Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-22


The selection of food for the table In
order that 1t may be truly nourishing
and may yield the necessary material
for growth is one of woman's greatest
tasks. 70 be the maker of home
from which strong men and women
shall go forth to build and keep ma
ton powerful and united is the high
est task given to human beings. This
Is weman's true work. LIS she honest
ly equipped and trained for it?
The Task of Homemakine.
Woman's share in the well 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 q really successful
housekeeper a 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 a niggardly
share of their enthusiasm. l believe
that the largest per cent of unsuccess-
full housekeepers is always found
among the women who are either do
ing their work ignorantly and accord.
ing to somebody's tradition or because
their interest and enthusiasm are given
to some other PERSONS work. Why is
the opinion SO general among both men
and women that housekeeping requires
n little less intelligence than almost
any other kind Of work? why is ID
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 ia
keep house as it should be kept as it
does to perform any other kind OF
work. 1t requires just as much knowl.
edge and energy to make a home
which truly fultills all the term implies
az 1t 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 ss yet been put OH 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 for
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: 81 cook
for my family because l must, not be.
cause have any interest in the art,
for thoroughly dislike It." Are you
good COOKE" / said. "No. am mott
was the answer IF am ever sue.
cessful it is due to luck more than
skill, because | really know nothing
about the science of 1t, and, after
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 disliIses to do that
which he can do really well--just a
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 a reputation for be-
ing the best breadmaker in the town.
ship. She knows something about
yeasts and -four, understands the prop.
er temperature for breadmaking and
finds her task a pleasure because she
has had sufficient interest in it to be.
come familiar with its science.
The housekeeper's work, If properly
performed, gives regular exercise ia
all her faculties Ii she understands,
as she should, the effect Of heat and
cold upon food materials, upon liquids
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. Her
intelligent handling of acids, alkaiis
and the treatment of the different fab
RIGS in the laundry will necessitate q
familiarity with chemistry If she UNI.
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. If
she does not understand these simple
truths, so closely related to her work.
ignorance Of them naturally presup-
poses working in the dark
The Well Rounded Life.
/ The aim OF life should not be to
spend all the effort of our days in
, working simply to satisfy the physical
needs of the body without any thought
for mental development True it is
that a sound mind is usually found
in sound body. but it is also true
that an empty head. like an empty
stomach. is equally susceptible to pol
sons. Where all thought and effort are
given to acquiring wealth. winning
, social or political position without TAX
ing into account the other side of life
the side which means the right at
- "a 49,