The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-03-25
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.
Fsr Hawaiian Boys and Girls-Interest-
ing Article From Handicraft.

met in their efforts to rise above their
|. surroundings and advance in the
scale of civilization and refinement,
has been the disparity between their
social aspirations and their ability as
bread-winners and home makers.
For many years boys and girls alike
have gone to schools where their sur
roundings have forced them to aspire
to life which has been Unattainable
to the vast majority. Girls in despair
of realizing their ideals in connection
with their own race have seized the
first opportunities of uniting them
selves with the white or even the
Chinese race, hoping that the money
thus placed at their disposal would
ideals of civilized life. Boys have
been driven into the profession of
law, where they are generally unable
to make living in competition with
foreigners, without resortiDg to
shady transactions and dishonorable
,practices. Those who have not sue
Neeeded in these schemes have gener-
ally despaired of their aspirations
and fallen back to tie old plane
which they had hoped to escape.
The few exceptions but serve to EN-
phasize the rule
Lately an effort has been made to
direct the attention of Hawaiian boys
more to the trades where experience
proves they can succeed in competi-
! ton with all civilized races. And
they are taking hold of this work
with an energy which already bodies
success. There are boys in Kane
hameha School who could now go
out and earn the income required to
qualify them to vote for mobiles,
though they will not be old enough
to vote at all for four years yet.
These boys are getting aspirations
for civilized life and the ability to
realize those aspirations at the same
time.
But even their incomes must be
carefully and economically spent, if
they are to rear and educate families
In civilized and refined style. Their
wives must be help-meets indeed.
Let not the writer be understood to
criticise the work done in girls
boarding schools, but rather to state
briefly the magnitude and import
ance of their work outside of the
class room. If any such schools
seem to fall short of the desirable
standard, LET it be remembered that
under existing circumstances many
of the teachers must choose from the
vast amount of desirable work that
which IS most important and practic
able The zeal and faithfulness with
which this work is done is too well
attested by the number of such
teachers who impair their health by
excessive work.
Without attempting to lay down
a course in sewing, it may be said
that it should at least include over
q and-over sewing, running. back
stitching, overcasting, hemming,
telling, French scanning, gathering,
binding, quilting, basting, making,
cutting and fitting, making button
holes, sewing on buttons, mending
and darning, besides a considerable
course in the more ornamental
branches of needlework, such as
hem stitching, tucking, pleating,
shirrIng, embroidery, etc. Moreover
the use of the sewing-machine
should be taught with a consider
able degree of thoroughness. Doubt
less all teachers Of sewing who read
the above outline of a course Will
be ready to add to it, though it will
be hard to take anything away
from it without injury to it as a
part of preparation for home max
ing. Yet ii may be safely said that
it will take a systematic daily lesson
of at least an hour for two years to
give average girls proficiency in the
work here indicated.
4 systematic and extensive course
III cooking. also. Is desirable 1t is
natural tendency of Hawaiian boys
and girls who are long associated with
foreign teachers in home or board
ing schools to aspire to live as they
see those teachers living. This
\ tendency Is good, provided there is
nothing vicious in the lives of the
teachers. 1t is useless as it is I'M
truthful to tell such boys and girls
that they will be better off if they
content themselves to live on poi
and fish. They should be helped to
realize their aspirations in this res
pect. The wives of the intelligent,
selfrespecting, aspiring young, Ha-
waiian mechanics (may their number
increase) ought to be skilled in cook
ing various kinds of meats, includ
ing fish and poultry, in various
ways, and in using up scraps that
remain from a steak, roast, a leg of
mutton or fowl so as to make a
tempting dish of what is often