St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-02

TESS I never saw anything like it.
Every town, city and district has Its
housekeeping school.
Every. once In a while they exhibit,
the exercises being practical and theo-
retical, the latter usually covering such
themes as general knowledge OF house.
keeping, instructions in the nutritious
of various foods, their qualities and
ratios to a certain standard, their effects
as blood, flesh and fat producers, etc. !;
care of the sick. knowledge of and
nursing and caring for children; house,
hold arithmetic, mental and on states.
The practical part of the exhibition con-
siSts of exercises in sewing by hand
and with a machine, ironing, mendIng.
knitting, crocheting, ETC., and the max
ing and keeping of butter and cheese.
1t Is astonishing how carefully,
clearly, tirelessly. happily they work,
singing all the time some lullaby song
of Schiller or other national poet. Or
der is German hausfrau's first law.
They develop skill thas seems as
toniShing. The scholars go to these
schools, not as to task, but as to
playground, with zest and interest. AT
the exhibitions one sees all kinds of
products, which, like valuable works OF
art which reveal their beauties only on
close inspection, awake most interest
under careful and minute examina-
ton. The best way to give people an
idea OF these schools and their work is
to present whole course, which has
for its object the teaching Of
1. Cooking, baking, washing,
milking, uses of milk, making of butter
and cheese, and care of kitchen or
vegetable garden.
2. Ironing, sewing, mending, patch
inrr lytait al
etc. The scholars bring their own
working tools and stuff to work with
and on. The things made and mended
are exhibited on the last day of school,
and afterwards given to the scholar
who made them.
3. General instructions in house.
keeping, and in regard to preserving
health when possessed and obtaining it
when lost; also, household bookkeep-
ing.
AT the head of each school is special
committee of five, chosen from the dis
trict committee. This special commit
ETC., of scholars; also of the boarding
scholars. and has also an active part to
play in seeing that the scholars are
properly and carefully instructed.
They carefully inspect all work per-
formed. for this purpose visiting the
school from time to time during hours
of instruction
Children are expected to visit the
school of their own district, though ex-
captions are sometimes made and
children out Of one district admitted
into the school of another. The girls
must be sixteen years old and of good
character.
Boarding scholars pay one mark per
day for board. This goes into the dis
trict fund. The payments are made in
two instruments, one after the first two
months, the second at the end of each
term.
There are two courses, in summer
and in winter. The summer course
begins May and continues until the
time of harvest, when the girls return
to help in the field and on the farm at
home. The winter term begins i'm No
Vember and continues until Easter, or
Whereabouts, with two weeks vacation
at Christmas and New Years. Each
term has length of about five months.
The plan of studies is prepared by the
special committee of the district aud
the teachers. 1t aims to be as near
practical as possible. Anything like
the sO-called French or fine cooking is
Seldom, if at all, INDUCED ill., The man
ner of cooking taught is that based
upon scientific knowledge of all kinds
OF foods. animal and vegetable, and the
best manner of producing them to Sc
cure pleasant taste and health.
Each school has system or plan of
regulations which the girls have to OBJ
serve: The scholars get up in the
mornings on workdays at $50; on Sun
days and holidays at O'Clock. AS soon
as the scholars are dressed they assem-
bic for morning prayer. after which
they go each to her daily task or study,
as appointed in the plan of studies. A
a. IN. breakfast is served, at9 lanch,
at IL dinner, at lunch and at z D. IN.
supper. Evening prayer and ''going to
bed" are at $3.50 p. III.
Anything more than mere idea of
the good done and being done by these
schools it is not in the power of pen to
give. concludes the account the consul
gives. They are part of the splendid
system of education which is at the bot
tom of Germany's wonderful progress,
more than wonderful when one thinks
of her very limited resources, the Mig
gardllness of her soil, inclemency of
her climate. and large areas of swamps
and land good for little or nothing.
LeveI-Headed Woman.
Philadelphia Times