She resolved to try the experiment, for a time at least.
"What's the use of it, anyway?" Florence was saying. "A servant
always does the cooking."
"Yes," Mrs. Adams answered, suddenly breaking in on the
conversation once more; "but perhaps you won't always be able to
keep a servant, perhaps you'll have a poor one. I knew of one
unfortunate young wife who knew so little about cooking that,
before she could teach her servant, she used to have to study her
cook-book and recite the rules to her husband, to be sure she had
learned them. Now I don't want any of my girls to be in such an
absurd position, so I'm going to give you a few lessons, just to
try and see if they are a success. Come next Saturday morning, and
bring your gingham aprons."
"Yes," added a voice from the next room, where the doctor had just
settled down to his evening paper; "and I'll promise to give two
prizes, one to the first girl that will bring me a perfect loaf of
bread of her own making, the other to the first one who invites me
to a dinner which she herself has cooked."
"That's not fair, papa," remonstrated Polly.
"Jean knows all about it now, and can take both prizes."
"She doesn't know the first thing about bread," returned Jean,
"and she never knew till to-night that elastic starch was good for
puddings.
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