Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-05-11
A Wise Father.

eioi lohd, q NedilHS Dalhef 5 eiueSt
daughter became engaged to be mar
ried. As would be expected from
the position of her family, this young
lady had the benefit of the best social
and intellectual advantages at home,
besides having been a student at Vas
sar for some time, and travelled con-
siderably, from all of which she had
attained quite a degree of culture for
a lady of only twenty years.
To an ordinary observer it would
seem that her training had been all
that could be desired, but her father
thought otherwise. When he found
that she had concluded to take upon
herself the duties of wifehood, he,
knowing how greatly the happiness of
families is affected by the house
wifery qualities Of the woman at the
head, declared that the marriage
should be delayed until she had made
herself thoroughly familiar with the
duties of a housekeeper.
To be thorough he knew it required
more than a mere theoretical knowl-
edge, so with wise forethought he
carefully provided the means whereby
the practical worth of the instruc-
tions received could be fully tested,
and for this purpose the mother was
requested to retire in the background
for a season, while the daughter
should assume the responsibilities OF
housekeeper. The mother consented,
and the younglady undertook the du-
ties of her novel position with a will
to do her very best. The family was
large, and being exceedingly hospita-
BILE, the house was seldom without the
presence of guests from abroad but
inspired by the ambition to acquit
herself creditably in the present, as
well as by the sweet hope that in the
future she should have a home of her
own to preside over, her zeal and en-
thusiasm increased from day to day
as experience added to her proficien-
cy.
In order that her work might be
systematic, she was allowed a certain
sum of money a month with which to
supply the table, and as a special in
dueement to the exercise of economy
all that could be saved therefrom was
to be placed to their private account
for individual use. This monthly al
lowance being by no means large,
she was obliged to exercise care in its
expenditure. Therefore the minutest
details were studied, and not a dish
made its appearance upon the table
without the cost having been fully
estimated previous to its ordering.
In this manner she learned many
things that might be of great value to
her in the future.
She was once heard to remark that
it was really astonishing to discover
the many ways of economizing pos
sible to women, and as an instance of
her own experience, said she frequent
ly found for some expensive dish de-
sired, that something else equally as
wholesome and fully as palatable,
could be furnished at one-half.
The father often accompanied her
to market and instructed her in the
selection o. vegetables, the cutting
of meats, etc., showing such a are
suitable for different purposes, and
how to avoid wasteful and unwhole.
some purchases.
Does not this sketch contain a val
liable suggestion for the benefit Of
other parents? This young lady
gained in less than one year, at an ex.
pense of probably one-third the vita
energy expended in the school-room
knowledge that will contribute {
thousand-fold more to the happiness
of those depending upon her thar
any amount of school training coult
possibly do; yet how few think tt
give a daughter similar preparation
for home cares and home duties 81
sur to form a part of every woman
life. Were parents more thoughtful
in this respect, the burden of young
wives would be greatly lessened
while the amount of money which
would be saved to young husbands
would oftentimes be sufficient to la,
the foundation of great wealth. TIL
thought IS worthy of consideration Oh
the part of all those who may hold tn
cbapirr of q yornr oirl'c fortune