The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-07-21
Domestic Science.
Read by Nellie Gray Lewis of Bangor at the
county federation OF womens clubs at Lake Cora.

Read by Nellie Gray Lewis of Bangor at the
county federation OF women's clubs at Lake Cora.
Domestic science, or household econo-
mics, as it is sometimes termed en-
braces not only the chemistry of cooking,
but something more thorough and far
reaching: more philosophical and sociol-
ogical. 1t seeks a practical application
of the principles of physics, chemistry
and physiology to the requirements of
the household, that through this agency
it may reach down into the home and
contribute to the sum total OF rational
living. Sewing is an important work in
the home, though many mothers rear
their daughters in ignorance of such.
Emergency home nursing needs much
attention also in the household. Many
life has been saved by a mothers
quick thought Of home remedies. There
ale many other important branches in
domestic economy, but Of the most i'm
portant is cookery. The first American
organizer Of cooking schools and diet
kitchens was Miss Julia Corson, born in
Boston. She was member OF the
household of her maternal uncle, who
was a physician. and under whose guard
ianship she followed the course of class
ical reading usually preparatory for
college life. Miss Corson's mental train
ing proved invaluable to her when the
anlmus of step-dame barred her faith
er's door to her, and she began the
realities of life alone.
10 1873 one of those crises prevailed
which are the bane of American finan.
cia life, when women, reared in afflu-
ence, are brought face to face with want.
To meet the exigencies of the situation,
the free training school for women was
organized by some of the influential
women of New York. The work began
with the teaching of book keeping, short
hand writing, proof reading and serving
in the library and sewing room of Miss
Corson's house. When a sufficient num-
Der had been persuaded to submit them
selves to domestic training as the safest
solution for their difficulties, the proper
building was secured, and domestic
training began.
In addition to the teaching of all
grades of cookery from the plainest to
the fanciest in the cooking schools which
she has since assisted in organizing in
all parts of the u. S., Miss Corson has
been chief factor in grating the study
OF domestic science upon the public
school systems.
The subject OF eating is indeed a
science. Cookery has been entitled
fine art, but unfortunately, much of it
has no science for basis, being devised,
not so much with reference to mans
physical needs as to his appetites. Mans
science has never yet fully explored the
domain of the food question, and We are
still in the dark as to some of the uses
which nature makes IN her laboratory
of the provisions Of her bounty. For
tunately for humanity. she has also COM
bined many of the elements in the right
proportions in the vegetable world to
perfectly adapt them to our needs, even
though we may know little of the
science of their uses.
1t is undoubtedly true that many
esteem too highly the pleasure of CASTRO
nomy, and thus sacrifice the mental and
spiritual to merely animal; the remedy
for the evil is not to be found in flying
to the other extreme, but rather in
golden mean which shall subordinate all
the faculties and appetites TO the de-
mands of an enlightened judgment and
an educated conscience.
The great possibilities of domestic
science from practical standpoint,
means the uplifting of the homes. How
few people are so little interested in this
vital matter. Now and then we find
person, perhaps an invalid, who grasps
at every suggestion that tends to better
health like a drowning man to a straw.
But the average person, especially the
wealthy one, does not investigates; she
studies along narrow lines, and accepts
statements of investigators rather than
investigating the kitchen for herself.
The knowledge of domestic science
has wonderful influence over the
health and homes of the people, the
study and application of which broadens
the housewife. When a person is per
fectly WE'LL almost all occupations are
interesting. Ii you are but scrubbing
the kitchen, possibilities arise that you
have never known before; or you may
be cleaning a window, and will think of
various chemical materials to aid in the
operation, and before you know it you
have tried dozen different articles and
selected the best.
Every branch of homework, nc matter
how mental, should interest the wife and
mother. The better mothers are usually
the simpler ones. A woman's ambition
in life should be, first, to make home;
second, to make it as near to heaven as
is within mortal's power to do so. To
do this, she must thoroughly undo rstand
the elements of the household, or what
we term domestic science.