Mother. "This sort of scale is the best, because it gives no chance for any unfairness. Whenever you buy anything you should always make a habit of

looking at the scale, to make sure that you are getting full weight."

"I don't think meat before it's cooked looks

very good,"
Ruth.

remarked

"Neither do I," said Mother, "and you know that as a rule, I don't care to have you and Paul eat very much of it. Plenty of milk and eggs are better for you, but I know Uncle George is fond of

meat. So if you have to buy meat, you should know how good meat looks. You notice that this beef is bright red, not bluish as stale meat becomes, and it has little streaks of fat through it, which makes it more tender than meat that is perfectly lean."

The next stop was at the grocer's, where they bought potatoes, carrots, onions and celery for the stew and the tomatoes and lettuce for the salad. Ruth and Paul selected the vegetables themselves, following Mother's advice to choose those that looked fresh and unwrinkled, and Ruth tested the peaches by a very gentle pressure, to make sure they were ripe.

As they trudged merrily home with their pur

chases Mother said, "How lucky we are to have a butcher like Mr. Sullivan and a grocer like Mr. Willis, who always keep clean food in a clean store and sell it at a fair price."

"How do you know what is a fair price?” asked Paul.

"The papers publish lists of what the various things cost to buy at wholesale—that is, in large amounts and you have heard Father and me speak of the special lists of prices since the war. By reading the papers you can keep track of what things ought to cost. Then, too, people who are thrifty know what things are in season and what things are not. For instance, in June we had delicious asparagus quite cheaply, but now asparagus is out of season and fresh asparagus can be raised only in hot-houses, so of course it is very high priced. Strawberries were cheap three months ago, but now they are very high.'

"Do you remember last summer, Mother, when you took us to New York, how we saw a lot of people buying things from pushcarts?" said Ruth.

"Yes, indeed," said Mother. "Hester Street looked like some scene in Europe, with pushcarts all along the curb, surrounded with women and children. I hate to think of people buying their food from such dirty carts, handled by dirty men and covered with the street dust. If I lived in a great city and had to buy as cheaply as I could, I think I should try to go to one of the big markets, instead of buying from a street-cart. The markets buy great quantities of vegetables, fruit, fish and meat, right from the

country at wholesale, so they can sell it cheaply, and it is fresher than when it has traveled about in a cart. But we are fortunate here in Pleasantville, to have such good markets, where things are fresh and clean."

As they entered the home gate, Father came down the walk to meet them. "This little pig went to market," he said, "and let's see what came back in the market basket for the lazy pig who staid home."

THINGS TO DO

Find out if there is a public market near your home and visit it. Find out where the food comes from; if the people that sell it raised it, and when it was prepared for the market. Notice how the food is protected from heat, dust, flies, handling. Are there telephones? Delivery wagons? Note the price of ten common foods. What do you find out about quality and price of food at these markets?

Visit a grocery and try to find out the same things. What do you learn about quality and price here? What

advantage is there in buying at a market? A grocery? Visit a commission market if you can. Compare it with the public market and the grocery.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

To get good food cheaply we must use our brains. A careful housekeeper makes a list of what she needs for the day before she begins to buy. She goes to market and picks out her food. It is easier to telephone for it, but the food then costs more and may not be fresh and choice.

A careful housekeeper buys meat from a good butcher only. A good butcher keeps his meat screened, and in hot weather on ice. His chopping block is always freshly scoured. He has an automatic scale, so the customer can see that she gets full weight. Good and fresh meat is firm, pinkish, with a fresh smell. Tiny streaks of white fat through the meat show that it is tender. Every person, boy or girl, should learn to recognize good meat.

The careful housekeeper is just as particular about her vegetables and fruits. She buys only unwilted, crisp vegetables which have not been exposed to dust or careless hands. She chooses ripe, unspoiled fruits. She buys the things that are in season when they are plentiful and cheap. She is careful, to buy for her family much fruit and vegetables, little meat, not more than once a day, much milk and cereals. She knows that such a selection of foods means strong bodies and clear minds.

TO THINK ABOUT

Can you make up some problems, giving actual prices, which will show whether it is cheaper to buy at market or grocery? At a cash grocery or at one where you telephone, charge and have goods sent?

Why is an automatic scale better than one weighed by hand? Where have you seen automatic scales? Can you describe one?