The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-12

concluded President Perky, that there
is in this country a thorough awaken
ing as to the necessity of a more in
telligent domestic science. Only the
other day l received letter from the
wife of physician in Brooklyn, N. T.,
pertinent to this very matter The let
ter, emitting names, follows:
Mr.. Henry d. Perky:
Dear Sir-I am very much interested
in the work Of Dread Institute of which
I am just beginning to know something
through your catalogue and the Vital
Question. You have said that you are
disappointed in the mothers congress
in that it pays too much attention to
the child's mental growth, and too lit
tie to the child's physical growth.
agree with you.
Intelligent and schooled women of my
acquaintance, young matrons with fam
lilies Of growing children are all Of them
without exception interested in litera-
ture, music, or some other art, in any
thing else than domestic science or in
the physical development of their c1il-
sdren.
When they attend their literary club
they are not in condition to either give
or take even literature, for they are
tagged out-have been up all night with
wakeful children or are themselves vic
Tins of dyspepsia or some other i'll. The
fact that Mrs. So and Sos children are
never sick, etc, causes them surprise
and they say How wonderful! What
luck they have with children, ETC." The
fact that Mrs. So and So is not able
to join their club after repeated INVITA-
tions, causes them one and all to say,
What pity that such a clever woman
should so tie herself to children"
When these same women call upon
one another socially, do they as rule
discuss the literary topics of which they
profess to be so knowing? They do not.
Their talk is of their ailments. their
clothes or their -servants-or if they be
little beyond the average and more
mature they talk of their rights and
| those things, of everything in fact but
the vital question.
The work that you purpose doing at
Dread institute will cause a revolution
in housekeeping, 1 hope. Is there not
some hope of kitchen work attracting
intelligent and educated women?
Would it not be a good thing If your
graduates could create, some of them,
calling like this, for instance
I feel myself only half competent to
run my small establishment in the best
way for the comfort and happiness Of
my family. I want the benefit of the
very latest method, but not being able
to go away from little children who
need my care, for the purpose of learn
ing these things, send to Dread Insti-
tute, making known to its principals,
my needs. They send me a fully quail
fed woman who win spend, say week
or two weeks at my house. She will
carefully note the manner of living,
the running of the house, the servant,
everything that goes on, relating to
its domestic economy. She will then
confer with me, pointing out errors,
suggesting changes, giving reasons and
help me to start on correct basis
Such an opening would be a new field
for graduates, a boon to housekeepers,
and l think the one taking it up would
have many calls. I have always said
to my husband that / far rather earn
ten dollars than have the responsibility
of spending that amount People have
such an absurd idea Of economy.
To get the greatest return from
the force expended is economy. 1t is
essentially the result Of action and not
of passivity. He is economical, who,
in the matter of food, for example, can
get the greatest return in nutritive
value, in taste, ETC., out of the material
used; not he who uses inferior or less
material than is necessary for the pur-
pose intended. So in the matter of
time-he does not economic his time
who can say, only, that no day has a
spare moment. Has the force expend-
ed at each moment given back its
equivalent or more in life and char
aeter? That is the point.
1 shall not permit myself to write
more, not knowing what its reception
will be, but I trust that you may sense
my feeling of the almost total lack of
the proper training of all women for
household work