The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-04
AIM AND SCOPE OF
DOMESTIC SCIENCE
[Concludcd from Page IL


countries the bread and many other
things are bought ready for the table.
Unless one has been more or less a stu
dent all ones life, IL is difficult to begin
the study of any one thing i'm the right
way In this nervous, rushing age we
want to reach our knowledge and results
at one bound. Here lies most of the
trouble in the case of the American
housekeeper. she does not realize how
necessary Is know.SCge of domestic
economy. and how this knowledge would
emancipate her from n world of worry
and friction. Even wht n the need of such
knowledge is realized. 1t is most difficult
t. get her to adop. the means which
would give her practical relief
ONE OF THE EXCUSES.
Lack of time and the difficulty of mas
tcring such a complex science Is one of
the excuses. Another is lack of interest
in such commonplace subjects. many wo-
men considering themselves intellectually
superior to such interests. Again, there
are women who cannot see the necessity
for studying household matters claiming
that woman's natural intuition ana
adaptabiity will come to her aid when
household cares devolve upon her. Moth
ers, out of mistaken kindness, keep their
daughters in ignorance of household man
agement, thinking that such cares and
worries will come into their lives soon
enough.
But the real reason why women do not
make serious study of this subject is
that they do not realize the Importance.
responsibility and dignity of their posi-
ton as homC-makcrs.
Each home, be it ever so simple or ever
so sunptuous, is little kingdom in it.
self, and the mistress of the house is the
one who rules this kingdom. " neither she
WAS it or not, she is the power for good
OF evil in her home.
The women of today are waking up to
the fact that housekeeping can be made
"A fine art, and that the highest culture
tends to make the most successful house
keeper The best education Is that which
teaches the why and the how at the same
time. Many of know why, but think
there is no need to go beyond that, while
others see no reason to be troubled about
the why, if they know the how. But 1t is
in the knowing why and how that the
real short cuts come in. For example, in
cooking we know that if we put a piece
of lean meat into pot of boiling water
and let it boil rapidly for a certain length
of time the result will be a hard, stringy
piece of meat, unsavory and indigcstble
while on the contrary, if the water has
been kept at the boiling point, or a little
below it, the meat would have been ten
der and savory. Experience having
taught her this much, the careful house
keeper will not again spoil joint by boil
ing it rapidly.
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES.
IT, with this experience, she should also
learn the principles underlying the cook
ing of albuminous substances, she would
then know that it requires a certain tenn
pcrature to soften the fbrcs, coagulatt
! the juices and develop the tlaVors, anc
| that above that temperature hardening
process goes on she would know, also
that all albuminous substances, whether
broilcd, roasNd, boiled or stewed, must be
| cooked at nearly the same temperature
| to obtain good results. Here is sCicn
| tifc principle which can be taught to &
| child and yet one to which scientists
have devoted much study and experiment
| You place cut lemon on your marble
| basin and after a time when you remov,
| it, you find that it has made a rough
place on the marble What are you t
| do? In the first place, If you really knew
| what would happen, you never wOulC
| have left the lemon there, but now hav
| ing learned that the acid of the lemor
| dissolves marble. you will not repeat thu
Offense. However, 1t is not lemon aciC
alone which dissolves marble, but al
kinds of acid. and the stronger the aciC
| the more rapid its effect. So having
| learned this principle, you will GuarC
against such accidents in the future. Blu
| 1t is not enough that you know the effec
| of an acid upon marble you should alst
| know the remedy. on know that 1t II
| only while the substance is acid that i
has the power to produce such dire re
! suits, so your first thought is to neutral
| ize it's action. Washing the spot will
| plenty of water dilutes the acid and ma
| turally weakens its power, but it doe
| not wholly neutral!ze IT. Then, if yol
| know that an alkali neutralizcs an acid
you Immediately apply one, and in tn
case of marble, it is safe to use almos
| any alkali freely. So you put on waite
| ammonia, lime water or soda, as the cas-
| may be, and the trouble ceases at once
Here you have the why and the how.
Physiology as it relates to food, cloth
| ing, bathing, etc, can be mastered by an!
| intelligent woman in q short time. Ant
so 1t is with all the sciences. The mos
essential things for the housekeeper t.
| know do not require very profound learn
| ing, although the broader the education
the better for all women.
THERE IS NO WASTE.
With accurate knowledge. each step il
| a process is understood at the start, an
| there is no waste of time or energy. T.
| illustrate this we will take all the step
| in a simple culinary operation. Dump
| lings with stew. Now, this is a dis
with which many people are never sue
cessful. Here is the rule: One pint o
| flour, measured before sitting; one an
| one-half teaspoohfuls of baking powder
| half a teaspoonful of sugar, half a tea
| spoonful of salt, small cupful of mill
Mix the dry ingredients and rub ther
| through n sieve. Stir in the milk. an
| with a knife or spoon stir the dough int
a smooth ball. Flour the paste boar
and turn the dough on this, and roll dow
| 10 the thickness of about half an inche-
| generous. Cut them into round cake!
| Have the stew where it will boil cor
| tinually, but not burn. Stir it and plac
| the dumplngs on top. Cover the kettl
and cook the dumplings just ten minute!
If all the directions have been strict
| followed, the dumplings will be ligh
delicate and tender Cook them unde
ten minutes and they will not be don
enough, or over ten minutes, and the
become heavy and soggy. Now, tn
whole thing is extremely simple, yet, as
said at the beginning, difficult for tn
amateur. Yet the whole secret of success
lies in the manipulation and the time {
cooking; once having mastered this ther
is no difficulty. Ten minutes time wi
more than suffice for the measuring an
mixing of the dumplings, and the putin