The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-02-07
Cooking schoola Abroad

The problem Of higher education for
women is being agitated in Germany in
rather a surprising form. The German
madthen doesn't know much about
higher mathematics and Chaldaic as a
rule, but she has worldwide repuia-
tion for domestic virtues; and IL is be-
wildering to find the lawmakers of her
land crying out for compulsory courses
OF culinary instruction. A law recently
proposed requires every woman, on at
tanning her twentieth year, to produce a
certificate that she has satisfactorily
completed severe course in cooking.
One cannot help wondering about the
domestic experience of the man who put
forward the proposition. Perhaps he
had suffered keenly from the lack OF
such law, and has philanthropic in
terest in the gastronomic salvation OF
coming generations.
The obligatory culinary instruction for
women should probably do more for the
welfare and happiness of the nation than
the obligatory military service for men,
and no one of the social reformers who
have raised their voices in advocacy of
radical schemes for bettering the condi-
tion of society, has struck so simple and
practical plan for bringing about indi-
vidual comfort, with the resultant do
mestic tranquility and national prosper
ity. Seriously considered, the idea is a
good one, and Germany is not alone in
recognizing the need OF more domestic
knowledge for girls For years there
have been schools housewifery in Ger
many and Switzerland, and from all
parts OF the continent, and from Eng.
land as we'll, girls have been sent to
these schools. Now number of such
schools have been established in Eng
land, aud are well patronized. These
schools are Of different grades, and vary
a. to the expense OF tuition and board.
In some the pupils are from families OF
wealth and position. The parents want
their daughters TO be comfortable and
happy; but they also want them fitted
for the life which is natural for women,
a nd for the duties which will fall upon
.r shoulders, whatever her station may
be. The girls are not made TO work
hard, but they are thoroughly trained
in cooking, and are instructed in the
elements OF fine laundry work, and Of
general household economy and domes-
tic management. When they leave the
school they are capable Of managing a
household intelligently.
Cheaper schools of housewiiery make
less provision for the comfort OF pupils,
and exact harder work but are well
patronized by families with small in
comes. Then there are private families by
the score which take three or four girls
aud agree TO initiate them into the
secrets OF marketing, cooking and all
things domestic.
To Americans who-save for the faint
light thrown by sporadic cases OF cook
ing schools and chafng-dish classes
are sitting in darkness it would seem
that the domestic future Of Germany
and Switzerland is tolerably well pro-
vided for but evidently the educational
authorities over there do not think 80.
Germany is reaching out for more thor
ough domestic training, and in Switzer-
land the movement is still further adj
vanced. The public schools of Berne-
or at least the large new buildings-haye
been fitted up with departments adapted
for tuition in laundry, cooking, market
ing, management Of stores, etc. Every
girl above a certain age is bound to at
tend the course in this department.
The other Swiss towns are rapidly fol-
lowing this example and there is great
enthusiasm over the success Of the ex-
pertinent.
The daughters OF the poorer classes in
France and of the bourgeoise are usually
famous cooks; and make science Of
marketing; but in other departments Of
domestic economy their knowledge is
painfully rudimentary, and the average
French housekeeping would drive a
Dutch or German or Swiss h'us wife 10
despair. Among persons OF higher
social standing in France the women
have departed from the traditions Of
of their ancestors. The chatelaines Of
old France gloried in their domestic skill
and guarded their recipes more jralously
than their jewels. Nine. de sevigne
made wafilles that were more delicious
than her letters. Nine. Recamier's
sauces were as famous as her beauty,
aud riyalled that famous sauce invented
oy a French count, who swOre that be
could even serve his mother-in-law
with il SO as to disguise her bitter flavor.
rhe Empress Josephine prepared Creole
dishes 80 wonderfully that, II Nspoleon
had been a gourmet, he would never
have had the courage 10 divorce her.
But tha modern French demoiselle is as
ignorant OF culinary matters as the
average American girl, and nothing
more sweeping than that could be said.
Table Talk.
Give Yourself
"What can We do for your asked the