Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-03-11
Some COrlOus ThDngs ln House h eep.
INK

Every branch OF science hAs It's marvels but,
expecting to meet in nature with wonders that
battle knowledge, We are not 10 much sstonished
ct thess at the startling facts that are forced
upon ~ from day to day In social hfa- aouss *
the ns0<t surpfislnE df t1ess confront ua In tabs
Developments OF the science OF housekeeping.
They are entirely beyond explanation, aud would
be beyond belief il they rested upon mere a.
sertion but ~ I'LL OF us, unfortunately, have
tested them BY our own senses. We AeOept them
with wonder, and with some show OF reslgna-
| tion.
Take an important branch Of housekeeping
cooking How inexplicable are some Of the re-
suits Of culinary study. A woman, with whom
We once lived for . time, had kept house for
thirty Ave years. had never had servant. and
had, during that time, ~ she Informed IN,
" baked twice week regular Consequently,
tn 20 into the statistics Of the matter bread had
been baked in that establishment $3.50 times.
Dtductirx $40 for occasional sickness OF
Abseuce Of the mistress q large allowance,
for she WAS healthy, and seldom went from
home, aud We have >, 40O times that this woman
has made and baked bread.
She used good -four, and yet her bread Was in.
vsriAbly damp sticky, and untit for savage 70
eat, and no christian stomach could possibly d.
gest it with comfort; Now, surely this Wa .
wonderful thing BY what methods, untath-
omAbe to ordinary reason. could she have
avoided, in . practice of thirty i've years, learn
ing how to maSe good yeast: how much TO work
the dough, how long it should stand to get light,
what temperature the oven should be, and the
proper length Of time to bake it9 How
could she help doing It right the three thous.
and four hupdrsdth time2 Il would
seem that vast amount OF labor would be Nc
cessAry to do it badly She was . woman Of
liouA She had no aspirations, aud no " mis-
sion," and read nothing but . weekly religious
newspaper. Her whole mind was In her house.
keeping, and here was the result
| n 0A
has cooked, more or less (generslly more)
since she was twelve. She has . special liking
for lamb chops and has cooked them very many
times. And, to this day she serves up hvel
, liquid Merely looking At them will give right
, minded person the dyspepsia, This women haI
eaten lamb chops elsewhere, cooked according Il
the beat civilized methods, and has praised them
pan and grease. Now, upon what hypothesis cal
this be explained 7 Can it be possible that thsr
) are human beings constituted that thei
= minds and bodies act Independently, 10 that tn
sensation Of taste has no mental eject whatsoever
4 For In these instances the results were not tn
effect of careessness or indifference bot
. thought their horrd abominations were feast
/ for the gods.
/. And not the least curions thing in these case,
q H. that these poor coOkA have sharp eyea for tn
o faults Of the butcher and baker The butche
l. knows better than to offer stale or tough cho
70 No. 2; and II the baker were to serve NO.
with snch bread ~ she makes herself, ahe woul
= refuse to pay for It, entirely unconscious Of tn
reflection shs would thus cast upon herself.
a, Why do soms housekeeper. continue, ives
- sitter week, month after month, and year aftt
year, to use raw aour for +" thickening? ~ Wonl
r It not be reasonable to suppose that after nun
. ber OF yeats-say ten the raw favor. and Il
ii sickness Of the compound. would suggest
Ia them the possibility Of altering their mAnn'
'e OF preparing 1t
,e We have suggeAted but . few things that ha
. pened TO occuT to us, and these belong only
n one branch Of housekeeping bat, II We were
- pursue onr inquiries into other departments,
, should be met st every turn with phenomel
n, similar TO the above. IheV Indicate the exls
by ence, In the midst Of onr home life, Of marve
us that science has, 10 far, failed to explain n
he for which reason eau find no lAw.-Scrtbnsi
d, for March.