The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-07-29
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
TEACH GIRLS TO COOK.

| Mothers Are often Nesilent II, Instruct
| ing Their Daughters in This Accom-
| piishment.
Our girls are well instructed in gram
mar, history, music and art, but very
few are taught to cook.
'Cook!' says one. why. l can make
nice bread, lovely fig cake and deli
cious cookies. >What ,Eore can you
| want
There is something more to learn than
just cake, pie and tart.
A girl should know how long to cook
vegetables, how to serve them; how to
| boil. roast or broil meats: how to steam
| rice. and cook the various cereals; how
| to use graham, rye and cornmeals: and
| how to cook eggs in a dozen ways.
| Many girls, even up to their wedding
| day. have never taken full control of
| The kitchen and served the meals for one
week. or even day.
Mother, you are not doing justice to
your girls. if you do not teach them to
cook. Supposing you are wealthy, the
| time may come in any girls life. and
| that very soon. when the knowledge of
how to properly prepare foods will be
of incstiisable value. No one is sure Of
always being able to hire a French cook,
and even We're il possible, it is comfort
ing to know that the mistress is able to
prepare even the finest dinner, if some
unforeseen accident should happen to
the household machinery.
/ have heard many lady say as she
apoloCized Cor some badly-cookcd dish,
81 b,, 7
was girl, mother always said: oh!
don't bother now; I'd rather do it my
self than stop to teach you;' and so l
had to learn after | was married, and
now l hate to cook for nothing ever
seems right"
Girls nowadays are not raised TO the
idea that they must get MARI as soon
as possible: but, married Jr single,
every one will come to time when she
will thank her stars" and her mother
that she is a good cook. 1t seems al
most a disgrace for n woman to be n
poor cook. 1t is said that a woman
will throw out with spoon faster than
a man can throw in with a shovel; and
it is a very forcible illustration. 1t is
wicked for wife to waste the hard
earned wages of her husband by spoil
ing everything she cooks. She burns
bread crisp. scorches the meat, serves
vegetables half done, and coffee like
muddy water. Do you think a man
can love and admire her? She may be
very talented and beautiful, but the
warmest love will grow cold under
wretched dinners and poor bread. We
laugh at che old saying that ''the way
to a mans heart is through his stom-
ach, bu.: let man be ever so cross and
tired and ugly, delicately-served meal
will cheer him quicker than any thing
in tho world.
If happiness is not an incentive to
good cookery, one should remember
that poor cooking always makes poor
health. Mothers, never encourage your
girls to say they do not like to cook
Teach thcm to like it. As soon as they
are old enough to help you, give them
at first one dish, and require their care
full treatment of the same. Tell them
the why and how, and see that your
words are needed. Sometimes u girl
does not know how to cook n very sim
pie dish One day in the first of my
housekeeping. husband said: Marion,
wish you would make some hasty
pudding for supper; here is some new
meal. and always liked it so much at
home" Certainly" said |, and then |
sat Gown to think. Hastv pudding? l !
had never made any, but of course |
could. l put n quart of water on to
boil, and just as John came in 20 supper |
l stirred it thick with cornmcaL |
dished il Up proudly, thinking how nice
it looked He only took one taste.
Marion. what is this?"
"Why. hasty pudding"
''I should say it WAS hasty; it hasn't !
cooked bit Mother always cooked |
it three or four hours"
| was disgusted with myself, and |
though I could make good bread and
lovely cocoanut cake, l concluded had |
better learn those simple everyday
dishes which makes up the staff of life.
IN the long run a girl might much
better be 4 good cook than fine mu-
sician or wonderful artist. Those
things may all come in time. but first
and foremost teach the girls that most
art, necessary to the welfare
and happiness of all the world, how TO
cook.
God pity the young wife who has two
or three hard, weary years to struggle
trying to learn alone what her
mother ought to have taught her long
before. No wonder sometimes that di-
vorcc suits arise, when the husband
wonders why he ever married such
little fool, and the wife wishes herself
back with mother, away from such dis
and troubles.-Marion
Nashburn, in Housekeeping.