The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1910-03-18


The selection Of food for the table in
order that it may be truly nourishing
and may yield the necessary material
for growth is one of woman's greatest
tasks. To be the maker of home
from which strong men and women
shall go forth to build and keep a ma
tion powerful and united Is the high
est task given to human beings. This
is woman's true work. Is she honest
ly equipped and trained for it?
The Task Of Homenakins.
Woman's share in the we'll being of
the family demands not only an intel
ligent knowledge of the principles of
her work, but also interest and enthu
siasm in it. To be really successful
housekeeper woman must be an en-
thusiastic housekeeper. Very few, If
any, men have achieved success in any
work to which they have given only
part of their thought and niggardly
share of their enthusiasm. ] believe
that the largest per cent of unsuccess-
full housekeepers is always found
s52ong the women who are either do
'1g their work ignorantly and accord
;pE to somebody's tradition or because
tneir interest and enthusiasm are given
to some other persons work. Why is
the opinion SO general among both men
and women that housekeeping requires
little less intelligence than almost
any other kind of work? Why is it
that the most incompetent person is
the one who generally offers her serv-
ices in domestic work? .She would do
better in some ones kitchen" is the re.
mark very often made of the unsuc-
cessful woman.
What Housekeeper Should Know.
1t requires just as much brains to
keep a house as it should be kept as it
does to perform any other kind of
work. 1t requires just as mich knowl-
edge and energy to make a home
which truly fulfills all the term implies
as it does to engage in any other in
dustry. And no other work demands
quite as much Of the whole hearted in.
terest, the real person. as does home
| making. One good reason why there
are so many indifferently managed
homes is because housekeeping in gen.
eral has not as yet been put on the
same plane as other industries. One
| reason why so many women are need
lessly wearing themselves out in their
task of providing food and shelter fol-
| their families is because of lack OF
| knowledge of the fundamental prin
| ciples Of their work. Lack of train
ing and practical education is re.
sponsible for many housekeeping fail
| ures. A woman said to me: II cook
| for my family because l must, not be
cause l have any interest in the art
for thoroughly dislike it." Are you
| good cook" said. "No, am not,
was the answer. "If am ever sue
ceSsful it is due to luck more thar
skill, because l really know nothing
about the science Of 1t, and. afteI
years of experience, l simply can't gel
| interested in It," Unless this woman
| is quite unlike the rest Of humanity
her dislike can be traced to her fail
ures, for no one dislikes to do tina,
1 Q
little better perhaps than any one else
! The woman who finds pleasure in max
| ing bread is generally the woman who
| has won the blue ribbon at the county
fair and who has reputation for be
ing the best breadmaker in the town
| ship. She knows something abou
yeasts and -four. understands the prop
er temperature for breadmaking an(
| finds her task a pleasure because sh'
| has had sufficient interest in it to be
| come familiar with Its science.
| The housekeeper's work. if properly
| performed, gives regular exercise t.
all her faculties. If she understands
as she should, the effect of heat ant
cold upon food materials, upon liquid.
and solids, she will have a working
knowledge of physics. If she knows
something about digestion and per
! sonal hygiene she will not be a stran
ger to the study of physiology. Hel
intelligent handling of acids, alkalis
and the treatment of the different fab
RIGS in the laundry will necessitate 6
familiarity with chemistry. If she un
derstands the scientific side of can
ming and preserving and the preser
walton Of food by other methods. as
well as the processes of cheesemaking
| sterilizing. ETC., she will be on familiar
terms with household bacteriology. II
she does not understand these simple
] truths. SO closely related to her work
ignorance Of them naturally presup
poses working In the dark.