Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-22
BAD FOOD, DISEASE
intelligence in the Kitchen
Means Health.
HOUSEWIFELY IGNORANCE
Fried Meat, Perpetual Potatoes,
Pimples and Poor Stomachs.
HOW TO HOLD A HUSBAND
Ladies Should Learn a Few of the
New Wrinkles in Domestic
Science

Science.
Helen Sayr Gray, in North American Review.
\ prevalent idea of the study of
domestic science is that it is the fad
of learning to do what domestics do
That is SO far the definition goes, and
in part it accounts for the prejudice
or Indifference manifested toward the
subject. There is a large class of care
less. apathetic, ambitionless women who
are satisfied with the treadmill way in
which they manage their homes. They
usually consider themselves successful
housekeepers, and would be incensed at
any intimation that they are not There
is another class of women-those who
have studied the subject of housekeeping
and realize that the health, energy.
morals. habits, manners, appearance. sue
cess and happiness of the members of
the family depend on the home and de-
plore that SO few women receive any
training TO fit themselves for the position
of homemakers.
The i'll effects of ignorance of house,
hold art and science are found every
where, In homes boarding houses, restaur-
ants and hotels. In thousands of homes
the walls are covered with nondescript
paper that is ugly in color and design
and soon fades. The carpets and rugs
are likewise ugly. The rooms are not liv-
ing rooms. but museums cluttered with
rubbish-tinsel ornaments, fancy work
and pictures that ought to be in the
wood pile. In the parlor the upholstery
is brocaded blush. At the windows are
of money expended on these things would
furnish a house well If the owners had
any taste or Judgment; but with such
walls and floor coverings. even If the
not be made TO look otherwise than
cheap, shabby and cheerless. II,
however, the walls and floors harmonic
room does not need very much furn1-
ture and does not look bare even if there
are only few articles in it.
Power of Tradition.
The women who live in such homes use
no intelligence in their methods of doing
Homework. Like the Chinese, they pre-
fer to do things as they have been
custoned to do them. They do not take
it as a reflection on their cooking that
their husbands seek to supply the de-
ficiency at q saloon and that their chill
dren eat between meals at all hours. They
use a cook book that is years behind the
times. 1t never occurs to them to be
dissatisfied with it and get the best in
the market. Much of the fruit they pre-
serve soon fer7nents, but they learn no
lesson from their failure. AS frying is
all easy and quick way of cooking. they
fry meat and vegetables whenever it is
possible. AS no attention is paid to
ventilation, the house frequently is satu-
ra ted with the odor of the cooking. Verify
as George AIDE says, There Is no place
like home. and some men glad of it."
BY such methods they waste money and
materials. They would not think of burn
ing UP dollar bills. but they do what
amounts to the same thing when they
fiavors of foods are spoiled by ignorant
cooking, and people who eat such dishes
acquire a depraved taste that Graves
strong condiments an eminent doctor
once said. the cheaper the restaurant
the more bottles of catsup, Worcestershire
sauce, mixed pickles and mustard there
are to disguise the poor quality of the
food
Ill-Tempered Children.
Owing to the discomfort and irritation
produced by their diet children in neglect
ed homes are ill-tempered. The daugh-
ters accustomed to a slipshod way of
doing homework. take no pleasure in it,
but find il weary. stale. fiat and unprott-
A able. They hate to cook because they
know nothing about cooking. People
take no pleasure in doing what they
know not how to do. Drudgery is doing
over aud over what has not been master
ed. Any work when mastered gives JOY
to the doer. Since their homes are SO
unattractive and embarrassing, ii is no
wonder that girls want to get away from
them. They leave school ,at an early age
to enter d store or factory. When they
leave the store or factory to marry. what
likelihood is there of their having happy
homes. since they are not qualified to do
their share to make them so?
The appearance of the members of the
family is a good indication of the kind of
housekeeping they are accustomed to.
They may he proof against mismanage-
meht for a time and look rosy, but
eventually they succumb. Bilious eyes.
consultations of principles. compilations
like dough or dried apples. and the ex
ternal symptoms of a hundred and one
ills are conspicuous evidences of the
wife's incompetency and cry out, Behold
her handiWork'
Confusion and embarrassment at the
unexpected arrival of company to dinner
or supper are another Indication of ne
elected housekeeping. Instead of being
ashamed only of being caught unprepared
the housewife should be ashamed to sit
down to a meal. no matter how frugal.
that any one arriving Unexpectedly could
not be asked to share.
Most Illnesses. moreover. come from i'm
proper food A great deal of sickness in
keeping. Yet the wife never blanes her
self for the sickness or death of members
of the family, but ascribes the untmely
ending of their lives to inscrutable
visitation OF Providence Strenuous ex-
ertions are made and no expense spared
COR nursing, medicine and doctors to save
the life of member of the family who
is Ill; but the prevention of sickness
through the study of housekeeping is dis
regarded. We are chsessed by belief
in the efficacy OF medicine. II the schools
had not been derelict in their duty we
should not have had the worship of
Escuapius continued to modern times.
Unconscious Starvation
People whose food supply day after day
contains only perhaps eight or ten OF the
sixteen chemical elements of which the
body is composed and seldom any of the
others pay the penalty for not supplying
IN right proportion and chemical combina
ton all the elements requisite for the
growth and maintenance of their bodies;
they are only fractional men and women.
Farmers know what to feed cows to in
crease the quantity of milk or to increase
or decrease certain constituents In ii.
Orchardists ascertain that pear trees
need iron. that ounce trees need salt;
bat no thought is given to feeding the
family for efficiency.
The i'll effects of bad housekeeping are
as conspicuous in the country as in the
civ Tradition has more weight i'll