The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-06
THE BUSINESS
or HOUSEKEEPING

merry establishment. 1t is a business
to which women have devoted their
time ever since family life succeeded
tribal life, and there is no sound
reason for believing that II will ever
be anything else. housekeeping Is
the only business in the, e,world that
has had history Of 4unbrokenicon
tinuity of management. Men have
divided their attention among null
titudinous interests; women, until
very latelyg have concentrated on
one. 1t would seem. therefore, that
housekeeping ought to be one OF the
most perfectly developed branches of
business in the world. But 1t isn't
And Il isn't largely because women
have refused to recognize II as a busi
ness. they have been negligent, as
a class, In putting their calling on
plane with the pursuits in which
their husbands have engaged. They
have failed to apply to their work
the principles that make or unmake
the druggist, the butcher and the
milliner.
When a man wishes to establish
drug store, he first studies pharmacy.
When he wishes to become butcher
he enters on the work as an appren-
! tice. II a woman degtres to open
! millinery shop she studies millinery.
! But how many women who are today
engaged In the business of house
/ an
selves for IL? How many thousands
there are, on the other hand, who
did their first practical work in
home when they became wives and
had no alternative but to assume the
management? How many women
today, including even the "experienc-
ed" housekeepers, know what are the
most healthful food combinations?
How many OF them, even, can sweep
room as thoroughly and as easily
as girl who has had competent,
modern training in this work when
studying her business of housekeep-
ing? Hundreds of women will scoff
at the suggestion that IL makes any
difference what is fed to men or how
their food is prepared, just so long
as two or three square meals are pro-
vitied every day and the mixtures
seem palatable.
We spoke of housekeeping as a
complex business. Can you think OF
any other that has so many varieties
OF work? Cooking Is only small
part of It, though 1t may be In the
end the most important. But the
proper care of the house and its con-
tents has given many modern day
experts a very full lifetime of study.
And they do not profess to know 1t all
yet. II is in the capacity OF manager,
however, that woman is given the
best opportunity to prove her busi-
ness ability. How few housekeepers
are managers! Worse than that, how
few housekeepers are trying to be-
come managers or know or care any
thing about house management!
There are a few such, Of course, and
many more than there were five years
ago, but the other unnumbered thous-
ands order the groceries and cook the
meals, wash the dishes (because they
have to), sweep and dust-perhaps In
a fairly systematic manner-with no
concern whatever for the finances OF
husband-and-wife partnership.
The druggist keeps books. So does
the butcher. so does the milliner.
Any of them could tell in a moment
just what business they had done In
a day, a week or a month They con-
slider II necessary to be able to ac-
count, not only for every cent they
have received, but for every article
contained at any time In their stock,
And so should the housekeeper. Even
; II she conducts the house on an al
lowance basis, It should be her pride
to make every month a better month
of management than its predecessor
!. to chop and chop and chop on extray-
: agances and waste In cooking until
she has eliminated them. The only
, possible means OF successfully doing
4 this, regardless Of whom the woman
is or where she lives. is by keeping
accounts II requires a little time
but It repays the time In dollars. Two
p columns in blank book are all tha
o are needed. In one the housewife
n sets down her receipts In the othel
! she enters her expenditures. Then
n and then only, has she a check OF
r herself. Otherwise her house man
a agement, II she attempts manage
It ment, is guesswork Bookkeeping
s allows OF comparisons; 1t ever pro
3 yides the incentive to the worth
/ while woman for better. and there
l. fore closer, management. 1t gives he
= business its true business basis an
1t makes OF her. not slave. but he
husbands partner in finances as wei
, as In his Joys and sorrows.
| o. Y.