Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-03-22
DOMESTIC ECONOMY
BY MRS. j. J. FEssENDEN.
Read before the Farmers Institute
at CreScO. Iowa.


at Cresco, Iowa.
Domestic economy or good manage
ment in the home is "a subject capable
of being viewed from so many different
standpoints that our time here to-day
is altogether inadequate, and the most
we can do is to drop few words
which may set some to thinking along
the different lines of a subject of
which l believe there is none more
important and more neglected at the
present time.
I have no intention of attempting
nything of which l am so incapable,
as telling you how this should be APP
piled to our homes, but to discuss for
a few minutes the question: Should
Domestic Economy Form a Part Of
the Education of our Daughters?
Our wisest men tell us our nation
owes its power and greatness to our
American homes; others say the
mothers influence is what makes
these homes what they are, and by
the influence exerted over her girls
and toys reach even to the ballot
box and control the nation.
If, then, the mother is so important
factor, the question arises: Is our
present system of education all that
it should be to prepare the girls of
to-day to be the homemakers of a
great nation in the future?
Take our college graduates; since
the age of five, their whole time has
been devoted to school work, allowing
so little exercise or recreation that
many cannot endure the strain and
must drop out of school, others find
their health so impaired by constant
study as to be unable to put to practi-
cal use the knowledge they have
acquired.
Perhaps ten per cent. of these girls
will select some business or profession
in which they will achieve success;
but what of the other ninety? In a
few years you will find them all set
tied in homes of their own. And now
we ask, has the education they have
toiled so hard for fitted them to take
charge of their homes?
/ believe we might just as we'll give
our boys a course in law or medicine
and then expect them suddenly to
turn out scientific farmers, as to edu-
cate our girls according to the present
aystem and expect them to turn out
good housekeepers.
believe domestic economy should
be as much part of the education of
our daughters as ari thmetic or history.
Every girl who is allowed to assume
the responsibilities of a home without
being educated for that work is placed
in position where no matter how
hard she may try to do her part we'll,
she must bring to herself hours of I'M
happiness, and great amount of dis.
comfort to the members of her family
There are many women in this house
today who will fully understand all
this: and who have seen the time when.
il it had been possible for them to do
SO, they would have exchanged their
knowledge of music, painting, or any
of the accomplishments which had
cost years of patient endeayor to &C
quire for the ability to properly cook
and serve good meal.
How many times in your early mar
rled life have you tried to welcome a
friend to your home, when your pleas
nre was completely spoiled by the oft
recurring thought, "What shall l get
for dinner"
| believe nine-tenths of us if called
on to tell where the greatest trials of
our lives have been encountered would
answer SIN the kitchen. /"
Suppose we had time here today for
a little experience meeting among our
housekeepers. amagine the stories
we would hear of bread baked into
miniature cannon balls, cake made
with sour milk and baking powder,
coffee settled with whole eggs, until
we would wonder why dyspepsia does
not reign supreme in our fair land.
And when the knowledge of how to
adjust all this domestic machinery Sc
that it may run smoothly can only be
acquired by study and practice; why
do we not drop from our school course
the dead languages and teach our girls
how to prepare for the future living:
| think | hear someone say, "ThiS is
too common, we should look to some.
thing higher than mere animal com.
fort"
Yes, l know it is very common, but
many young man who has married an
accomplished young lady has found
out to his sorrow that it was very
common not to get anything fl to eat.
And while l believe it is our duty
as parents to give our daughters the
very best education we can, | think
we should make domestic economy
one of the essential parts of that edu.
cation.
One who q few years ago ranked
among the best teachers in Howard
county, but who now has a home OF
her own, said to me: "How / would
like, even now, to take a course in do
nestle economy at Ames. If ha6
only spent the time on that which ]