Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-21
UNpRAcTIcAL wORKING WOMEN.
How Jack and Jill Make Big Mistake
in housekeeping.

There are few sadder sights in the world
than to see an intelligent, sober artisan
married to an ordinary domestic servant
(such unions are very coramop), and OBJ.
serve the progress of their lives, say for q
year. They have both saved little
money, and take cottage, which they fur
nish, mot wisely, but too well, and COM
mence life under, apparently, the most
favorable circumstances.
They have delightful breakfasts and
dinners. Jack never lived so weM in his
life, even when single man, Snd he
thinks what 4 real treasure he has found
in "Gill" She loves him devcsedly,
thinks she can never do enough for him,
and that nothing is too good to give him
to eat. She had helped in the kitchen
in her last place, and being an ohservant
girl, with prospect of home of her
own, she watched the cook and certainly
learned good deal. But, unfortunately,
she had picked up, not only the cooks
skill, but her extravaganza, and when
Quarter Day came round Jack remem-
bered, with start, that they had
both forgotten it, and also the uninter-
esting but undeniable fact that boots
and clothing wear out, and there was no
provisions at all made for replacing them
They had been very happy, and enjoyed
themselves very much, and Jill declared
that they really had nothing out of the
way, after ALL" only she forgot that the
style of cookery practiced in rich mans
kitchen is not suitable for poor mans
cottage. Fried fish need not of necessity
be an expensive dish, but, according to
modern methods of cookery, it is, and ex-
ceedingly indigestible into the bargain,
soaked as it generally is with lukewarm
fat, and half smothered in a semi-cooked
mess called "melted-butter," one-half of
which is invariably wasted.
Then there is total ignorance with re-
gard to the use of fire. Three times as
much coal as is really necessary is burned
saucepans, frying pans and kettles get worn
out in no time. These may seem sordid
and uninteresting details, but to the work
ing mans wife they are, or ought to be,
matters of vital Importance, and should
be taken into consideration; for if all the
wages are spent on being comfortable and
having things nice, there is good chance
of poverty coming in at the door even be-
fore love has looked towards the windows.
And vet in such case the woman is
scarcely to be blamed; she means well, but
she knows no better She initiates to the
best of her ability what she has seen pre-
sumably better informed people do, but
she is absolutely ignorant both as to the
value of the food she buys and cooks, and
also the proportion of wages that should
be spent on it. In fact, domestic servants
make about the worst, instead of the best,
wives for working men, for they have ideas
beyond their means. With better train
ing-with any training-they would I'M
derstand that what might be very appro-
pirate "dish" for Il wealthy idle man would
be in no way suitable for poor hard
working man. If economy were prac-
ticed amongst the wealthy classes, the
poor would unquestionably soon bene-
tit by it. If servants were properly
trained and children properly educated,
much of the sinful waste that goes on
every day would be avoided, and poor peo-
pie would be much healthier and happier.
There is hardly any class unless the very
wealthy who do not suffer, more or less,
from extravagant cooking and waste In
lodgings to persons with fixed incomes, it
becomes very serious matter; milk, but
ter, 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
that way is amended no amount of culture
or amusement or increased wages will i'm
prove the domestic condition of the wives
of working men or the homes of working
women Womdn's World.