The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-10-29
Domestic Education.

Mothers are frequently so oVer-nice
and particular that they refuse to share
their household duties with their young
daughters for fear something will be
sighted or improperly done.
Now, this is all wrong. Children,
no matter what their position or pros
poets in life may be, should be taught
while young to make themselves use
full, and to assist those about them in
every way possible.
Girls especially should be early
trained to thorough knowledge Of
household duties and familiarized with
the routine of daily work. even if the
trouble they make far outbalances the
small amount of assistance rendered.
A daughter so trained is not the one
that grows up to laziness and helpless.
ness; that comes tardily to breakfast
and sits listlessly around, thinking and
knowing and caring as little about
what is going on in the house as
stranger would, as it interferes with
personal comfort and convenience.
She is the mothers contidant, the ia.
theirs comforter and blessing to the
household.
If it is true. as has been sung, that II
is love that makes the world go round,
it is equally certain that prudence, pa
thence and kindred praiseworthy quail
ties must oil the wheels of the domestic
world, if they are to revolve smoothly.
Flocks of school girls are annually
finished off, and turned out into the
world as accomplished young women,
nearly every one of whom expects to
marry sometime and make home Of
her own, and yet, among them all, how
many have any true idea of the real is.
sues of life, or measure the depth OF
the sea of perplexities into which they
plunge blissfully and blindly?
Trouble for the average young house.
wife begins in her ignorance OF domes-
tic economy and the proper preparation
of food for the table.
Who shall count the difficulties and
dilemmas that lurk in refractory stoves,
the disappointments and discourage
ments that lie hidden in the flour barrel
or the ambushed trials that rise unex.
pectedly from pot and pan and kettle?
Their name is legion.
1t would seem as though every mother
who has herself wrestled with the mys.
teries of household labor, ought to learn
a lesson from life's experience, and take
measures to turn her daughters trials
into triumph by making her as thor
oughly familiar with the science of the
cookery-book and the problem of domes.
tic economy, as with the various
branches ,of school education, or the
more ornamental parlor accomplish.
ments.
Yes, | know it is more trouble to
teach her how to cook than it is to do
everything yourself. Very likely there
will be more than one failure to record,
and she may be an uninterested pupil
duty is not always agreeable, but it is
none the less duty.
If the early household lessons have
been well learned, the later ones will
not be difficult; if they have been alto
gether neglected so much the more rea-
son that there should be no further
delay. Circumstances may prevent the
necessity of performing much domestic
work, but everyone should at least know
how to direct others Understandings.
Girls are not apt to give due Importance
to these matters; by experience alone
can one really appreciate the difficulties
arising from ignorance, or estimate the
true value of knowledge in regard to
subject so materially influencing do
nestle health and comfort. Cor.
Prairie Farmer.