The Washington herald., 1912-09-15
HIGH SCHOOLS OF MILWAUKEE,
WILL TEACH HOME-MAKING
Country Is Awakening to the Fact Our Girls
Enter the Most Important Business in Life
Without Proper Equipment

She comes from the middle class home
where there Is enough to make ends
meet II father keeps his nose continuous
ly to the grindstone. and mother scrimps
and pinches and sacrifices at every turn.
She hears her parents discuss the ever
increasing cost OF food. rent, and cloth
ing. but having no actual experience
either In money-making, or dispensing
1t for the welfare Of family. the home
talk fits through her mind like a tire
some dream that comes In the dark
night hours and Is gone.
Once in a great while her conscience
may be striken by the worried lines IN
mothers face, but she is young. and
youth does not take life and its respon-
sibilIties seriously.
Mother turns an old frock and makes
It over for herself that Mary may have
a new dress for school, or a little party
frock perchance, and the girl herself
realizes little OF the meaning OF II all be-
cause there is nothing Of material value
In her school life to impress the actual
tiles of home-making on her mind. and
when she graduates she either goes 10
work in a field for which she is little
trained, earning a small salary because
OF incompetency. or mother goes on sac
rificing that her daughter may appear
to advantage. and follow her bent Of
pleasure until she marries and assumes
the responsibility Of making some young
chap a home-a work for which she is
no better equipped than she would have
been for the business world had she en-
tered IL instead.
One Mothers Angle.
A mother told me not very long ago
that she didn't intend to teach her daugh-
ter what she was pleased to term
fFna
cause she wanted her to have an unham-
pered girlhood, and she would have to
learn to cook and sew and house clean
soon enough any way
Did you know how to cook, and sew
when you married." asked the girls
mother
Certainly not" she told me in a dis
dainful tone which implied that my very
question was IN insult.
Amy girl can learn TO cook IL she has
good cock book. and after she is mar
ried is time enough" she went on. Il
had never made a pot OF coffee nor
broiled a steak in my life when / mar
ried.' she ended as proudly as though
she were announcing some rare accom-
plishment she possessed.
II ignorance Of a work which is con-
suming ones life energies is ali accom-
plishment I have yet TO see its bene-
fits.
In this case happen to know that the
woman who boasted of her ignorance
prior to i1er marriage has much yet to
learn. and has acquired what knowledge
she has gained through experimental
waste. and all at the expense of the man
who married her and who has been a
slave to his work in order to meet the
demands CT a home which Is made and
governed by an incompetent woman who
knows little OF food values, and not much
| more of their preparation.
The Average Girl.
The average girl marries.
The average girl in this day Of tre-
mendous prices for everything has ner
own cooking TO do, her own marketing.
and much OF her own sewing
II she expected to practice at the bar
she wouldn't dare attempt the examina-
ton necessary to a license without first
studying law.
No girl would imagine that she could
take dictation in shorthand without hav-
ing first learned to do So
Study and experience are necessary to
the success OF any profession. and OF
| them all homemaking requires the great
est accurate knowledge and judgment
II should be taught in our public
schools to young daughters. for the ma
jority of them will spend their lives In
this business of which they will make a
success or a failure in accordance with
their preparation for the job.