Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-07-09
THE LEAST WASTE.
coed Management OF the Household
Calls for Carefulness in
Expenditure.

Every good housekeeper desires that
her work should be done with the least
possible waste. In all housekeeping,
however skillfully 1t is conducted, there
is always some waste. The problem
that confronts the housekeeper In
every branch OF, her work is to. secure
for her household the greatest amount
Of comfort with the least expenditure
of money and energy. 1t is business
problem pure and simple, in which sem
timent does not primarily enter. The
housekeeper who fails to use wisdom
and skill in her work is disastrous
failure, and, like all failures, brings
to ruin many who depend upon her
says the New York Tribune.
The woman who is as "easy" in her
housekeeping "as an old shoe" natu-
rally excuses herself by pointing out
the metallic visaged Mrs. Murdstone as
an example of the opposite manage
ment. Two failures, however, do not
make one success. The woman who
wrecks her household on the rocks Of
acknowledgement and wastefulness is
not the less failure because another
woman, under the excuse of thrift has
totally destroyed the peace and COM
port Of "the garden of home" and es-
tablished therein an arid wilderness.
The foolish fancy is cherished by
many ignorant folk that certain
a n, cunt ~ ,rosf af,,1o aes. 4. n1Io,,,oII. a.
people of wealth on the ground Of
"luxury." It is true that persons Of
wealth may indulge in wasteful hab-
its with less disastrous results to them-
selves than such habits bring to the
poor, but needless waste is no less .
crime in the rich than in the poor.
Luxury does not mean wastefulness.
On the contrary, man may indulge in
life of the greatest luxury and show
just and worthy motive for every ex-
penditure of money he has made.
Wastefulness is vulgar, and shows rep
rehensible ignorance. Genuine luxury
demands a cultured taste and educa-
ton and refinement. The peasant who
is as innocent Of all knowledge of lux
uries as she is of good, plain cookery is
an example of wastefulness, and is the
poorest as well as the most extrava-
giant cook housekeeper can secure.
II requires a skillful cook to secure the
least possible waste in the kitchen.
Such cook will set table which IL
luxurious on an expenditure Of time
and money which would furnish only
the barest subsistence to the green
cook. It requires a certain amount Of
refinement to set table, and as much
training as 1t does to conjugate Greek
verbs. We will also add that for the
majority Of women, who receive their
education at our public schools, it IL
a vastly more useful knowledge. Until
cookery and household economy are
lifted to the rank of a skillful trade, to
be learned by all women, there will be
needless waste in the household. Let
US hope that the women of the twenti-
It'll century will solve the problem
which has not been solved by the wom-
N of the nineteenth. This cannot be
lone by deserving the kitchens and
discussing the subject in clubs. It can
only be done by educated women show
ng their respect for homework and
household economy by devoting as !.
much time In their education to 1t as
hey now do to higher mathematics and
ciences, thus setting an example to
he ignorant which will teach them to
aspect their homes. In the words Of
'usanah Carter, addressed to the
british matrons more than 100 years
go: ITO your saucepans, if you ex-
ect to keep the woeful specter Of do
nestle unhappiness and divorce away
rom your thresholds"