The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-13

FOR BETTER HOME LIFE.
This 10 largely q day of specialixa-
tion In educational matters. In the MOI
VERY remote past the only apparent OBJ.
foct Of the teachers in the South was
to givefthe young a purely academic
trainins--to educate the brain and no,
THE hand This old system il fast Civ.
ing way TO q better and more useful
one Much more attention is now Civ.
en- to the work Of training boys to fol-
low other than strictly professional DC.
equations. True, they are specially ed.
ucated to be lawyers. doctors and min
! listers. but It does not stop here. Our
educators are seeing the necessity OF
something more and the result is that
the boys OF this generation are being
civil and military engineering. archi-
lecture and applied mechanics. and 9TH
er not strictly professional branches.
In short, we of the South are learning
the necessity of having our young meu
taught the use of hand as well as brain
80 that there shall be no need to &c
elsewhere for trained managers and
constructors. @..
This is all right and proper. but why
mot so a. step further and bestow on
our girls such training and education
las will At them for the duties of life .
True. they are now trained in ltelegra-
Iphy, shorthand, typewrittns. and other
Ioffice work, but why neglect the home.
the most important of all? These spe-
cialists do not go into their occupations
with the intention of making 1t their
life work. They expect some day to
become wives and mothers. the high-
est and hottest Of all earthly positions.
and they should not assume the respon-
lsibilities belonging to the mistress of
the home without being prepared for
the duties which must devolve on
them.
i We educate our sons for engineers,
for architects, for mechanics and for
farmers-why not have our daughters
taught good Housekeeping? In short.
why should there not be established in
one or more OF the schools OF Mont
gcmery a Department of Domestic Sci
i ence? 1t is a term used in many of the
educational institutions of the North
! and East to include a general knowl-
edge OF the household sciences. They
J are taught to know what foods are best
] of family life, and why they are best,
and they are further instructed in the
Eart- of preparing each article of food
in the best manner. both for the ap-
petite and the health, as well as to Mt
1.-THE needs Of the family purse. The
science also provides for instruction In
sanitation, and all else designed to
make the home pleasant, healthy and
attractive.
After all. the foundation of human
happiness is the home, and the mistress
of the home can do more than all 9TH
ers to make 1t an earthly Heaven or
the reverse. We train our boys to lay
out and build a railroad, why not teach
the girls to lay out and manage a
flower yard? While the boy is learn
ling to design and build a house, let the
girl learn how to furnish it and to keep
It. II the son is trained to manage a
farm, let the daughter be trained to
boss the garden. When the boy is
learning to raise and care for horses
and cattle. why should not the girl ac-
iquire a knowledge of the needs, habits
and possibilities of poultry? To sum It
all up, let the girls be taught that do
me site labor is dignified. and that a
well-kept home is a haven of rest to
the husband and father as well as TO
the mother and children.
| Tlt1f t. - .
housekeeping that should be taught.
1t is not merely the cooking and the
busting, the stitching and the rid
ding up" that we have reference to,
but that the girls who are to be the
wives and mothers of the future should
learn the basic principles of the phys
ical laws governing the health of fam
ilies,- and especially of the children.
There is something more important In
IL woman's life than taking down u
speech or q letter, or manipulating the
keys of a typewriter or telegraphic
instrument. A healthy family and a
weli-ordered and well managed home
are among the greatest of all human
blessings. and much OF the responsi-
lbiIity for II rests on the mistress of
the home. And the girls of the day
should bear. in mind that the heart of
tho young man Is much more inclined
towards a pleasant home than is gen.
orally imagined. II a disorderly and
unpleasant home drives the husband
away, the fear of such will make the
young man hesitate before taking the
final step. If he. has seen no pleasure
or satisfaction in his younger days he
may feel that marriage will be con-
tinuation of youthful unhappiness, and
we've no doubt that the dread of do
mestic misrule and Encouragement
holds many a young man back from
matrimony.
These are some of the reasons why
we plead for a Department of Domes-
tic Science in our schools. we plead
for 1t because we believe 1t will lead
to happier homes. to domestic content
ment and peace and to a more health
full citizenship. While the boys are be-
ing taught to earn a<1ivelihood let the
girls be taught all the arts and myste-
ries Of horne-making and home-keep-
ing. The time is propitious and the
opportunity present for the work to
be inaugurated. The result will be for
the betterment Of the people
-S-~o-S-
INCREASED COST OF LIVING.
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