The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-01-23
TRIALS OF A YOUNG HoUsEKEEPER.
BY MRS. DEACON QUEER.

doubt if any young girl, who has just
taken on herself the vows Of a wife, and is
about entering on the possession of q new
home, ever allows herself to think Of the
cares, trials and responsibilities, which form
so large share Of every housekceper's life.
She has dreamed long bright dreams of the
new home to which every woman looks for
ward; she has painted glowing pictures of
| the cheerful fireside, where Love and Peace
slall sit as daily welcome guests; she has
imagined everything bright aud hopeful,
and has pcrsistently refused to believe that
her dreams may not be fulfilled, that her
hopes may fail of fruition. And yet, to the
shame Of our modern education be it said,
the young wife's first experience in her own
home is not only humiliating in the extreme,
but one that is calculated to send the bright
dreams flying "like leaves before the wind"
Nearly every girl is versed in the poetry
Of housekeeping. 1t is usually called "help,
ing MOTHER" aud consists in dustiug the
parlor furniture, filling the vases, arranging
the lights and shades, so as to show the
room off in the most attractive manner in
the setting Of the table so that napkins, sill
YER, and glassware shall be disposed Of to
tho best advantage; in going iuto the kitch-
en- at stated intervals, cnvelopcd in long
apron and an air Of Importance, to concoct
a dessert which shall testify to her skill,
and at the same time form dainty and
toothsome ending to meal which has been
the perfection OF cookery.
But Of the prose-the serious, important
part-shc is either wholly Ignorant, or her
knowledge is so limited, as to be Of NJ avail
But what one doesn't know one must learn,
and SO the young housekccper marches
boldly into her kitchen with the feeling Of
one who is determined to "do and dare"
but who would prefer to "cut and run"
The kitchen. What valley ofhumiliatio
it has been to thousands ofyoung housekecp-
crs, and will continue to be to many more,
until the mothers of the land grow wise
enough to give their daughters that thor
ough training which they so we'll know
family.
The first trouble is generally with the
stove. New stovcs-for, of course, no one
would allow an old stove to come into the
polished brightness of her new kitchen
have habit of getting red-hot, and icy
cold, in a very short space of time, which
is trying cnonsh to those who are accus-
toned to the use of stoves, but simply ter
rityiny to those who are not.
Then the "good fire." of which the cook
books constantly speak, is understood as
meaning great, roaring blaze, instead of
the gentle, steady fame, "slowing down"
as the end approaches, till by the time din
| ner is ready only little wreath Of steam,
or faint simmer, indicates the presence of
fire at all. In consequence UT .Iis misun.
derstanding, or rather owing to tho neglect
| of the cook books in failing to make things
so plain that they cannot be misunderstood,
a great many dinners find their way to the
swill. barrel. The tender, juicy roast comes
forth from its baptism of fire hard and
black on top and raw az the bottom. The
biscuit shrivel into fat, hard Jumps, which
yet have half apologetic look, as much as
to say: Don't blame us ! If you had
only transferred that awful top.hcat to the
bottom, We should have risen up as white
and puffy as heart could DESIRE" And the
bread, which was to have been so light and
wholesome, ''just like mothers bread"
splinters its crust, and spreads its heart Of
dough along the knife, which has vainly
cudcavored to cut it. OF course, only
enough is eaten to keep down the pangs Of
hunger, the rest goes TO fattcn somebody's
pig, while somebody's darling for whom it
was prepared, grows dyspeptic, begins to
look at life through the eyes of doubt, and
to wcndcr vaguely, if a state of single bles-
scdncss is not, after all, the one to be de-
sired
When things come to this pass, the
young wife had better pause and take coun-
sci with herself, because it is one Of the
most dangerous times that ever comes to
any woman. \ single hasty step now, and
broken home and bitter memories may be
the result.
The best thing you can do is to shut up
your house, so right back to your mother
and let her do for you what she should have
Done long ago, teach you letter by letter
the alphabet of housekeeping. Or, if that
is impossible, cultivate the acquaintance of
some wise, experienced housekeeper, buy
good cook book, nice little note book and
a new lead pencil and begin your educa.
tion. The friend will open her storc.house
of information, will make clear to you the
mysteries Of the cook book-and it is full
oi mysteries to the uninitiatcd-teach you
to obtain the controlling power over that
stove, and so aid you that your work will
be greatly lcsscncd. The little note. book
will gather within its cover the most valua.
bic of your own private experiments, all
your observations, all that you read or hear
on the subject, in short everything that will
be useful to you, or any one else, and in
attertime its wisdom written pages" will
be worth more to you than you can imagine
now.
Ill. l. IL