The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-05-15
UNPRACTICAh WoIsKING
WOMEN. T.
Jill Makes 1t Unpleasant for Jaclk's
POCketDOOk.

Jill makes. .tG Unpleasant Tor jacks
Pocketbook.
There are few sadder sights in the
world than to see an intelligent, sober
artisan married to an ordinary domest-
ic servant (such unions, are very COM
mon), and observe the progress Of tlieir
lives, say, for u year. They have both
saved alittle money and take cottage,
which they furnish, mot wisely, but
too WE'LL" and commence life under,
apparently. the most favorable circum-
stances. Thoy have delightful break
fasts and dinners. Jack never lived 50
well in shis life, even when a single
man, and he thinks whata real treas
ure he has found in e'Jill.'' She loves
him devotedly thinks she can. never do
enough for him, and that nothing is too
good toA give him to eat. She had
''helped an the Kitchen" in her last
place, aid being all observant girl,
with q prospect of a homie of her own,
she watched cook, and certainly learn
&c good deal.
But, unfortunately she had picked
up, not only cooks skull, but her ex.
trayagance, and when Quarter Day
came round Jack remembered, with q
start that they had both forgotten it,
and also the unintoresting but undeni.
able facthhat boots and clothing wear
out, and tthere was no provision at all
made for replacing them. They had
been very happy, and enjoyed them
selves very much, and Jill declared
that they really had ''nothing out of
the way,,after all;' only she forgot that
the style Of cooking practlced in rich
mans kitchen is not suitable for poor
MANS cottage. Fried fish need not of
necessity be an expensive dish, but, ac-
cordingly indestible into the bargain,
soaked as it generally is with lukewarm
fat, aud half smothered in semi-cook-
ed mess called ssmelted BUTTER" one
half of which is invariably wasted.
Then there is total ignorance with
regard to the use Of ffe. Three. times
as much coal as is really necessary is
burned; .sauce-pans, frylng-pans and
kettles get,worn out in no time. These
may seem ;sordid and uninteresting de-
tails, but ito the working mans wife
they are, 5or ought to be, matters of
vital irlssertance, aud should be taken
into consideration; for If all the
wages are spent on being comfortable
and having things nice, there is u good
chance Of poverty coming in at the
door even before love has looked tow
ard the windows. And yet in such a
case the woman is scarcely to be blam-
ed; she means we'll, but she knows no
better. She initiates. to the best other
ability what she has seen presumably
better informed people do, but she is
absolutely ignorant both as to the value
Of the food she buys and cooks, but
also the proportion of wages that
should be spent on it. In fact domest-
ic servants make about the worst, in
stead of the best wives for working
men, for they haves ideas beyond their
means.
With better training-with any
training-they would understand that
what might be very appropriate
''dish'' for a wealthy idle man would be
in no way suitable for a poor hard
working man. If economy were .prac-
tised amongst the wealthy classes, the
poor would unquestionably soon benefit
by it. If servants were properly train
ed and children properly educated,
much Of the sinful waste that goes on
every day would be avoided, and poor
people woald be much healthier and
happier. There Is hardly any class
.(unless the very wealthy who do not
suffer, moro OF less, from extravaganza
cooking and waste. In lodgings to per-
sons with fixed incomes, it becomes
very serious matter; milk, butter, eggs,
sugar, cheese, spices and such things,
vanish in the most astonishing way,
though the landlady and the servants
may be most scrupulously honest.
They have simply got into wasteful
way, and until that way is amended,
no amount Of culture or amusement or
increased wages will improve the do
mestic condition Of the wives OF work.
ing men or The homes Of working wo-
men.