New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-02
The Oldest of All Feminine
Occupations Still Has
Possibilities.
BY Mary Marshall.
CHAPTER XVIII.


The oldest Of all feminine vocations-the
vocation which, whether they plan TO or
not, most women follows, for all that.
the vocation for which the average daugh-
ter receives the most inadequate prepara-
ton. 1t is the business Of homemaking.
When you come to think of it-and you
can back 1t up by figures in the census
book and by your own observations-your
daughter will probably some time or other
have home Of her own. Even II she does
not marry II she performs the services
that naturally fall in the present state OF
society to daughters, sisters and aunts, or
even IL she keeps bachelor hall for her own
single self, she will have to be home
maker and her own happiness and the
happiness Of those around her will often
depend very largely upon her ability to do
this well. And, besides these opportunities
to make use Of her knowledge OF home
making, the trained homemaker can. IL
need be. earn her own living as teacher OF
household economics or fill one or the
many we'll paying positions as matrons or
house mothers in schools and institutions
that are open to women Of ability. So.
while you are sending your daughter to
seminary, school or college, do not forget
that in nine cases out of ten her vocation
will end in being that Of homemaker.
1t Is an old-fashioned idea and new
fashioned idea this idea Of fitting laugh
ters to be homemakers In the days Of
our grandmothers young girls we're all
carefully trained for the duties of home
making and then for a generation ac-
complshed young women were not re-
quired to know too much about housekeep-
ing. young woman could boast with I'M
punity that she didn't know the first thing
about housekeeping" and that she didn't
know whether coffee was sold by the
quart or by the pound.
But one generation OF such young women
was enough. and the pendulum is now
swinging in the opposite direction. Many
modern women know more about homemaK-
ing than their grandmothers ever dreamed
of. Even blue stockings Of the bluest hue
have opinions on homemaking' kno" the
chemistry II not the practice, OF cooking
and are quite willing TO put as serious
thought on the home kitchen as they DO
on the college laboratory. At large
branch of the Young Women's Chris
tan Association. where excellent
courses are given In cooking. dress
making, nursing. singing and all
the other feminine accomplishments,
many OF the students are prospective
brides. There Is a regulation that none OF
the courses can be taken by women WHO
do not intend to use the training they re-
ceive as a means OF self support, but the
directors consider that the homemaker Is
self-supporting Just as much as II she were
working in store. Office or schoolroom-
The making OF a good home takes In
great deal besides the knowledge OF cook
ing and other forms of Homework II
means knowledge Of the principles OF
home decoration and ventilation. heating
home entertaining, etc. and these are
things that every ones daughter should
be taught.
great deal has been done to make the
daughters OF tenement house jewellers bet
ter homemakers. In several or the settle
ment houses model tenement flats OF two or
three rooms have been fitted up and fur-
nIshed as tastefuly and practically as pos
slble on a very limited expenditure. on the
walls Of these model fats are posted lists OF
the various articles Of furniture in the nat
with the exact cost OF each. Needless to
saw. these fats are visited with great in
terest hy young women. and even young
men Of the tenements. and do no end OF
practical good.
In several Of the women's colleges and
co-educational universities the same sort
Of practical effort is being made to I'M
nrove the homemaking capacities OF wo-
men. In the University OF Wisconsin. for
instance. six-room cottage has been
equipped within the last year as modeI