The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-31 00:00:00

The above letter has evoked the following cone-
epondence

Will you permit me to thank your correspondent, "A
French Lady," for her moderate and truthful letter on
" English Homes and Englieli HOILUWiVOII." The inferiority
and wastefulnesa of our system of cookery is an acknow-
ledged fact—every Englishman admits it, but few try to
remedy the evil. An admirable letter on this really bn-
portant subject makee it. appearance in the Pall Mall
Gazette tine cannot but hope that good will result from the
matter being brought prominently before the public, and that
the women of England will, from •seuse of pride, if from no
other motive make an effort to redeem the character they
posses for unthrif Linens and carelmeness In the perform-
ance of housewifely duties. Let me point out, however,
that the movement must originate In the middle nod upper
classes of society ; don't let us sit down with folded hands
and expect our servants of alLwork, our cooks, and
our poorer sisters, who are struggling with poverty,
to come and teach us the " Art of cookery on
scientific principles " Let the first attempt come from us,
and If there are any among us too old to learn, at least let us
endeavour to save our daughters and grandchildren from
that Ignorance which we, with shame, are obliged to conies.
to. It will take many years for our good example to filter
through the several strata of which society is composed;
but do not let us be discouraged on that account; and if our
new duties do not bring us before'the public, and do not give
us that"stimulus " which Euglishwomen so ardently seek In
the present day, let no consider that we shall not only benelli;
our husbands, but have better temper, ourselves, and, ws the
correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette so knowingly saps,
better complexions. by eating better dinners This last argu-
ment is tin my mind conclusive, and I recommend it strongly to
the attention of young English matrons, who, by tie, use of
coarse, badly.cooked food, are rapidly losing both of those in-
valuable adieu cts to beauty—temper and • clear skin. I cannot
close my letter without calling attention to another very
conspicuous failing of my countrywomen. They do not
know how t "look nice" It ts not part of their education;
they are tuoght to spend money, to go into a shop to buy a
dress or a shawl or a bonnet, but there the lesson leaves off
abruptly. Certainly • "blonde" has sometimes a vague no-
tion that blue and pale green may be advisable; and a
" brunette," that a yellow rose in her bonnet Is the only c
Vast thnt suite her, but as to the minor details of her Mesa
an English woman I. apparently perfectly indifferent She
sill lily an expensive dress, and quite forget that it will not
match with her last new petticoat—but that Is of no con-
sequence: the dress has cat "so much," and whatever
faults it may have the one of cheapness cannot be laid to
its charge As fir the delicacy and purity of cuffs and
collars, which rench women are so particular about they are
details hardly thought of in England and that au &shah
girl or matron, whose husband or father possesses a small
Income, sh •hid, like their seater French sister., "get up '
their own fine linen," is quite out of the question—they
have never been taught to do it. And so they prefer wearing
• strip of paper of the smallest dimensions round their
throats and that not always of unsullied whiteness As for
their drowse. fitting badly, of course th A le not their fault.
They have Lever been taught to cut out or to make a dress.
It does not strike them that the superior education they have
had niight enable them to try and cope with the ignoran
little dressmaker they employ, who has very little knowledge
of the female form beyond that learnt by gazing at the wire
•• dummy " which sands in her workroom.

Na, them things are not taught in England. The labourer's
wife prefers paying eighteen ponce to a neighbour, and the
middle-clam woman ten shillings or. guinea toss dressmaker
for spoiling a drew:, than be at the trouble of learnlig hew to
make her own things well.
This state of riff drs must go on, I am afraid, until either
English women get " shamed " into 'looking nice," or
husbands and fathers with moderate Incomes positively
refuse to pay dressmakers
If young girls could be made to see that by learning to
make their own dresses on well founded anatomical prin
Moles, be it said, they could have two for the same prices,
they now have oneS That by washing their own cuffs and
collars they would always look clean and nice," and set off
to advantage an old dress, they might, I venture to think,
be indnced to become industrious, and also to Increase
thereby the chance of tiudlng a hula and. For although men
In England have become somewhat blunted to a keen ap-
preciativeness of the minor details of a woman's surround-
ings they will soon have their eyes opened in these days of
rapid progress, and a CVO, In search of a wife will look out
sharply for refinement and delicacy in Me Intended wife's
toilette. perhaps even before he has looked at her face!
When English women learn to cock well and to dress well
our little Island will Ise a pleasanter place to live in : but I
am much afraid I shall not live long enough to see this
miracle worked. AN ENGLISH LADY.

I should like to say slew words in answer to the stricture.
of a, French iady on English housewives which have appeared.
F.0g11.11 wives of the middle and upper chums aspire to be
their husbands' companion, and intelligent friends—not
household drud:•es full of sordid cares. Happily the wealth of
tee country permits this, except in a few unfortunate case.
As for the national crime of drunkenness, the climate and
an IV-amino of means of procuring cheap and wholesome
recreation are quite sufficient to account for it without sup-
posing It Is owing to the slovenliness of the women. As
regards the statement that hi England married women are
seldom called upon to earn their living, I beg to "II the
French lady'. attention to the fact that at the last census,
onto' 8,200,000 wives In England, upward. of 840,000 were
employed In various trades and profewions. As numerous
men will read the French lady's letter witll infinite approba-
tion, perhaps you would kindly Insert this to check their
entlauslaam. AN ENGLISH LADY.