The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-05
REALM OF FAIR WOMEN.
Cooperative Housekeeping as 1t Is
Carried on in Parts OF
Europe.
Jackets, Bolts, Girdles, Chatelaines
and Gowns Both Stylish and
Popular.
Odd and Ends Of Information About
Women in All Parts Of tbs
Wide World.
=: THE Bee Hive Surprise Sale

WAs A0s~
for union or assooistion) has upon tho peo'
pie. In Vienna. Austria. they have suoh .
verein, which has . cooperative store. pro-
vidss seamstrssses and other household
workers, has q cooking school for domestios
and 10 managed and run entirely BY women.
Any union of people, small or great. Tor
discussion OF work. seems to be called a
versin. II may be for singing, for discuss
ing, or pedaQogios; IL MAJ be ufely social,
or il may have it, basis In some conmon
trade intsrsst-the bakers. the carpenters.
the olothie,s. all have their vst ems. existing
for both social and business ends. Such
unions among women are, of course. more
rare, since the majority OF women are
still exceedingly domestic and interested
in but few things outside their home. We
do End, however, various philanthropio
Vereins. made up wholly or partly Of wo-
men, and in the larger cities they have fol-
lowed the national instinct for organization
and have started housekeepers' clubs,
Hauafrauen Vsrein. A correspondent thus
desc ibes one OF these. the Wiener Klaus
frauen Verein: During a years rssidsnce !
was a member Of tho Wiener Hausfrauen
Verein and enjoyed all its privileges. We
had set up our household goods and were
trying to keep house In this strange CITY.
but every %shopkecper seemed to be a rascal
and some of what We had looked upon as
the very necsssaries OF life were not to be
bought at any price. Just at this juncture,
when life seemed almost too difficult to
be worth while, came the Hausfrauen
Verein to the rescue, and 10 8 eat
was the help il gave me that I have never
f.lt khnk INV Aoht kO "a wau ANrCa1oH nv thu
membership foe. From the time l became
member ! bought from the cooperative
store of the club nearly all food and house
furnishing goods, used its list Of reliable
firms in all its branches of business and its
recommendation for seamatressss and other
hand workers. There wers no moro profit
less mornings spent In shopping; there were
no more vexations of soul over authorizations
and false weights. My written orders came
filled with the utmost care and were deliv-
cred BY an intelligent man who could
answe questions about goods not on the
price list. During the year Of my member
ship l made a careful study of the workings
of this club, visited its cooking school and
training school for domestics and attended
its annual meeting to hear the reports and
addresses Of its officers. and | came TO
believe that its success was owing TO the
SOt0u0ldSLN ouO AA0 0AcCutlv0 hOllltv q n
few women who had founded il
and who had ever since Faithfully
served it. Al this time, 1889, it had
been in existence fifteen years aud
had a membership of 1900 women, repre-.
sentinQ as many families. Its intention
was to forward the practical interests of
the household" but from this wide field II
had selected two points of attack. 1t
aimed to reduce the cost of living by fur
nishinR goods OF the best quality and At
reasonable prices. and to provide good
and a free intelligence office. This Vienna
Housekeepers' union l afterward found to
be we'll known ia Eu o. . az = model of its
kind. The one In Berlin failed to make its
cooperative store q success, and with q
greatly reduced membership now confines
its attention for the most part to the run
ming of a cooking school. All other house,
keepers clubs of which l was able to lenrp.
no matter what the extent of success, ex-
listed mainly for business purposes. Con-
sultation as to housekeeping methods
70 med no part of their work. The reason
the German housewife docs not study
housekeeping 10 that she keeps houss very
much as her mother did, and those methods
she learned before she WAS married.
The highly developed civilization of tho
older countries makes q certain mode of
life the only practical one for q given class.
A thousand little conventions have planned
and bounded your life before you come
into it. In Germany even tbs palate seems
to have yielded to centuries Of training;
certain tastes 90 with certain means. This
makea such a degree of public cooking
practicable as relieves the household tom
all baking and from the preparation of all
food that can be GOLD. or indeed. hot within
certain limits. II greatly reduces the labor
done in the house and renders 4 not too ex-
acting routine possible. In those Older
countries the ART of living when considered
with regard to the means at disposal
ia a far more perfect thing thar with
us. TAX the German housewife
having an income of $1,000 or 81, 600
An income that 10 one of tho smaller
German cities would put her family amorg
similar in arrangement to that of hsr
friends and the mode OF life familiar to
her from childhood would 1T into it like
the parts of a puzzle. Having been trained
In all domestic arts. she only needs a little
executive ability. and this quality is al
ways at hand, plainly inherisea along with
her old mahogany and linen, to direct her
com etent servants and to achieve such re-
suits in her housekeeping as will BE- highly |
satisfactory to her family and friends. |
WhaSever new problens are to meet tho
younger generation of European house
keepers. the life Of tho asst and present has
not been difficult, once granted the money
necessary for a ce tain STYLE OF living, II
q housekespsrs' club can help her to buv
her sugar and ten a little cheaper per pound
IL IL all she wants Of it.
FR1LIS AND FANCIEa