Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-09-06
WHAT ONE CAN DO.

WHAT ONE CAN DO.
There is something very attractive to
most minds in the idea Of agraud league
IT combination. It is thought that pub
&c evils may be abated, and public good
promoted, by the organization Of socie-
les and the adoption Of pledges. But
whatever may be done in this way will
iiill leave much which can best be ac-
by men rs units, each acting
Is a committee Of ne. Wotin' resolu-
as the venerable Weller, ST.,
it, sometimes servo a very
good purpose. But even RESOLUTIONS"
are not impossible of evasion or direct
Infringement by the very parties who
most distinctly pledge themselves. Even
in the historic days Of rs, as current
tradition informs US, there were Amer
lean women who would secretly drink
tea, though publicly pledged to avoid
tho unpatriotic beverage.
There are various social ineonve-
~niences which demand abatement, and
on which resolutions and that sort of
machinery cannot well DO brought to
bear. Takc for instance the high prices
of butchers meats aud Of fuel, and tho
difficulty of Obtaining suitable persons
for domestic service at a reasonable
price and with some notion of perma-
nenco. Let each housekeeper appoint
hcrself a committee Of one. Providence
in bounty has suggested this year a
remedy for the first difficulty. Veseta-
bles and fruit were never more abundant
than they are this season, and, rs q
na.iral consequence, the general state
of the public health is satisfactory.
There is a habit in Jul American house
keeping at war with sound views OF diet
II is to regard animal food MS the great
staple of every meal. Vegetables are
taken merely ms a condiment; and, as
to fruit, it is not thought Of as a means
of supporting life or of a%ppe"sing hum
GER. It is eaten after n full meal, or in
the evening, when moro than enough
food has been taken during the day
for all reasonable needs. It is
packed into the stomach rs an
extra, when in should properly be
counted into the gastric cargo, as n
proper part Of the regular freight. Now,
let fruit and vegetables take their
proper place, and you lessen your butch
er's bill. We eat too much animal
food more than any other nation under
the sun. And yet he who SHOULD claim
that our national physique is better
than that of all others would go against
evidence. Let each housekeeper, "in
committee Of one" diminish the supply
Of meat, and persuade the members Of
her family, or force them, to become less
gross feeders; and whether others fol-
lowed her example or not, her own
purse would be relieved. Though
solitary and alone" she carried tho
reform, the effect would be perceptiblo
in her own household. In the article of
fuel there is also great room for re-
trenchmcnt.
So in our arrangement for domestic
service. Mechanical ingenuity has de-
vlsed countless appliances to render do.
nestle labor easy and pleasant. In
families where there are several daugb-
tiers or sisters, each should have the su.
pervision at least Of some particular
department.
If those who have the means which
enable them to enjoy all the comforts Of
waste, and all the luxury Of service,
would consult economy, they would find
great relief in such self-denial. The
poor are Obliged to DO frugal from ne
cessity. If the rich would consult pru-
dcnce from principle, they would relieve
the pressure on the leading ne%cessaries
Of life, aud actually be doing u moro
charitable thing than giving away
money. Waste and carelessness do
much more than scarcity in raising
prices. The food thrown away in our
large cities, from the bad system Of
cookery which prevails, and the inatten-
ton to economy, would almost support
another population. Let housekeepers
take an honest pride in their kitchens
and pantries, and each one would find
her own account in it and thrifty hab-
its in families would inevitably cheaper
the markets. But oven il the latter re.
suit were not reached, good housekeep-
ors would flud their own reward.