,-056 the clullil won can
d0 0.1 0110 otrinkl]1g 1106 ohlrrmg. It 108On00
thorn varloa0 things, too. Try 101
Another housewifely hint: It you have n0
chopping -knife, or the old one is dull, make
a holo In the bottom of an empty ono -
pound baking powder can. to permit the air
to pass out, and use 1t for a chopper. Of
Coarse, tit° top must have been out oft neat -
1y, leaving the edges clean. It ismuch
better than a meat -cutter for cabbage and
apples, and does not leave the tanto of iron,
as the ellOppin ienit0 d0 -¢s,, .
It ytg-(0 .6.. ' t.
- !Advice to Students
'A mother consults us with regard to a
problem that is engaging hundreds Of
other minds. She begins her letter with
advice to the young student who Staf-
fers from chronic drowsiness and who
sonnet fix her mind upon her studies for
any length of time;
btv 001111501 to "M. IO. S." would be 50
go to bed immediately alter supper, then
arise and study in the early morning
hours. Let her take a Walk before
achool, eat something, hetore she beginsto study. oar, et.4 ocloelt A. M.. and
the regular breakfaet nater the walk.
Let me say here that I think our high
001,0018 require too much of growing
children. 1f we only knew what mediae
would he of use to them In after life end
what then might 5o weal fnngol, thele
100105 would not he 10 burdensome 5nel
WOwould b0 easter In mind. When me
eldest eon Wan 10 I w001d have gond
through 910 and water to Snit forth my.
hove 11110001, high Woad. I could not
send the aider of the TWO, but the second
son Was graduated. Ms brother learned
at trade, etudying at night along the linea
of that trade, and is now 5,0a10tant fore-
man, with the nropeecet et rising 51111
higher. The 000011,1 000, at. Ino ago of
22, Is still undetermine,u Whet to take up
es Lia 11MVOw0,
7 may :Mange my mind again in 1110
11011rs0 of limo but now X think it 1055er
to put a boy who has to make its living
from the start through the common
school, and then have him learn a trade.
I used 0, fancy that they could learn
trades after graduation from the high
school. 1 find It doesn't work that way.
The high school graduate won't lower
himself to do a boy's work, and even
should he Overcome his pl9de, nobody
wants to em0lgy him. The younger boyo
aro preferred. '
I wish other parents would "free
their minds" upon this vital question.
There Is no doubt that a vast deal of
theknowledge learned from the text-
books in use i15 our public schools is of
no practical value to the average work-
ing man in after lite. If the boy have
it bias for mechanics, is it not possible
for some system of examinaton to re-
veal this to the instructor, and the
coureo of study to be conducted along
lines that will develop and utilize that
iolent?
It Is easier to criticise than to sug-
gest a cure for any evil, But I am con-
vinced that the :Placidly uppermost in
this mother's thoughts is a stumbling
block to many another, when she w0nid
fain lend unqualified approval to exist
Ing methods of education, and feel that
her children are working brains and
taxing nerves to the extreme of safety
In directions that will insure them sue -
cess in manhood and womanhood, In
brief, that each ehlld 10 learning what
will be of absolute advantage to flim
in after life.
"Invalid's" Query Answered
I send herewith recipe for whole wheat
bread asked for by Anemic lnvand,"
She stipulates that It shall not contain
Yeast,
Recipe for 'GVhole Wheat Bread. 1
Sift two cups of flour with two tea-
' snoontula of baking powder and a quarter
I teaspoonful of baking soda; add a salt -
spoonful of salt and two teaspoonfuls of
00gar, Make into a stilt dough with two.
cups of sweet milk, and steam for two -
101100 and a half, Rub a little butter over
the loaf and bake for 1,011 an hour,
This In nlo0 for dyspeptics and for table
use -1f sliced and set In the oven until a
light brown.
May I suggest to the anomie invalid to
'
drink rotting at meals or for nn hour be.
fore end after menlO? Rut she should
drink at least two quarts of watera day
between meals. Sip a glass of cold water
et rising In the morning, Cultivate deep
breathing, and (00,0150 as muga es your
strength will venni!: but do not get over -
fatigued. Avoid sweets and sourfoods—
Mich Best
as pickles; eat little ment .
lamb and poultry are host for you, Mas-
lirnto Ihnroughly. Rorer eat more than
three Blade of Mood et one meal, and de
not overeat, open }hose.
'Without being captiolts, tray I Inquire
why you use soda In addition to the
baking p01V4er? I do not think I have
ever met with another realm that calls
for both, unless, indeed, sour milk
Were one of the ingredients. 1 see noth-
ing in the other ar110100 enumerated
that would seem to require the a1ka15 as
a eorrectivo. Your advice In the main 18
exeelieht
Magazines to Give Away
I hevo magazines which some country.
member might like to have, It she to w111 -
Ing to pay the freight, I will pack them in
n box and pay for sending them to the
freight office here. I used to send all the
back numbers to an aunt who lived far
away' from civilization. She appreciated
them highly, She Is ho longer living, and
1 have an accumulation of good reading-
matter which I shall be happy to Ms -
Another Recipe Furnished
I saw some time ago a reavest for
ma110d buttermilk. I inclose mine and
hope It will vlease the Maris! 55 It does
my family.
h ll'Lulled Buttermilk.
Put ono and a halt 05art0 Of fresh but-
termilk anon the afore to hent, Add to it
an•gg beaten Huth. with half a cObtul of
sugar and nutmeg to taste, .Boil up once
and take from the fire,
It Is good hot or cold.
Baked Omelet.
Here 1s a reelpe. for baked omelet whleh
We consider very flnel
Beat tour eggs 'IVY 110)10, With 000
tablespoonful of 1101101 add a tabteOpocnful
or mated butter, a pinch 01 salt an a ov
of sweet monk. p p
Beat Nell and Mit - Into aheated and
buttered baking dish. Bake gquickly aid
serve immediately, lira 1a soon tall& .--
Waterproof Cement
Yea nett In the Exchahgo If rho 00inent5
for wade, 1 0505 recipes W111 wilhstnnd
)heat and water? Seine klndo achina
will when mended. Othere w111 not,
I broke a h05,155me t01teher belonsing (0
It toilet set. I eamted the edges o2 the
fracture with white enamel and 0tted the
Pieces into place. When 11. was dry I
ualnted all around t05 crack, without and
within, cad let it dry for some Ive0lts be-
fore using It. It has been 1n constant nae
over since. I keep 1t 1,111 of water. It
itelther cracks nor 1 and tho crack
hardly allows at„ ally
Using Salts of Lemon
I accidentally upset a bottle of 11010 11000
a tnhlecllolh. I have tried 500011,1 doter-
eives an, bad the Moth washed, but the
stain la little fainter, How should T use
05:10 of 100On? I have been told to apply
11 to rust quota. b0t_S le not 1nn01$ how
to do this,
•
Soak the cloth all night 1n buttermilk,
or In s015r 101110. If you have neither,
soak in water made sour with lemon
juice Or
With
tllrou lift1ot tartar. s and
lay in
Morning
sun. Wet the gaols hourly
With lemon Juice or rub in cream of tar-
tar. Ringo at night and pot again 1.in
soak as before, Then wash in the usual
way.
To apply salts of lemon, wet the spots,
rub in all the salts they will hold, and
lay in the sun, renewing the applica-
tion 0ever0l truce, tulwayS Tinkling before
rabbing In 0 fresh supply.
For Tarnished Brass
-' SIMWIIl soap and ammonia will
cure the worst cases of tarnished
Dross, Jusi molston n cloth with
ammonia, rub it briskly over the punt.
lee soap and then apply 10 the article
to be :leaned. The operation is a girn-
p:e and easy one, and the lOalrlla are
lminodiato and Most satisfactory.
aaretu-•ka q.
-a Swede. 3 praised an Indian -nook
pudding set before us.
I "11, is ono of your own reelpes," was
the laughing reply, "My cook never•
made It: until today, 11115 knows Just
enough to obey a reelptt"
I carte Lama and )old the recipe—
forgotten by myself until it was re.
Cal/ed by my hostrss---bcfore my cook.
The result was gond, but not what it
should be. 11'epalred to the kltehen
and held a colloquy with the ctlief In
entitle and,
"You put too nutria molasses 1n," I
informed her, "lou did not measure
1t."
"No mahtm—" reluctantly. "11ut I
thought I put about enough." That -
sante "thought" and "about enough"
are the stumbling -blocks with hun-
dreds of housewives and cooks, Abol-•
ish them from the kltcllen dictionary.
Insist that nothing be wasted. Ism
glad that you are a 000110laseur In
made dishes, That 15 but another
name for "lett-overs," Teach your
neophyte the dignity at economy and
the vulgarity of wastefulness.
And let us hear hon' you aro getting
on. if you anti other young 1101100-
wlvCs W110 knew how to use the pen
would give us true pictures of your
trials and triumpbs, title would be the
banner School for ITouaewlves In all
America.
FAMILY MEALS
FOR A WEEK
SUNDAY
1311EA1(S'AST,
Grapefruit, cracked wheat and cream,
colt's brains breaded and fried, graham
gems, toast, tea and coffee.
LUNCHEON,
1001 loaf, baked tomato toast, banana
end white grape salad with mayonnaise,
lemon sponge with cookies, tea.
DINNER.
Dream of spinach soup, roast lamb. green.
peas. whipped potatoes, queen of puddings,
black coffee.
MONDAY
RIlEAT{I'AST.
Bananas And ereet0, cereal and cream,
salt mackerel with white sauce, potato
coke, toast, tea and. mates.
LI'NCI1EO5.
Veal loot warlOOd up with tomato 60005.
(a kit -aver). haln•d putatocs, water 01100
salad with French d,•erstog, tnasl.ui cm01t-
rr0 and ehtese, sard5no saldlllrhes, caka
and chocolate,
DINNER.
Rmwned polnto soup: lamb 0000uctten
screed upon savory rice to lett-0101 , souf-
fle C green peas (a left -over), junket ons
cake, black coffee.
TUESDAY
IIItEAI>3°AST,
Oranges, hammy and cream. heron and
eggs, b'renvh 50110 u'Obeatedl, toast, tea and
eoire0.
LUNCHEON.
Baked welsh rabbit. stewed potatoes
hominy pudding (n left -twill. lettuce s:la,l,
with crackers, baked custards, tea.
DINNI.IR.
Macaroni soup with Parmesan cheese,
beefsteak and onions, sweet potatoes, stria
beans, bread pudding and hard sauce, black
coffee.
WEDNESDAY '
• BREAN1AST.
Fruit, cereal 5nd e.0eam, Lorne and triad
5,100:0, mudlns, toast, tea and cotteo,
LUNCHEON.
Savory stow of bref and macaroni (a left-
over), potatoea a la lye/ionise, leth,ce mid
string bean salad, hot ,.gingerbread and.
cheese, lea
DINNER.
Cream of celery soup, lamb's liver en.
casserole, brussels sprouts,tuffed p da -
toes, tapioca and rhubarb pudding, black..
coffee.
THURSDAY
B12EAICbeAST,
Oranges, 000001 and cream, poach0,1 eggs
m1. 1.0001, cornmeal mualns, tea and 1101110,
LUNCHEON,
Minced liver (a left -over), 'brussels.
sprouts with sauce piquant° (a lett-over),
fried hominy, dg and date pudding with
liquid sauce. tea,
DXNN1bR.
Gravy soup with noodles, boiled leg or
mutton, yoan turnips, spina1h, baked In-
dian meal pudding 105th cream sauce, black
• coffee,
FRIDAY
BREAI{FAST.
Grapefruit, oatmeal jelly and cream.
butter ash (fried), quick biscuits, toast, tea
and coffee. LUNCHEON.
Omelet with oyster sauce, fried potatoes,
lettuce salad with rreneh dressing, graham
bread and cream cheese aandwlches, choco-
late cake and lemonade,
.DINNER,
Clam. broth w'Ith whipped creamon tem
baked bluefish. 0pin00h 0nufae to tett-Over).
stashed and browned potatoes, orange pie,
black coffee,
SATURDAY
BISI,AI{SAST.
1011111, cereal and 0000,0, fried baron and
5110150, 01113' 1unn, 10001, tea 5130 00(105,
LUNCHEON.
Creamed fish (a left -ever), duchesse pota-
toes (a tett-over), 'celery and endive salad,
toasted 0000kers with meant cheese and bar -
le -apo nlarmalado. cream puffs, tea.
DINNER,
Soup n 1a r1ase with poached eggs on.
top, -steamed leg of mutton (a lett'over),
ermined young °mous, baited bananas,
baked caramel custards and cake, black
0oIIoe,
Washing Woolen
G arnnents
THD very best way to wash sweat -
ors, babies' sacques; ]oggins and
afghans—in Fant, all gat•menta
kneeled or crocheted -of wool 110 to sew
the article in a bag of eheeseeloth or-
mosquito
rmosquito netting. Then Wash the bag,
with Its contents, in soft water with a.
good white soap. '11115 water must 110t.
be cold; neither moat 1t be very hot,
and, of course, the soap must never be.
rubbed into the bag, the water being:
soaped beforehand.. -
After rinsing In several waters, which.
must be of the same temperature as the,
soapy water, rlp the garment front the.
bag, but do not bang It on a Iino to
clry; illy It tat on a table without.
stretching; place in the air to dry; it
colored, avoid the aun)igllt, as it will:
fade It.
Some ammonia 10 tho water helps to
]seep wool garments soft, 'rho diens-
Ileitis experience that many people have
had in washing 01paters Is duo to the;
fact that they wring anti stretch 1110535„
10111011 should never be done. S1mhiiy
Ornalt the flag t0 squeeze Ont the watcrp,
but do not wring.
1