The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-04-17
Timothy Titcomb's Letters 10 Young
Women,
NUMBER SrvrN.
From the Springfield Republica an.

From the Springfield Republican,
. Among the more homrly but most essen
tial accomplishments Of a Young woman is
that Of housewi(ery, There are many things
at the present day to interfere with H. ncqui-
silion, but the fact that il j. essential should
lead you To subordinate to II those which
are not We hear great deal about the Ia
sincss Of the present generation Of girls. |
think the accusation is unjust Girls who
acquire a really good education now accom-.
plish much more genuine hard work than
those in " the good old times who only learn
ed to read and write, and occupied Ohe most
of their time in the kitchen and dniry Moth.
ing that can w. called education and accom-
phshmcul can be achieved without great la
bori and in my opinion, the principal rca-
son why good houscwilcry is so much neg
lccted, aS an accomplishments is, that the time
is so much occupied in study. Lnkincss is
very apt TO come with wealth, and there are
undoubtedly great many more lazy girls
now than fny years nTo. They are certainly
q very undesirable article TO have about, and
pity the poor fellow who get, ono Of them
for companions but say cnnddly that
do not think there are any more naturally Ia,
~ girls in The world than usual
You expect, one Of these days, 10 be the
mistress of house. Your comfort 0ud hap.
pincss, and the ccomfort and happincs, Of your
husband, viii depend very much upon your
ability to order that house well. Iryour com.
panion be in humble circumstances, you will
very likely be obliged TO do the most Of your
work yuuryrif In this ease thorough
knowledge Of and taste for, houScwirrry will
hc very necessary la YOU. If you marry
man OF competence or wealth. a knowledge
of good houscwifry is quito as essential to
YOU as If YOU we're required TO do your own
work. The expenses Of your ',onsc wilt be
large or small as you nrc a bad or good
housckcopcr. lryou do not know how to do
the work Of the houses il ycu have no prac,i.
cal knowledge of all the Offices and economies
of nm establishment, YOU will be dependent.
So Car from being the mistress Of Your house
~ ~ H. at.ls Aal.4=ts4sl.4.i--
wHtcircumyent YOU, they will cheat you they
will make YOU miserable. If they do not
perform heir work properly, through 'willful.
ness or Ignorance YOU cannot tell them bet
ter. You will scold them for things which
you cannot tell them how to mend, you will
bc unjust and YOU will not keep them Many
q really good servant is constantly suffering
from grievances growing directly from the
ignorance of her mistress. Unless YOU are
willing to take up for life with boarding
housc--a place for people to. vcgctate in
you must be a good housewife. 1t matters
not whether you are rich or poor. You need
practical knowledge of cookery, of the
laundry, of the prices and qualities Of pro-
visions, of chamber work--of everything that
enters into the details of home life.
OF course, if YOU have no mother who is
capable of teaching you these things, you are
in measure eXCusahle for not learning them.
II pity family of girls whose mother is a
know nothing and do nothing. do not
hlAme aiIls far not AiAhins La pnL themselves
under the tuition of the cook and the maid
of-nll.work. But even when YOU find YOUR
selves under disadvantages like these, YOU
cannot afford to become n woman without
knowing something of the homely utilities of
life. Your own nptness of mind-your own
good sense and ready ingcnuty-viu give
YOU clue to the mysteries which practice
will ultimately make plain. Your comfort,
your independence, your reputation, your
husbands respect for you, depend so much
upon your ability to keep. house well, that
cannot leave the subject without insisting
upon the importance of your learning to do
il while YOU have n chance. There are few
higher compliments that can be pnid TO a
Young woman than that she is an excellent
housekeepcr. There is no reputation which
will more thoroughly tend to confirm
young woman in the esteem of young men.
or more forcibly commend her to their esteem
than that of being acquainted, practically,
with the details of the kitchen and economies
of housekeeping
This naturally introduces me to a discussion
of the benefits of physical industry, and the
assumption of regular household duties.
There is no better relief TO study than the
regular performance of special duties in
the house. To feel that one is really doing
something evory day that the house is the
udier for ones efforts, and the comfort of the
family enhanced, is the surest warrant con
tent and chcerCulness. There is something
about this habit Of daily work-ths regular
performance of dutl-which tends to regulate
the passions, TO give calmncss and vigor to
the mind, to import healthy tone to the
body, and to diminish the desire for life in
the street and for resort to gossping com
pnnions Were as rich CrTsus, my girls I
should have something to do regularly. Just