The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-08-04

Inc Weatner is nOI-Ol CouIso oNoly
one knows that-and the unfortunate
housekeeper is tired down If she
does her own work she looks forward
to every mealtime with horror, and
nobody knows what every meal costs
her in life and strength. If she has
hired "help" in the kitchen, her days
are one long struggle with the said
help, " no will soon begin to inform
her that she "is gwine to de kentry
to pick cotton" and who on great oc-
casions, such as the encampment,
when there is houseful of company,
always contrives to make her exit
with flying colors. Then there is the
kitchen, dreary waste of dirt,
left to greet the dismayed mistress
who must "clean up" before she can
prepare meal. Oh, the housekeep-
er's lot is a hard one! Is there any
balm in Gilead?
Nv
The Home Corner has found the
panacea for all these ills. 1t lies in
cooperation. There are corporations
of railroad men, and bankers, and
drummers, and printers; indeed every
trade and profession, and the men
find the cooperation successful. The
diving father in the old fable who
called up his quarrelsome sons and
broke the fagots one by one before
them, showing them how strong they
were all together and how easily
broken separately, was really
looking forward to the
day of cooperation. Very few things
are accomplished without it these
DAYS. And since cooperation is good
for every one else, why is it not good
for housekeepers, who need it most of
all, one would think?
wv
Cooperative housekeeping That
expression sounds peculiar to south
err ears, but in several of the north
ern cities it is no longer an expert
ment. The plan is a simple one, and
is at the same time business like and
practical. A club is formed of fami-
lies living in the same neighborhood.
Three rooms are rented in some con-
venient house, and diningroom girls
and q cook are employed.
The cook is a good one,
an the meals are served
in the best style, with all the delica-
cies of the season. The members of
the club all take their meals here, and
the cost is actually less than the cost
of keeping house. The ladies OF the
club take turns in auditing the ac-
counts once a week, and planning
the fare for the next week. Wherever
the cooperative plan is tried it is
working smoothly and beautifully.
In Junction City, Kans., city of 1000
inhabitants, club of fifty families has
been in existence fifteen months. They
find their expenses are $3.50 week
for adults and $1.25 for children; and
as every housekeeper knows, this is
less than the same fare would cost
prepared at home.
Nv
And then, the delight of hav-
ing no fire in the house
all summer long. The pleasure of
knowing that every meal will be pre-
pared, and you have but to sit down
and eat it, with no necessity of wor-
rying about "things that are out"
and of turning grayheaded because of
the "help!n There is scarcely a man
in the country who will not welcome
this scheme as a blessed release for
the women of his households; and as
for the women themselves, why if
there ever was scheme warranted to
smooth out the wrinkles and change
people who are 20 years old into peo-
pie 20 years young, why, this is the
very scheme. Let the Austin house.
keepers think it over and then de-
eide.
NV
For several days past a trial
has been in progress in the city of
Memphis, the trial of a girl for the
deliberate murder of another girl.
The case has brought together the
greatest lawyers and the greatest
physicians of the United States, and
is occupying whole pages of the daily
papers. But to the Home Corner the
strangest, the most tragic part of the
whole story is the fact that these two
young girls, raised by respectable
families and fairly well educated, sur
rounded by love and affection all their
lives, were yet utterly unknown to
their nearest and dearest friends.
The entire family of Alice Mitchell
testified that she had never cared for
young men, and that she sighted
them OH every possible occasion, yet
the testimony shows that she flirted
with men whom she met by chance,
that she answered personals" in
newspapers and correspondent with
such men as would be likely to insert
such personals" that she wrote
them how deeply she loved them, and
sent them photographs of herself, and
that she flirted Unfortunately with
tramp actors or anyone else who hap
pened to be convenient. AS for the
tragedy which brought the inner life
of these girls to light, that is not so
wonderful. The deplorable tragedy
is the fact that under the very eyes Of
a watchful love so much of their lives
was hidden. There is q startling les
son for mOt arS in it-for the motharS