Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-05-07
Boys and Housekeeping.


My mother was something OF an
anomaly among womankind, for she
held to the belief that there we're times
when q man was q pretty good thing
to have in the kitchen. My brothers
and were early taught that q little
practical knowledge of Housekeeping
would do us no harm, "and it may be
Of use to you," mother would often
say. "and you might just as well learn
some OF these kitchen mysteries as to
be racing around the streets doing
worse things"
Many a time, when l was a good
sized boy, have had to tie big ging-
ham apron around my neck and wash
and wipe the dishes, and "tidy-up"
the kitchen under mo theirs direction
and that, too, when there We're three
girls in the family. l always had the
care Of my own room. I had to
make my own bed, and make it
after the most approved plan.
There was so "slovenly" work
done in my mothers house. I was
taught how to sweep and dust q room
properly, how to sew on buttons AND,
repair rents in my garments, and when
was thirteen years cid could make
q nice biscuit, and, later on, was in.
It1atsd i,GtS the mysteries OF bread and
pie making. I could make good coffee
and tea also.
And what, you may ask, were my
three sisters doing all this time?
They learned all l learned, and many
things mother thought / had no need
to learn. Intact they are all thorough
cooks and housekeepers, and they can
all do what few women can, they can
drive nails with the skill and &C
curacy OF carpenters, they can put up
shelves, they are "handy" with the
saw, the hammer, and the hatchet-
you would hardly believe it if were to
tell you just how accomplished taey
are in this direction. Mother used to
say, II havefound it so convenient to
be able to drive my own nails, put up
and even make my own shelves, and
do my own little carpentering, that
am determined my girls shall possess
like knowledge"
The boys of our family are boys no
longer, the girls have long been women,
we all have homes and children of our
own. None of we boys are "Miss
Nancy's'' and none of my sisters are
"masculine" in their ideas ormanners.
1 am poor myself, and sometimes un-
able to keep q servant, which is not a
great affection in this era of insufficient
help, and when my wife is helpless with
one of her sick headaches, or when she
wants to 60 out to her mothers with
q baby for a week, it is, she says,
"a great comfort" to feel that the man
in the kitchen is not dirtying up every
dish in the house, and breaking half OF
them; that he is not boiling tea he
never boils it ally in the silver tea urn;
that he is not drinking hot, muddy
coffee out ofthe cut-glass goblets; that
he is not frying eggs on griddle or
toasting his bread by putting it fiat
on the stove; that the dust and dirt is
not being swept into corners, under
beds, or under the stove; that his bed
is made every day; that he gives some
attention to busting and airing the
rooms, and that all his wants are at.
tended to by-himself; and that no
charge OF Miss Nancyism or efemina-
cy can be laid at his doors. =
I camped out in as-log cabin for q
year in the Rocky Mountains, during
the Leadville craze. FormonthsI did
not see woman, and how often, as ]
sat down to my own cup of good cot.
fee, with meat properly cooked and
well-made buiscuit or bread, did / re.
call my mothers words The time
may come when you will be glad that
taught you to do these things. 10 Il
had come then, and there are times in
the lives OF most men when a knowl.
edge of at least the primary princi
Piles of cooking are valuable to him,
and will contribute to his comfort.
Deliver me from the man who is al
ways "poking his nose" into the kitch.
en- when it is not needed there and
when it has no business to be there,
but when, in the vicissitudes OF this
life, he IS needed in the kitchen, Il Is 4
blessed thing to know how to conduct
himself when he gets there.-Zena4
Dane. 800
| Purse Of Tomatoes.
70 make soup enough for 8 or lo
persons, use one can of tomatoes
i sAA {. 49,. - 81 s