The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-02-04

:
tstipDl1ss have not binted Al THE pos
lss1iiitiss for the study Of fashion and
the taste I'm dress, but these are wen
worthy Of our consideration.
Our modern girl viii need also 10
learn to apply her brains to housekeep-s
ing and house furnishing. In The pres,
ent day school Of household art the
girl 10 taught in an actual room how
to arrange actual furniture, how to
place pictures on the wall. and how
to place the rugs on the floor.
She Us instructed about the seIee-
tien Of wall paper. She Is taken q
the furniture store and tsught how 10
choose pieces Ct furniture for. the diff
ferent rooms In house. She learns
what Is good taste In houee furnish.
irgs, in bedsteads, chairs, tables, P;t-
ture frames and mirrors. She will be
we'll informed on the whole range Of
Kitchen furniture and utensils, and
her taste ard Judgment In the matter
of dishes and the arrangement OF the
chin closet will be carefully develop
cd. Then there lis the problem Of bed
clothing including mattresses, quilt
ing. blankets and pillows. 1T Ia quite
plain thai here is course of study
In itself.
1t Is only recently in the study OF
household arts that emphasis has been
placed upon the matter OF household
sanitation. and entilat',n. The study
of physiology ard hygiene In the
schools for the past twenty years, and
the recent public Awakening In regard
to the prevention Of the spread Of dis.
case, has brought cut more clearly TIL.
eaItion Ct the home to. the health Of
It's own inmates. and to that OF the
community. Z he matron of to-day
needs to be informed about. the germ
theory Of disease. and the possibility
CT infection through carelessness in
handling disease In the home, or me-
elect to. ventila.e properly living and
sleeping roors. She needs to kno.y
about the ger'r-kilIin1 properties OF
1 fresh air and sunshine, and the dan.
1ers Of the house fly as carrier Of
disease germs. She must realize the
Importance of detroying or removing
quickly all forms OF household and
Kitchen refuse She must know that
typhoid fever, dinnther!i. and maIariaI
disease lurk Ia household filth ard
dirt. One authority even suggests
that or girls should have course in
suritary plumbing. so that they may
understand TIE laws underlying the
proper plumbing Of a modern city
house, and what good plumbing means
to the I,eaItI, of the household. A
knowledge of mouse sanitation and ven.
tiIation and Their. effect upon heaIti,
is just as important IT, the mistress IF
mansion as to the girl wife who IS
just beginning her domestic career in
threesroored cottage. The mother
ard daughter in the home must be ia
r1flfar Wit!, all. the modern means of
safeguarding the health Of the family.
The newspaper jokes about the a.
irorance Of the newly married young Wo-
man in purchasing or ordering provi-
sions tor her home have entirely too
much basis Of fact. The young houss.
keeper4too often takes UP her duties
With an utter lack of,knowTedge of tho
uee and value Of 'thedmore common ar
tlcIes Of food with the result that
much Of the money expended for food.
stuffs is wasted or misapplied. Many
horne has been wrecked because the
young mistress had no sense OF the
value of money and no conception Of
th- relation Of income to expense a..
count. A man Of authority and knowl.
edge of the subject told me some years
ago that the average household In the
Pittsburg milling district could be
kept up at nearly half of present ex
pense If the wives of the men had an
understanding OF domestic
! economy in regard to the purehase OF
provisions for the family. and the abii
ity to make provident use OF what is.
purchased. There is some truth in
the current statement In connection
with the high cost Of living that this
IS an age OF extravaganza. It is said
that the French nation, which is NOT.
ed for Its frugality and saving, could
live on what the American people
v:aote. Conservation is problem.
therefore, for the hnr,e maker and the
, family cook, no less than for those
who are fighting to preserve our water
power and forests With increasing
prices for foodstuHs 1t is urgent that
We teach our girls and young women
The laws of domestic economy. and
the right relation of expenses to wag=a
or income.