The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-05-31

and sources 81, life has been the home.
all reform, all progress
has had. its origin in the house. il Is
the foundation Of all government, and
tits to protect and maintain the, home
that government still exists. rs W. d,
Housewifery Is q procession; indeed
it is the sum Of all the professions
since it's successful practice requires q
knowledge of many Of the arts, most OF
the sciences; and an. 81 the trades, to
gether with much understanding at
human nature and that general skill of
making things turn out right. -,a q, -
Not only is houssk eepihg very much
of a profession these days. but it is alb
|solutely necessary to accept it as such
if one would keep house both we'll and
easily. And in proportion as it is thus
seriously accepted it is found satisfying
to our energies and ambitions and able
to keep both head and heart busy and
contented, for if a woman is, to be mis-
tress OF her home and not its servant,
she will need to give just such study of
it's peculiar problems as she gave her
mathematics and chemistry at school.
Indeed the subjects will often be the
same, for with the first walls that en-
compass the new home there will come
need to know something of the me-
chanical construction of house.
Think of the many different kinds of
work there is to be done in a home;
cooking, cleaning, sewing, marketing,
shopping and entertaining, and more
are to be added if the house shall be
the most successful. The American
woman's attitude toward her kitchen
has shown the requirement of igno-
ance not only of foods but of science,
art and history. She has spoken
gravely of high themes and scorned the
''drudgery" Of preparing food, consid-
ering it work for the heavy handed,
heavy witted peasant. Princes and
princesses have realized that cooking
lis no less refined than the other arts.
But in America for some reason we
have been slow in respecting the art.
Cooking appeals to every sense in
stead of one, and it is more important
than literature, music or art, for upon
it all other arts must rest. No prepar-
alton of mind can be too great to elab-
jOrate the perfect cook. What educa-
Etion can be higher than a knowledge of
the law of healthy life and how to feed
lit scientifically? Hundreds of women
do not make the right distinction be-
tween duties and claims upon their
time and the former are too often neg
ilected for the latter. No matter what
outside work woman may be engaged
in the best can only be acclaim upon
her time and not duty. Duties never
conflict. God gives no more duties to
IA woman than she has time or ability
to perform.
: The exactions of the world are not
duties they are claims, if there is time
it is we'll to meet them but claims be-
ing man made and duties being God
made the former must often be 'ignor-
ed and should be put aside where the
latter calls. : =
Good house keeling is easy house
into shreds and tatters keeping house
the case is proven against her. 1t is
precisely in her ability to guard
against this contingency that the house
wife shows herself not only good ex-
ecutive officer but a woman with high
ideals, and sense of proportion as
well-one who does not forget that
house keeping is means TO- house
making: that the most perfect admin
istration of domestic matters will not
make a family happy in whom the love
and spirit of home do not dwell. 1t is
both good and noble to be, a scientific
housekeeper; there is no profession in
which a woman can be so proud as to
be able to make and keep one Of. those
real homes which is a little sunny spot
nf .oraan ~, the .s-aoatLaaeert utsrIU. IL
it any wonder it takes brains to be a
good house wife, more brains than are
required by the average man ia pur-
suit of his business or profession and
not brains alone, but heart and tact
and wisdom and a versatility that
would daze the average man.