Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-01-15
GIRLS SHOULD DEVELOP
THEIR DOMESTIC TALENTS
They Are Needed by AL Women, and
Stand Test When Others Fail.

ticle comforting the girl who has ties
end duties which keep her in the hons
so that she cannot go out into the great
world, says Adrienha Thum in Farm
and Freside. think the author gave
too much sympathy and overlooked toe
many possibilities in a condition of life
where there are many. many chances
not only for happiness but for self
support.
OF the girls who go out into the big
world, who study art, music, hndergar
tening or interpretive dancing. how
many succeed in making fame or for
tune? How many succeed in making
even a living without privations?
1 admit that all young women do not
have a talent for domestic life, but ]
believe that the large majority have
that talent, and it is one that a W.
man needs all through life. whether
married or single. / know that this is
la day of specialization. and that it is
wise to learn to do well some ona
thing, so as to be equipped to make a
living now or in the future. But the
girl who has, made a hit in some line
of art, in five years, be all out of fash
ion, interpretive dancing may become
a thing of the past, kindergartening is
continually developing, and the woman
who does not keep up with its changes
will at last find herself back number
should the girl who has studied music
art, teaching, dancing, ETC., marry and
after a few years be left to earn her
own support she may discover that sha
is almost as helpless as if she had
never studied any of these things.
Now the girl who develops herself
along domestic lines with the same de-
gree of earnestness and energy and at
tention to details as are exercised by
the girl who studies music or art will
always have a way to earn her living
when the necessity comes, for food and
shelter and home are some of tho
things that never go out of fashion
The little touches that only the hands
CT those who love their home can give
eVen to shabby furniture and worn
rug and that create the feeling OF
home and rest, are not within the pow
er of all women, I knew, but the ones
who possess that touch should appre-
ciate it, for it creates an atmosphere
that no money can buy. And now for
the practical ways in which a domestic
girl al make money if she has to.
There are twenty magazines waiting
and glad to hear of new ways Of enter
tsining, receipts for cooking, new
fancy-work, new ways Of house-furn.
ishing, of c~ultivating flowers. of max.
ing aprons, dresses. etc. All the time
you are keeping your mind open and
observing these things you are Guilt
waiting yourself along lines that will fE
the future be useful to you. If you
have a talent for writing there is no
place where you can do better work
than in the environment and among
the people that you know best. There
are some talents that can be cultivated
better away from home. but there are
so many more that can be cultivated
better at home that I feel the girl who
can stay there is to be envied. not
pitied.
To one who has duly done only those
that have to be done for a bare
existence, who has m~onotonously
cooked three meals a day in the same
old way three hundred and sixty-fva
days in the year, kept the house with
the same old things in the same old
way year after year, with no joy in her
home or her friends. I will frankly
say: There is no way for you to sup
port yourself" But for her who has
j0yinSh her home as an artist does
his work there are many ways.
In living a good while / have noted
The failures and successes of a number
Of women who we're obliged to earn
their living. and with the exception of
/ few who were remarkably talented IN
or dramatic ability the ones
hat have made good were the ones who
lid it along domestic lines. Take the
tinfe-old way for woman to support ?
herself-taking boarders. This is. /
know; considered a heartbreaking.
thankIess occupation, and to the UNI
skilled in domestic and social arts 1t
nay be-. Butte her who has the talene
II h~ome-making it is not She is not
rorced to take the ungracious or the
at q price scarcely enough
% pay for his food, but can choose her
guests IF she is ajudicious buyer she
please them by a good table at a
comparatively smalIcost- The tact te
keep good servants is also a social and