Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-01-15

/ 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 IL ma
/ tion powerful and united is the high
est task given to human beings. This
Is womans true work Is she honest
ly equipped and trained for it:
The Task of Homemaking.
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 a really successful
housekeeper a woman must be an en-
thusiastic housckecper. 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. 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
a little less Intelligence than almost
any other kind of work! Why Is 1t
that the most incompetent person is
the one who generally offers her Serv-
]
better in some ones kitchen" Is the re
mark very often made of the unsuc-
cessfu woman
What Housekeeper Should Know.
1t requires just as much brains to
keep house as 1t should be kept as it
does to perform any other kind OF
work. 1t requires just as mrch knowl-
edge and energy to make a home
which truly fultills all the term implies
as 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, us does home
making One good reason why there
are so many lndifferently managed
homes is because housekeeping in gen
tl az hdS il't Ct DttH put oiI tiN
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: IL cook
for my family because must, not be-
cause have any interest In the art,
for | thoroughly dislike it." Are you
good cook?" | said. mo, | am not"
was the answer IF am ever sue
cesSful 1t Is due to luck more than
skill, because | really know nothing
about the science of it. and after
years of experience, | simply cant get
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 that
which he can do really well-just 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 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 it's science.
~
performed. gives regular exercise to
all her faculties. If 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 stran-
ger to the study of physiology. Her
intelligent handling of acids, alkalis
and the treatment of the different fab
rics In the laundry will necessitate a
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. 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 1t is
that a sound mind is usually found
In a sound body, but 1t is also true
that an empty head, like an empty
stomach, is equally susceptible to poi
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
titude toward the world our neigh
bors and Ourselves-a great deal of |
true living has been overlooked aud
missed.