The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-30
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
Education In Housekeeninu.

E-S0SaSIOu III 7OuSSkSSplnS.
To the Editor of The Journal:
Nothing could have been more appro-
pirate or timely than the address of
DR.. Jordan to the girls who recently en-
tered the high schools of this city. His re-
marks were directed not against higher
education, which he is doubtless doing all
! in his power, to, promote, but against the
growing disposition to disguise and even
despise the. other realm Of development
and achievem ent to which he drew the
attention Of his hearers. There is a grow"
ing disinclination with girls of all classes
ito assume household duties and growing
tendency to hold household matters as
very second-rate, if not of still less i'm
portance. The fact that girls of wealth
discard these things sets the step for all
other girls, and in point of fact it is as
dangerous for them to eliminate this
training as it is for others. The great
difficulty which II ousekeepers now expert
ence in finding suitable persons to serve
as household assistants, clearly shows the
trend which modern life is taking Young
women will choose the life Of department
stores, factories and other public places.
rather than the more lucrative and secure
situat tons which they might have
private families The disposition. on the
other hand, to escape the care and re-
sponsibiities of home life which leads so
many to live<:in hotels and clubs, is an
influence at the other end of the scale to
diminish the healthful influence Of homes.
One OF the distinguishing features of
American life and development is the de-
clded power of well established family
ties Should this element in our civili-
zatlOn become weakened, as it is certainly
! IN danger Of becoming, by even more in
sidious and omnipotent forces than Mr..
Smoot and his confreres-the result would
be more disastrous to our, nation than it
would be for our entire navy to 20 the
bottom OF any ocean upon which it might
The education for the home is Of more
vital Importance than the drill at West
Point. Time was when girls received the
necessary instruction from their mothers
life has largely changed this. Even If
the mothers are competent to teach their
daughters-and. in many instances they
are not-the girls have no time to learn
provided they keep up with the process
sion which begins for them when they
start In kindergarten. There are socle-
ties and parties and club and papers and
engagements for this and that. until the
growing girl is scarcely acquainted with
the details of her own home
| She may have career mapped out for
herself. or some one else may have it
planned for her, some profession or trade,
and she may be so constructing, her life
as to leave marriage and a home of her
|
is not sufficient ground for those upon
whom her education rests to neglect these
other matters. It. is rather a shabby kind
of existence for al girl to have other
aim in life than to get married. but it
is q, grave fault for parents and guardians
to eliminate the possibility Of such a
catastrophe from the schedule Of her
training. 1t is right and proper for girls
to know something thoroughly that
! they could readily turn this knowledge
into bread and butter, clothing and shell
ter and in rightly ordered plan of <edu-
cation, the Latin and the Greek, French
. and German history and literature can
i find a place as we'll as an opportunity for
music and art. and still the weghtier
matters of the law not be neglected. The
training for home life is wejghtier, be
/ cause it conforms to the law Of nature:
and, while; nature may be trampled on
and manned, 1t cannot be obliterated, and
is. more than likely to assert itself in the
midst Of very unfavorable environme nt
Many a yonug woman has learned this
to her sorrow when she has found her
self the mistress of home with fair
| education in everything else rather than
in the duties which now call loudly for
lskill. V s
1 We would not revert to the customs OF
our grandmathers, neither would we de-
|sire American girls to be subjected to
the drill of the German matrons, but we
do desire TO see the daughters Of America
trained in real homes and so accustomed
to the requirements Of family life thatSi
4 may be no mean ambition to be thor.
;. toughly good housekeeper and to have il
within their power to create homes which
shall still sweeten and purify our civic
life. In no other land is there such ar
opportunity for the exercise of womanly
gifts and graces, and the twentieth cen.
fury is full of promise for their farther
development and power, but we need tt
!, remember that natural laws are Gods
flaws, and that these are the deep an6
fundamental things in human socIet,
, Iquite as much as in the construction 10
the universe. He has given to woman
: her place in the home. and to magnif,
J and enoble this place should become tn,
$ fine art OF our century.
3 Mary Mendenhall Hobbs
IS 1900 Stevens avenue.
The number of people employed in th,
FL British civil service now exceeds half .