The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-14
FARMERS WIVES her PUPILS
SUMNER CAMPAIGN OF
TEACHER or COOkIN0.


in domestic science I not only clear. A
all my expenses hut saved in the neigh.
borhood Of 500 by going from house "a
houss and village to village and glvins
lessons declared a young woman Who
IL now a regular teacher OF donest.
science you So I couldn't afford "a
rest because my course had consurnea
all my money
After applying for all sorts Of position.
in summer hotels and boarding hous..
hit on the idea Of teaching farners
wives. My first plan was TO get No
glasses in some public building Of various
villages. ! wasted two long months AZ
this and AZ tho end Of that time had only
succeeded in interesting half a dozen
women or 80. One OF these offered IN.
suggestion that come To her village and
make q personal canvass. She said she
would lend me her horse and buggy whao
the distance was too great for me 70
walk and would give me my room and
board free for lessons.
After investing more than half ~ my
few remaining dollars in an outh' for
demonstration. including an alcohol
stove. 1 80, out for that woman HON.
few days after college closed began
nv house 10 house canvass the very hour ~
nv arrival by calling on my adv. ser.
nearest neighbors visited Just ona
dozen homes that same day and succeeded
! in getting a conditional promise - one
pupil.
After a second day OF almost as fruit.
less work ! determined to 60 into the
country and try the farmers wives
Packing NV outfit in the bottom ~ me
buggy ! set out. driven by my hostass
N nearly every house where we stopped
both the men and the women showed az
interest Though few ~ them appeared
/ to be- wiling 20 come INTO the village N
4 attend class meetings most ~ them
wanted me 20 arrange 10 teach a class m
! their own kitchen 90 IN that Of some n
their near netghbor-.
Al the end on three days driving about
] in that buggy had got up ono class with
good prospects OF four more. Zach Las.
/ was to comprise sly members, to whom
/ I was 10 give twelve lessons at the rate u
81 for each member Only ., was to b.
pad me by each member. Bs each ma
engaged 10 board and house me and the
! horse tor three days. or while vas giving
! two lessons IN her kitchen. This az
ran cement WAS suggested ny ore 81 the
farmer wives who explained that though
she was willing TO GO 20 her neighbors
for lessons she wanted to see how | would
manage ia her own kitchen In Other
words she wanted me To use her own i'm.
pIemsnts ana ingredients. THIS proved
to b" a popular arrangement.
-Of course | was willing enough To have
the living q Y penses Of myself aud my horsa
rated az 81 for three days and when an old
IA -msr offered me his horse and wagon
on cond ton that ! give his wife and mar
ried daughter Lessons free I accepted that
also. The board was about a. good ~
AZ any summer hotel have ever stopped
la AIRY mi a
always stipulated that was to have .
room 90 myself | experienced no discom.
& fort in that respect
When the cooking was poor Of courSs
that was my opportunity. A. I came
among them ~ teacher ~ cooidns
with a full diploma. they were all willing
enough 10 learn Of me Indeed ! often
found them depending too much on me IN
that one particular.
At one farmhouse the wife invited M
into her kitchen and turned things over
n me- "a she had n very sick child
was willing 10 lend a hand. but I was
careful to explain 10 other members N
The clase. and in her presence. that
was cooking for her because ! felt thai
her baby needed all her attention. !
don think she learned very much II m"
beyond preparing her babys food The
child recovered, which I don't boleve ~
would have done had she continued 70
feed II a. -h" was doing when | arrived
on the scene
IL seems - bo an idea ~ the general
public that ignorance IN feeding babies -
limited - the women Of the tenement
house di-triCt | found out that sumrns-
how erroneous such an idea j.. ! never
saw 80 much good material badly treated
~ all NV tenement house eNpprienoe A.
did in the homes ~ those farmers that
SUMMER
Unless some member ~ the household
had been To- college or TO boarding =choo
A.. n q.
properly cooked eggs and meat II ther~
was a baby in the household h"gan IN
its food and after that n a rule found u
sasl"r to convnc" the family that SOFT
boIled eggs and rare rcd m"ats were A.
healthful for RruwntTpa a. properly pre-
rared milk for babies
Il found in ntua cases out 81 ten ina
'he woman expected m" In teach them
how to make new dishes Ia some n.
STANCES 20 Get them even 10 listen 10 nv
talks about food values I had first ~
satisfy their desire 20 h" taught how {
make a rake or a nis they had read abU.'
Ono th"V were Convinced that ! ~
really cook they wer" NOR" willing ~
listen 10 suggestions about IN" prspa'a-
ton ~ dishes 60 which they we've accI'.
toned
never had to canvass for pupils ate"
! really began nv first class When q
woman would come or send word 20 N.
that she wanted TO take lessons ~ me ]
Nohlu TNpIN ny asking ner 10 ket 0Ne
other women 10 join the class All that
summer was kept busy, travelling from
house to house. generally moving into
new quarters every three days
i nor only enjoyed my work but .
agreed with me When time came for ne
To go West 10 take up my duties A. DO
nestle Science teacher | weighed nearly
twenty pounds moro than when ] began
while as for my compile Nion well,
really had a complexion then. bur whom
| began the best that could have heen
said Of me was that I had a sallow SSH
Though that was the only summer !
ever gave travelling lessons | often af-
wise girls in my classes to do such vorA
AZ q rule they report good success hotn
financially and from a health stand
point In the Fast the field for such ucr<
10 much larger than in either the West
or the South
One Of my pupils reported an cxperenc-
Of teaching forty classes during one
summer Only one Of tho forty had
three pupils. thirty-five had two pupils.
while the balance were made up Of one
pupil each. That girl cleared nearly 500
besides having her expenses paid for ths
entire summer Her charges were