The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-11-06
TEACH COOKING.
The Mother of Every Girl Should See
that She Can Prepare Food.

A rather pathetic incident came un-
der my notice a few months ago. A
young woman who had married the
man Of her choice made the discovery
when too late, that she was totally un-
fitted for the duties she would have
to perform in her new position. She
had no experience in cooking anything
besides frying bacon and making tea.
Even porridge was failure when she
attempted to make 1t. 1.-The reason OF
all this?" you ask. Well. her mother
was so accustomed to cook for her fam
lily that she was unwilling to hand
over the reins to her daughter al
though the latter was quite ready to
learn.
The mothers excuse was that her
husband was extremely fastidious re-
garding his meals, and she feared do
nestle disturbance If they were not
prepared in the way he had hitherto
enjoyed. No doubt the woman meant
well, but think that not only was her
husband a selfish man, but she was a
very unwise woman not to consider
her daughters future happiness, and
feel sure that every right-minded read
err will agree with me. So much COM
fort and domestic peace depends upon
the skill of the middle class wife as
cook and housekeeper that l wonder
at any mother expressing her unwill-
ingness to teach her girl every branch
Of household work / have heard that
hungry man is an angry man, and
especially Is this true when he comes
home from work and finds before him
a meal prepared in such way as to
render it unenjoyable-if not uneat-
able. The poor young wife may have
done her best, but disappointed. tired
man will not recognize the fact; what
he wants is the knowledge that his
earnings are spent Judiciously, his food
cooked in a nice, tempting manner and
served on a neatly arranged table.
If your daughter is at home all day,
let her take the dinner entirely In hand
two days a week. To make 1T clear,
give her a certain sum in the morning,
or the evening before, If more conven-
lent, and let her go out and purchase
the necessary things for the days din
ner; then let her cook the meal If
she fails, as she may do, the first few
times, Is 1t not better for you to be
with her and to show her where she
goes wrong than for her to hear the
reproaches. If not worse. Of an impa-
tient husband? No doubt she will be
less careful with butter. sugar. eggs,
ETC., than you are. but little patience
on your part, and willingness to i'm
prove on hers. will soon teach her those
little economies In the kitchen" which
are SO necessary If you wish to make
both ends meet, with q limited income.
l heard a mother say one day: II
can't bear to see my daughter cooking.
She burns as much coal for little
stew and a vegetable as would be
wanted for big roast" OF course,
that item has to be watched, and il
the meat Is put on to stew very early
in the morning a small fire suffices
to cook 1t. A mother is the only one
who can teach the girl all these little
things, for she can do Ii In her own
quiet manner without impotence or
reproaches.
There is another side to the picture.
A man. while praising his wife's skill
as housekeeper. naturally looks with
gratitude on the girls mother who has
trained her so well; and in this case
the mother-in-law is not the despised
creature that writers of fiction would
have US believe.-The Scotsman.