The success of “Ten Dollars Enough,” as it appeared serially in the pages of “Good Housekeeping,” and the numerous letters received by the editor of that magazine asking for it in more convenient shape, has led to its publication in its present form.

It is very pleasant to learn from these same letters that the writers have tried Molly’s recipes with such success, there being, I am assured by the same gentleman, but two exceptions (and one of these candidly says the fault might be her own) among the large number who expressed satisfaction.

This testimony is especially gratifying, showing, as it does, how earnest and faithful my readers have been; for, although the directions were minutely given and every effort made to meet difficulties, all my care would not have sufficed to produce success, had there not been faithful coÖperation on the part of those who followed them. I take this opportunity to make clear two matters which, I found early in the course of the story, were lost sight of by two or three readers, perhaps others.

I allude to the prices of provisions and the amount of cooking accomplished in a given time.

To those who questioned the cost of articles I would say: they forgot, reading in December, when they were doubtless paying higher prices, that the prices quoted were for September. To another who quotes the high price she has to pay for certain things, I only say: Molly was keeping house with some luxury, on the same amount of table-money as many require to live very plainly. This could not be done except by buying everything only in its season; if beyond a certain price, she waited for it to get lower.

This brings me to what is after all the gist of the matter. “Ten Dollars Enough” was intended for readers in widely different parts of the country. It would have readers where the meat and poultry prices would seem very high, and the groceries equally low. I therefore decided to take average New York retail prices and not to go below them.

There may be cities and suburbs where the prices are higher than in New York, but in my experience these are few compared with the many where they are lower.

As to the question of time, Molly is not represented as an inexperienced young wife, but as a graduate of cooking-schools, who could herself have joined the corps of culinary teachers had it been necessary.

Her expertness had not come without many failures, and the readers of “Ten Dollars Enough” were invited to profit by the finished result of her failures and experiments. Because she had often failed before she succeeded, she was able to avert failure from Marta or others.

Bearing in mind, then, that Molly knew precisely what to do and how to do it, it will be readily seen that her most elaborate dinner was very simple indeed, compared with the mÉnu prepared by one lady and her assistant at any first-rate cooking demonstration, in the same space of time.

Catherine Owen.