Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-03-19
LITTLE GIRLS AND HOUSEKEEPING.

During the past few years quite |
number OF works have been prepared to |
interest and instruct boys iu farming, |
gardening, stock. raising and the man
agement OF poultry. Several of them
have been admirably written and well
That they have been pro-
ductive OF great good is acknowledged
by all who have witnessed the effects
they have produced. Many boys have
read these treatises and become interes-
ted in the tile drainage. subscribing and
various new methods of improving the
condition of land by mechanical means.
They have also become familiar with the
OF the various breeds OF
cattle, horses, sheep. pigs and poultry.
The various improvements in agricui-
ture and horticulture during the past few
years have been largely due TO the ell
forts Of young farmers. who became in
terested IN the matters presented in
well prepared textbooks.
Comparatively little has been done to
interest and instruct young girls in the
duties usually performed by the sex,
such as cooking. housekeeping and
needle work. BY means of the pen and
paste-pot, especially the latter, u large
number OF cook books have been pre-
pared, but most OF them have contained
little of real worth. Few. il any, at
tempts have been made in this country
to furnish instruction by means OF books
on the art OF successful housekeeping.
Girls were expected to learn this art by
practice. Now it SO happens that many
girls are so situated that they never have
an opportunity of seeing good examples
OF housekeeping. Some live in board
ing houses, some attend boarding
schools, and others have homes so poor
as to afford very poor examples OF
housekeeping All such require proper
Instruction from books or teachers, or
both. ,.
Mrs. Harriet j. Willard has written,
and the firm OF Sherwood y Co. has
published small work entitled .'Fami-
lar Lessons Tor Little Girls on Kitchen
and Dining Room Work." 1t contains
| Instructions on the following matters:-
How to build fi,e in cooking stove /;
how to build fires in open CRATES or
heating stoves; setting the table; wait
ing at table; cleaning dishes; washing
! kitchen dishes and iron vessels; wash
Ing table dishes, glass and silver; now
to keep the kitchen in good order; care
of kerosene lamps; care of the cellar,
outside steps and back yard care OF the
person. 1t also contains much useful
Information in regard to the compare
tive value OF all the different kinds OF
iuel, and explanations in relation to the
dangers resulting from the use OF exPlo-
| sive oils. 1t is written IN attractive
style, is simple and practical, but 1t con
| tains not word of 'baby talk" =,
Housekeeping ranks among the Oldest
arts. and more persons are now eDgag
ell in it than. in any other occupation.
But old and general as it ls,it is not pro.
gressive, as most arts are. There have
been fewer Improvements in kitchen
utensils than in, those employed In the
field and shop. Many Of them were in
common use in the days Of barbarism,
Oi the farming tools brought over by the
pilgrim farmers scarcely one isin use
at present. But housewives still use the
same kitchen utensils that the pi grim
mothers did. Labor-saving machines
have been introduced everywhere bu,
: in the kitchen. Drudgery has been sub
stantially abolished IN every other place
Labor has been lightened on the farm
and in the factory, but there is the same
dull toll in the rear portion OF the house
that there was two centuries ago.
| The reasons fer this state OF affairs are
various. No very high degree of intel.
ligence exists among the persons hired
to do work in the kitchen. When intel.
ligent women do their own kitchen
work, they are generally "cumbered
about many cares" Constant calls to
other parts OF the house prevent them
from devising improved methods for
washing dishes. securing knives. OIL
scrubbing floors. The inventive faculty
is somewhat small in women, and they
have comparatively poor opportunities
OF. exercising it. Except the "heathen
Chinee," few men have worked in the
the kitchen and learned by actual expe.
rience what Improvements are required
in utensils and methods of doing work
The kitchen to-day affords the best field
tor inventive talent in the world.