Omaha daily bee., 1890-07-27
THE ART OF HOUSEKEEPING.
In Germany tits Made Distinct Branch Of
Education.
HOW THE SCHOOLS ARE CONDUCTED,
An Interesting Report on the Subject
from the United States Consul
at Mannheim - The
Course of Stud

There are no better trained and drilled
houselleepers than German women. The time
German boys give to Greek, Latin, mathe.
mahcs and "the military the girls give to
simpler tasks and to learning how to be
good, careful, saving, industrious wives and
mothers, writes j. G. Mon aghan, consul at
Mann helm, in his report TO the government
L must confess never saw anything like it,
Every town, city and district has its house.
hahngs-schule housekeeping SCHOOL,,
Every once in a while they exhibit, the exer-
cfAs being practical and theoretical, the
latter usually covering such themes as gen
era knowledge of housekeeping; instruction
in the nutritious of various foods, their quail
tiles 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; household arith
metic, mental and on states The practical
part at the exhibitions consist of exercises in
sewing by hand and with machine, ironing,
mending Catching, knitting (they are born
knittcrs, seem to do it Instin ctively), crochet
ing etc, and the making an9 keeping of
butter and cheese,
It is astonishing how carefully, cleanly,
tirelessly happily they work, singing all the
time some lullaby song of Schiller or other
national poet Order is a German hOu SefrauS
first law They develop a skill that seems
astonishing. The scholars go TO the schools,
not as to task but as to playground, with
zest aud interest, At the exhibitions one
sees all kinds Of products which, like valua-
ble works of art which reveal their beauties
only on close inspection, awake most interest
under careful and minute examination.
| The best way to give our people an idea of
| these schools and their work is to present
whole course;
/ The course has for its object the teach
| ing Of housekeeping
Ia Cooking, baking, washing, milking,
| uses of milk, making Of butter and cheeSes,
and care of allitchen orvegetable garden.
90 Ironing sewing, mending, patching,
| knitting, clothes Cdress) making, etc. The
scholars bring their own working tools and
| stun to work with and on. These things
| made and mended are eXh ibited on the last
| day of school, and afterwards given TO the
| scholar who made them,
Cc) General instruction in housekeeping,
| and in regard TO preserving health when pos
SeSsed and obtaining when lost; also, house
| hold bookkeeping
2 AT the head of each is a special com
| mttee Of five, chosen from the district COM
| uttce. The special gppmittee has charge Of
| the admission, dismissal, etc, of scholars
| also Of the rooms the food, clothing, etc, of
| the boarding scholars, and has also an active
! part to play in seeing that the scholars are
| properly and carefully instructed. They
! care fully inspect an work performed, for this
| purpose visiting the school from time to time
during hours of instruction,
| 3. Children are expected TO visit the school
| of their own district, though exceptions are
sometimes made and children out of one dis
| tIict admitted into the school of another, The
girls must be sixteen years old and Of good
| character
4. Boarding scholars (and most are Such)