Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-02
Household Economics.
0 the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
In the last generation there has been an
evolution and revolution in housekeeping
and home making. The housewife of To-Day
no longer boils the soap. makes the
sage. spins Eor weaYes, but many new
things, equally as important, claim her at
tention. Queen Victoria was severely in
sistent on having her daughters have
thorough knowledge of household affairs.
Princess Louise in her younger days prided
herself on her ability to iron a shirt beau
tifully We all know the German empress
IS first and foremost a hausfrau. 1t IL
Crly the snobbish American woman who
looks upon household affairs as something
beneath her notice. During my first years
residence In this city friend who had lived
here many years, wishing TO give me bit
OF friendly advice, told me IL | was seen
doing my own housework | would lose
castei All. said i, then IL my servant
fails to appear In the morning my hus-
band and children must go out breakfast.
less; the fires can go out: the hoors re-
main unswept and the soiled dishes pile
up for fear OF )eopardiZing my social posi-
ton. Well, thank heaven, | added, ! was
brought up In a section OF the country
where good housekeeping Is considered
fine art. and where the woman who is not
skilled in domestic science Is the one who
loses caste.
The school board of the District has
wisely Incorporated COOKING lessons IN the
school curriculum. but instead OF its being
a major study 1t is a minor one, and many
of the girls on cooking day play traant.
They do not call ii by that name. They put
their heads together and say, Lets cut
cooking school" If IL was shown on a
girls report that she had not attended that
important instruction perhaps her parents
might take hand in the affair. Mos
fathers are anxious TO have their boys well
equipped for life's battles, why shouldn't
the mothers see that the girls are prepared?
Every sensible man will bear me out IN
this theory, that the finest college education
q girl can have will not bring happiness to
the man she marries If she cannot cook
meal or run the house when The cook leaves
Last year in one of the District cooking
schools one of the young ladies scornfully
refused to wash the dishes, saying her
mother had said she wasn't obliged to
wash dishes! Silly girl, and foolish mother.
The wheel of fortune turns quickly ia
America, and the rich girl of today may be
poor tomorrow. Besides. the wealthy
woman is just liable TO be occasionally
left without servant as her less fortunate
neighbor. All women should have knowl--
edge of household economics, household
santa ton, the chemistry of cooking. house
hold bacteriology' etc. Ciub women nave
done much to create an interest in these
subjects, but the schools. private and pub
lie, might do more. Likewise the columns
of the press. The District Federation OF
Woman's Clubs has taken up the subject
of household economics part of the win
ters work IL seems to me. however, thai
the proper interest will never be taken
until housekeeping has been mace 1asii-
ionable profession like trained nursing.
Twenty-Five years ago the woman who went
out nursing was not social success, but
now the trained nurse Is the social equal OF
almost any one. frequently making a bril-
liant matrimonial match. A century ago
In England a physician was not received I'm
polite society. What" said the people OF
the upper stratum of society. In tones of
horror, Invite as our guest the man who
bieeds us and administers physics2 Nay.
nay" But today what so honorable as the
medical profession? The woman who Is
paid housekeeper meets with social ostra-
cism. and that is the real reason why
brainy and intelligent women grasp at any
thing for livelihood but housekeeping. Il
is time healthy sentiment was created I'm
favor of housekeeping profession. anu
when the paid and trained housekeeper T.
received In the same society as the paid
and trained nurse the domestic problem
will be solved
NARY CRAIG RAHDcorf.