Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-04
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BY RICHARD M. WINANS

without any adequate means Of support. As result
there are millions of young women now struggling
against starvation while there the greater the grow
ing, curse of thousands of deserted homes
"As to the last a Judge who has heard hundreds of
divorce cases declares that four-ffths brought
about by the inability of the unframed wife to live with
in the income, of the husband This he adds, applies
particularly to the married shopgirl And-here is the
po1nt-the woman who was trained in and had done
housework before marriage almost appeared be-
fore him applicant in divorce suit.
This seemed to to be pivotal point of the ques-
ton, the strongest argument for intelligent panstaking
endeavor. To preserve the home and all that that i'm
Plies, 1t IS necessary to develop the home making
stinct, talent, ability, of To do that
must begin with the potential home maker in early
childhood. Not unlike the old saw, AS the twig is
bent you know
AND Mrs Nef began the twig- bending process in
real earnest, with the Friendly Inn as the initial
laboratory Classes clubs of twelve each formed
OF girls SIX to twelve at first, and later of older girls who
taught the rudments of housekeeping
For girls of ten and upward clubs established in
sewing dressmaklng personal hygiene crochetng rug
making of babies, etc. before passing to the second
year for advanced household activities for which
they were provided with utensils suited to their size
the comprising thrty-two lessons. The third
year classes which just forming will take up
simple cooking and baking.
These girls pay cent lesson each. That, of
cover expenses: but 1t makes the
girls feel independent, by killing the sense Of
dreaded charity, which, because of their supersensi-
tiveness would keep the most needy ones away.
For the youngest girls the study made attractive
by teaching play The various clubs of the primary
tots are known "The Doll Housekeepers" They are
taught all in great detail, the simplest little rules of
how to keep house and live properly by of doll
family arranged in large dollhouse, which they deco
rate, and furnish for and conduct through an
teresting series Of domestic episodes throughout the
year. under the direction of teacher They enjoy it SO
much that it's toss-up to whether they get fun
than education out Of it.
However that may be- the of the practical re-
suits secured far and away beyond the dreams of
the originator. The wonders accomplished the first
twelvemonth began to be whispered about The story
of the splendid achievement being carried other
cities.
Then the work taken up by the Western Reserve
chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution I'M
der the leadership of Mrs. Ne and the president gen
era recognizing its educational uplifting possibilities
last year gave it the of the Girl Home Makers of
America and had it incorporated department
in the national society of the D. A. R.
During the last year the Girl Home Makers movement
has been carried into the cities and towns of eighteen
States and is just extending with such rapid
strides that Mrs. Ne, with competent staff of
assistants, finds it difficult to keep pace with it.