I am not going to tell you much about their disappointments. I will only say they were determined to master one of the most important duties in life for girls--so they all said. At first too many girls would "put their fingers in the pie" at a time, so to speak; consequently the "meringues" would not froth properly, the "croquettes" would fall apart, and the biscuits resemble dough.
But they had the dancing to encourage them, added to the thought of duty; so they persevered, until at last one might peep into one of the loveliest dining-rooms, now their head-quarters, and really feel tempted by the goodly array of dishes.
The head cook not long since declared to me that she could peel potatoes, prepare vegetables and salads, and--But there, I can not give a list of all her culinary accomplishments; it would be too long.
From a small club of school-girls the affair has assumed the dignity of an association numbering nearly fifty young ladies. But what has all this to do with the ball? you may ask.
The ball was the crowning event of the association's long existence of five years; in fact, it was a sort of culinary Commencement, and the graduates now commence life as Maidens of Arts--culinary arts, of course.
They have made their courtesy to the world, and now retire. Early in September or October a new Maidens' Association will spring up; but, as these dignified ladies of eighteen patronizingly declare, they will only be little girls--beginners. What a wonderful advantage it is to be so elderly and dignified!
Similar societies exist in various parts of the country: among others may be mentioned the Boston Saturday Morning Cooking Club, which has won considerable fame by its culinary exploits; the Young Maidens' Cooking Association of Savannah, Georgia; the Philadelphia Cooking Club; the New York; and a number in the West.
Indeed, wherever those famous lady cooks Miss Juliet Corson, Miss Parloa, and Miss Dodds have travelled, giving their interesting lectures, cooking clubs have sprung up like flowers in their wake.
I wonder, with all their knowledge, whether any of these coming cooks will ever equal that famous Roman master of his art who could serve at table a whole pig, one-half of which was boiled, and the other roasted, and stuffed with spiced birds, eggs, and delicious nuts?