Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-05-13
NUMBER 40
GIRLS IN THE HOME.
WHY OUR DAUGHTERS FAIL AS MODEL
HOUSEWIVES.

edge of Kitchen and Household Econo-
my of Far More Value Than That Of
Greek Roots and Latin Derivatives.
There is an old saying that the sons
Of great men are never the equals of
their fathers. which may be accounted
for by some reversionary order of nature
or by the lack of the self education and
developing circumstances which had
formed the characters of their parents.
What is true of the sons of remarkable
men is also sometimes equally true of
the daughters of women who are eff
cient III the home, and the reasons are
often easy to discover.
The vigorous and competent mistress
of household who, through long and
faithful service, has become as expert in
its management and oversight as the
head of a banking house or business firm
in these respective positions sometimes
makes the mistake of exacting no assist
ance from her daughters, thereby de-
priying them of valuable knowledge,
which might prove to be of incalculable
benefit in later years. "It is easier to
do thing myself than to show any one
how to do it, says one housewife. An
other thinks that her grown up daugh-
ters must not be tried with any house
hold details. as their time must be re-
served for their music, their French,
their dancing lessons and the claims of
society.
She anselfishly desires that this time of
life may be period of perfect happiness
and thinks that girls of SO much intel
ligence as her own are possessed of will,
when occasion requires, develop every
necessary qualification for model house
wives and mothers of families But,
alas, this is not always true, and the
short sighted kindness of the mothers
sometimes proves the vain regret of the
daughters in later years. 1t is mistake
to fancy that this period of life should
be devoted to ceaseless dressing and
pleasure or even to intellectual culture,
to the total exclusion of all other
knowledge. The girl who is fitting her.
self to earn her living in any way will
be benefited by a preliminary course of
domestic training, which (for girls
marry who plan different careers for
themselves) may serve her in good
stead, and the girl who looks forward
to matrimony as the natural desidera-
tum for woman is handicapped and
i'll fitted at the very outset of her career
with this education lacking. There are
many women who in some critical do
nestle situation would thankfully part
with some of their knowledge of Greek
roots and Latin derivatives for little
skill in nursing delicate infant and
practical information about preparing
it's food on which its life depends in
some transition period, or even in some
trying episode in the kitchen, to be
able to make loaf of good bread, cup
of fragrant coffee and to give intelh-
gent directions about the preparations
for dinner to the chance Milesian whom
she may be forced temporarily to accept
as the presiding occupant of the kitch-
en-. There is nothing like little prac-
tioal experience in household as in
other, matters. The girl who has had
no training of this kind, when she has
home of her own, may suffer painful
ly from her inexperience, with currants
that will not "jell'' and loaves of heavy
cake which she is forced to burn to hide
her ignorance.
In well to do family which I once
knew, where the mother made all the
purchases (Which, by the way, is also
excellent practice for the daughters),
the girls were expected to take turns
each week in the care and oversight of
the large parlors, sweeping them with
carpet sweeper, brushing the plush fur
niture and dusting carefully the books
and ornaments, and in the ordering, su-
perintendence and actual making of the
desserts for dinner each day and cake for
supper or luncheon, and the exercise in
the care of the rooms was just as bene-
fetal to the health as some of the gym
nastics SO fashionable nowadays, and
the practice and skill acquired in the
making of cakes and dessert were quite
as interesting as and great deal more
useful than much of the fancy work on
which young women spend so much
time and eyesight
To know how to make golden, light
baking powder, good, wholesome GIN
gerbread, delicate, nutritious desserts
and jellies, is an accomplishment not to
be despised by even an intellectual girl,
for the stuff sold by many bakers under
these names is in comparison as chaff to
wheat. 1t is true that there are now ex-
changes where these may be purchased
in many places, but one may be situated
far from any of them or the means may
be lacking to purchase them.
I knew one girl an only daughter,
who was brought up in a luxurious
home, where mother and two aunts
carried on the most exquisite system Of
housekeeping, aided by the best servants
that money could procure. The daugh-
ter either inherited or seemed to imbihe
unconsciously knowledge of all the
details of the work in the different de-
partments of the household, the up
stairs work, the kitchen, the laundry,
for, although as girl she was shielded
from every burden, when she was at the
head of her own household she became
as efficient and competent a house mis-
But this was an exceptional case, and
as a gift for languages, for music, for
poetry. for art, is sometimes native
genius, so, too. I think, talent for
housekeeping and nursing are oceasion-
ally instructive and intuitional, and
those not endowed in this way must
learn by instruction and persistent prac-
tice.
In conclusion, whatever is to be the
future of our daughters, some instruc-
ton in domestic science and household
knowledge is as necessary as prelimi-
nary and cornerstone as their A B Cs
are to their intellectual requirements.
ANNA OLCoTT CoMMELIN
Take Back Seat, Ladiesi
"My experience shows that some men
make up as much as women, if not
more" said retired barber who had
kept an establishment in fashionable
part of New York
1.-THE amount of black cosmetic I