In the house of which I write, I have made use of the help to make a clean sweep of every meal, other- wise there must have been more to throw away and the estimates could not have been so close nor the meals at once so profuse and so cheap. For here as in all small houses the help, what few there .are, take their meals immediately after ;the guests. There is no re-warming pro- ^visions from a previous meal, it would be ainless, not one of them would even look at them, but if I have broiled 12 beef- steaks and only 8 have been taken in, the help will take the 4. If the guests have taken to corn bread this meal and left the rolls the help will eat rolls ; if the guests have taken a notion all to eat baked potatoes then the help will take the fried potatoes that are left or the oatmeal or batter cakes and if, as is more likely than all there is nothing irbatever left and we are glad to see it so. then we will fry a few eggs. Afcer dinner the cook takes a little survey and puts away the solid meats either for slicing for supper or re-roasting ; reserves the canned corn and peas, the tapioca pudding if enough for fritters next day, the joint's of chicken that will make patties or cro- quettes or soup, but leaves on the board the mutton, a la Bretonne, the baked beans, the stuffed shoulder of mutton, the haricot, the collops of beef with tomatoes, the stews in general, the maca- roni a la Creole, whatever of the sort may unfortunately have been too much, or if none of these, the help will make a good dinner of soup and fish and clean up the pans. With this in view all our dinners are planned with a cheap meat dish. The guests will eat the Spring lamb and chicken clean and ask at supper if there is any left cold, then the help come in for the beef a la mode Pariseinne, and live high too. If they do not have first choice then they get even between meals by drinking iced milk while the guests are obliged to get along with iced water. Of course we are all honest ; would not take a feather's weight out of the house, will not even eat a meal after we are paid off; yet when we are^ handUng the oest there is in the house it is but a short dis- tance from one's hand to one's mouth ; and does not the cook himself know where the tenderloin steaks are to be found? Look at his rotund form. 1053— Boarding Children Growing boys and girls consume at least as much food as adults, perhaps more. If there is any difference to be made in regard to children it must be for those of too tender age to come to table. Hotels generally charge full price for children occupying seats at the first table, that is, children who take the nap- kins, the clean silver, goblets of ice water, the newly filled cruets, the dishes of olives and sardines, the waiter's time at the busy hour ; they are charged for all the extras that make meals expensive ; as for the amount of food they consume it is but of secondary importance, but it is the same as the adults require. It is often the case that the baskets of fruit and nuts, cakes and candies are untouched during the whole dinner until the chil» COOKING FOR PROFIT. ^J>

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In the house of which I write, I have made use of the help to make a clean sweep of every meal, otherwise there must have been more to throw away and the estimates could not have been so close nor the meals at once so profuse and so cheap. For here as in all small houses the help, what few there .are, take their meals immediately after ;the guests. There is no re-warming pro- ^provisions from a previous meal, it would be aimless,t one of them would even look at them, but if I have broiled 12 beefsteaks and only 8 have been taken in, the help will take the 4. If the guests have taken to corn bread this meal and left the rolls the help will eat rolls ; if the guests have taken a notion all to eat baked potatoes then the help will take the fried potatoes that are left or the oatmeal or batter cakes and if, as is more likely than all there is nothing whatever left and we are glad to see it so. then we will fry a few eggs. After dinner the cook takes a little survey and puts away the solid meats either for slicing for supper or re-roasting ; reserves the canned corn and peas, the tapioca pudding if enough for fritters next day, the joint's of chicken that will make patties or croquettes or soup, but leaves on the board the mutton, a la Bretonne, the baked beans, the stuffed shoulder of mutton, the haricot, the collops of beef with tomatoes, the stews in general, the macaroni a la Creole, whatever of the sort may unfortunately have been too much, or if none of these, the help will make a good dinner of soup and fish and clean up the pans. With this in view all our dinners are planned with a cheap meat dish. The guests will eat the Spring lamb and chicken clean and ask at supper if there is any left cold, then the help come in for the beef a la mode Parisienne, and live high too. If they do not have first choice then they get even between meals by drinking iced milk while the guests are obliged to get along with iced water. Of course we are all honest ; would not take a feather's weight out of the house, will not even eat a meal after we are paid off; yet when we are handling the best there is in the house it is but a short distance from one's hand to one's mouth ; and does not the cook himself know where the tenderloin steaks are to be found? Look at his rotund form. 1053— Boarding Children Growing boys and girls consume at least as much food as adults, perhaps more. If there is any difference to be made in regard to children it must be for those of too tender age to come to table. Hotels generally charge full price for children occupying seats at the first table, that is, children who take the napkins, the clean silver, goblets of ice water, the newly filled cruets, the dishes of olives and sardines, the waiter's time at the busy hour ; they are charged for all the extras that make meals expensive ; as for the amount of food they consume it is but of secondary importance, but it is the same as the adults require. It is often the case that the baskets of fruit and nuts, cakes and candies are untouched during the whole dinner until the chil» ^J>

Cooking for profit