Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-13
PLAY housekeeping.
New York Letter IN Indianapolis jon

/ have visited the Wilson mission Industrial
school, over on TOmphinS square, Second ave-
nue. This is the upper boundary line of one of
tie poorest ne1ghborhoods OF the city, and the
members OF the industrial school, ranging in age
trt IN five to twelve years, live in the tenementS
which constitute such neighborhood, and some
OF them have little food beyond the one good
meal day obtained at the school, We rang the
bell of the big brick building; little girl OF ten
Immediately opened The door and said, with
composed manner and sweet voice. In reply to
an inquiry: Yes. sir; this is the mission. WIN
you Please walk up stairs?"
We assembled light to a school-room where
were assembled few visitors and Miss Hunt
iDgton, WHO was explaining the working OF The
kitchen gareen. She Is a tall, rather portly
cultured voice and mind. Two long, low tables
ran up and down the room with benches all
around. The walls were decorated With paper
OF a very tasteful design, topped with fr!eze
containing In colored pictures the simple fables
OF Mother Goose and the dado around the D3se
told, In similar designs, the story OF the house
1hat JACK o nuilt. opening on from one side
these shelves were crowded with kitchen and
household utensils In miniature-in fact, such
toys as are sold Ia the stores at Christmas.
enough TO equip class-and they are here
called Occupation materials" After display
of the toys young lady assistant went to the
piano and struck up lively air, when the little
girls came marching In With smiling faces, each
wearing white Swiss cap and apron, such as
distinguish the French BONES. They filed
side OF the tables, down the middle OF which
were about twenty little BEDS each eighteen
inches long, and neatly made up" The teach
er then asked various questions about how to
prepare a bedroom for occ upancy, and they
stood up and answered In concert, two of the
girls III lstrating as they proceeded, by taking
laid the clothes from the bed over two small
chairs at the foot, carefully folding the pillow
shams, laying Off the pillows and turning the
little mattresses up to the air. Then they all
sing merrily:
When you axe in the morning,
AS tie day is dawning,
Throw off the bedding and let it all air;
In waves and in biiows.
And leave them near windows if the day is quite
And SO on, including in verse the whole process
OF bed making. Then all made their beds in
concert, and marched off singing and carrying
put them on the shelves again, and handed to
them little boxes full OF crockery. The pupils
set up the boxes in the form CT tables. took
from their recesses the crockery, table cloths,
napkins, ETC., and went through the whole pro-
cess Ct setting table, singing explanatory
songs. as before. 1t Is pretty sight, assure
you. and ole cannot help feeling as he looks On,
that the small things are getting very clear
idea OF the table-service. These are useful les
sons-lesSons that will save some of these girls
from crime, ard teach them all selfSuppOrJ.
The table is set to music, SO to speak; that is,
mean it is set, to music, and then Ii is cleared
off, the children learning what to remove first
and how to brush the table-clOth and how to
fold it SO that it Will retain its creases and Its
fresh appearance. Then a cunning little WASH
pan is set before each difninutive hOuse.maid
and she plays wash dishes, rinSing them iD
clear water, and drying each article On It's
special tOWei-being taught to wipe a glass On
the glass-towel and set it down without touch
Ing it with her hands. They sing brisk song
beginning
washing dishes,
Studs are hot,
Rub them briskly.
1t DOESN'T thyme except In an occasional vowel
sound, but 1t answers the purpose.
The sweeping exercise is a pleasant one, and
the movements are picturesque. The children
skip around the room in couples, each armed
With broom ornamented with red ribbons
They sing sweeping song. then dance around
through an arch OF the raised brOoms, like the
threading dance in the Virginia reel. They are
taught how to sweep so as not to raise the dust:
Low to take care OF broom as il it were thor
own property; how to dust and wipe the wood
work and pictures; how to use the whtsk- broom
air-brush, feather duster and dust-pan; and at
last how TO use mop, scrubbing-b l ush and scour-
ing utensils.
Then the toy brooms are put away, and tiny
tubs and l1l1putian washboards our brought
out and the complete lesson Of the laundry is
gone through with The girls seem to enjoy
this amazingly, as they sing:
This is the way we wash our clothes,
Nash Our clothes. lash our eli thes;
This is the way we wash our clothes
So early Monday morning."
there is everything that goes to make up CON-
plete ardrObe. After washing they are hung
out on the line, with very funny little clothes
pins, and then taken down aud Sprtnkled, &C
companled by the song
''Jhis is the way we sprin kle our clothes,
Sprinkle our clothes. sprinkle our clothes" etc.
The cooking lessons do not seem to me to be
so profitable. The girls are put through a cook
cry catechism, and they sing good many re-
cipes about bread making, etc., In rhyme, but
experience is necessary In the proper prepare
tion OF food. They make pies, to be sure. bur
they are mud pies, made with moistentne clay
which they knead with great enthusiasm roll
out, cut, carve, pat, and mold into shape and
this VIII no doubt help them In the ultimate
manipulation Of dough; but the art of COOKING
cannot be taught very satisfactorily In a school
where nothing is cooked. They learn from nic-
lures, however, what are the best cuts of heef
pork, lamb, etc, and this knowledge Will ALWAYS
De valuable. 1t Is what not one hoaseWife in
twenty knows. iA0 IL
After all reasonable deductions are mada IT, ,s
celtaln mat these kitchen gardens are g1eal
institution, and they are already turning on
girls who are polite, heat and pleasant little
serving maids. Some OF the graduated have
ioul nice places In New York homes and
lew have gone west "AN
TERRA Gotta WINDOW cars,