Graham guardian., 1898-02-18
KNOWLEDGE is POWER.

so deplorably lgnorent OF house
keeping and all that pertains to
house -keeping?" asks Carrie May
Ashton in the Wisconsin Agricul-
turist.
"OnIy last week q young girl of
seventeen married man ten years
older than herself. She knows
nothing of cooking, or in fact any
particular work. She had not
finished school and her father and
other relatives did their best to
postpone the marriage, but alas,
the mother who should have been
her best and closest friend, not
only allowed but approved of the
maj riage.
"What kind of a housekcepor is
an inexperienced girl of seventeen
likely to make? Supposing the
husband does earn a good salary,
how far will it go if she Is not
prudent and good manager2
"'But she will not do her own
work / hear some of my readers
Saying. Possibly not; but more
likely she will. In any event,
would it not be wiser to have a
thorough knowledge of household
duties? 1t matters little in what
station of life a girl Is situated.
There are times in her life when
she would be very thankful if she
has been properly trained.
"No woman who is ipexperi-
enced in housekeeping will be as
successful in keeping help as one
who has thorough knowledge of
lit. In a large number of cases
marriage is failure because wo"
men are deplorably ignorant of
what they ought to know.
"They marry out of the school
room, Office or store, and expect to
have an easy, oare.free life. Alas,
that they are sadly disappointed.
~ would not have my readers
think for moment that believe
in limiting any girls or woman's
sphere in life. She should be free
to choose for her own avocation
and she should be self.reliant,, but
| do insist that she should have a
thorough understanding of house,
keeping and its manifold duties.
No girl has a right to marry until
she can cook a good meal and look
after a home as she should. There
ought to be law prohibiting early
marriages, especially where both
parties are ignorant of what a true
marriage means.
"Knowledge is always power
and the woman who understands
chemistry and cooking and the
value of wholesome food, and its
effect upon the human body is do
ing much toward elevatlng the hu-
man race.
"Men who are obliged to subsist
upon poorly cooked food, fried,
leathery meats, greasy potatoes,
sour bread and indigestible pies
are far more likely to have crav-
ing for Intoxicating drinks than
those who live upon simple, whole
some food perfectly cooked.
ga vast number Of earnest and
thinking men and women have
given considerable thought and at
tentIon to this subject and the re-
suit is that cooking and sewing are
taught in several universities and
colleges. Oh, that it might be
taught in every public school in
the United States!
"a good practical education
which will enable cur bosy and
girls to become seIf-reliant and
helpful citizens is of far more value
than a college course. Let us have
the necessaries of life first and
afterward, if we can afford the
time and money, have the luxuries.
"By no means would l have my
readers think that | am opposed
to the higher education for boys
girls. Not all of us can afford TO
send our children to college, but
,ven the humbliest can, in this
lay and age, be given good, prac-
ical education. Books and good
matter can be had for
cry small outlay, and nearly every
'illage and town boasts of its
'ublio schools. There are good
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