Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-06-05
THE HOUSE MOTHER.
Must Provide InteIIigentIy ms Well
IA BOuntifuIIy, for the Needs
of Her Family.

Inc good mother who lOOketh well
to the ways of her household must
not only be good cook, but a good
caterer. She must know how to pur-
chase food so that il will he the
most economical and the best in its
season, and she must know how to
cook it so that there will be the
least waste of food value She must
provide food suitable to the physical
needs of each of her family, individ-
ualy as we'll as collectively. 1t is
no small task that the provider of
food for the household undertakes,
says the New York Tribune.
The more refined the type of the
individual the more careful he must
be in the selection of his food. Only
the grossest and lowest animals eat
whatever is given them. There is
more animalism in eating with salts
faction a heavy dinner Of many
courses, badly cooked and second rate
in quality, and imagining because it
is elaborate you have dined well than
there is in that fastidiousness in re-
gard to food which the epicure shows
The term epicure should not be one
of reproach, yet it often is, even to
those who should remember there is
only one animal in the farmyard who
does not select his food, but eats
promiscuously whatever is thrown to
him.
There are a certain class of house
keepers who seem to think their fam
flies should be served in regard to
food, with no greater care than the
poor pig. They boast that they "eat
to live" The highest and most intel
lectual life requires a body in the
most perfect physical condition. The
food must meet the requirements Of
the body. Badly cooked and badly
selected food causes the great ma
iority Of ills to which human nature
is heir. Most diseases may be traced
back to malnutrition or the con-
sumption of food which has failed to
do its duty as food.
The woman who makes homemade
bread which is ga heavy compound Of
putty and lead" is guilty Of Grim
inal incapacity and lack Of intelli-
gence which are far more contempt
IDLE and more far reaching in their
evil results to those who are de-
pendent on her table than any other
ignorance. No intellectual achieve
ment Of any woman whose position
makes her a housekeeper and puts
human health and life in her hands
can be considered if she fails in the
primary duties which are necessarily
hers. There are many women who
are never called on to cook or to
supervise n family who are success
full in other ways, but the woman
whose circumstances are such that
she must accomplish the duties Of n
housemother and who fails to meet
those duties intelligently and sue
cessfully can have no possible SYM
pathy from any intelligent person.
It is not intellectual women who
have made notable failures in house
keeping, but shallow, silly women,
who would make failures in any po-
sition in life. Tt is pleasant to re-
member George Eliot's interest in her
cooking recipes and Charlotte
Bronte's tenderness toward the old
servant who failed to take the eyes
out of her potatoes, which Miss
Bronte removed surreptitiously, for
fear of hurting the feelings of the
purblind old woman. Numberless in
stances might have been exceedingly
capable in household matters and fas-
tidious in the choice of food.
Let no one boast that she "eats
to live" unless she eats in such a way
that she lives as an intelligent hui
man being, not as decrepit invalid
with impaired digestion and weak
ened intellect. which may be easily
traced to malnutrition. We are to
a large extent what we eat. Years of
beef have made the Anglo-Saxon the
intellectual giant that he is. Centu-
ries of a rice diet has stunted the
growth and the mind Of the poor Chi
nese coolie.