Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-08-18
To Make Better Wives
New University Department Has
Catechsm For Brides to Answer
Before The Plunge

New York, Aug. 1S.-Qualitica-
tions for wives have taken a change
for the better.
The old-fashioned girl who
thought she could get past the gates
Of matrimony with a hand embrold-
cred rousseau and superficial
I knowledge of chatting dish receipts
Will find that she has lost her clam
/ to a steady matrimonial job
This is Miss Florence A. Otis
view Of the new generation Of girls
And Miss Otis ought to know, for
she has just recently been made
head OF the new department IN the
school for women at the CnlvrSlty
| of Cincinnati and is to begin spread
ing her particular brand of gospel
through the class rooms of that mu-
nicipal educational enterprise with
in few days.
"Home making is becoming a pro-
| fession,' Miss Otis said, as she sat
up in her apartment near Columbia
university making plans for the
coming year. The modern girl
doesn't like to be tied down. She
wants independence. If she studies
home making thoroughly enough,
she is always prepared to take care
of herself in cases Of emergency.
Happier husbands should go
hand IN hand with housekeeping
that is on a scientific basis. The
modern man is going to have little
cause for complaint because we in
tend to give his future bride q i've
years professional course IN the
, complicated art of being wife"
Here is the imposing catechlsm
Miss Otis says the college graduate
bride should be able to answer in
the affirmative before she steps to
the altar:
DO you know all about good food
habits?
DO you know the fundamentals
Of general hygiene?
Can you design your home and
its furnishings tastefully?
Can YOU organize your time ef-
ficiently?
Can you spend your household
allowance for food and clothing, in
( diligently?
III you are going to have hired
help. can you manage them?
DO you understand the psychol-
ogy of children, what books they
should read and what should be
their entertainment?
If you know all these things are
you going to bury yourself in eff
ticiency and businesses management
to such an extent that you forget TO
be attractive to your husband ?'
Home economics no longer means
mere cooking and sewing" Miss
Otis explained. THE more practical
and well organized the home, the
more il appeals to the girl. BY OPEN
ing up new spheres Of h0me-mak-
ing, we do not mean to minimize
| the Importance OF the home We
! will teach the young wife how to be
more economical and bring her ba-
bies up better and show her what is
needed for a sound, healthy body
There should be fewer dySpepuc
husbands as colige-degree wives in
( crease
The department Of home econo-
mics which Miss Otis goes to take
charge of in September will begin
turning out food specialists and nu-
triton experts in its first year.
Among the new departures will be
animal experimentation, such as
testing diets on rats. The students
will also try out the effects of foods
upon themselves. They will spend
half of their class time in hospital
{ kitchens and milk stations.
Next year, when a study of tex
J tiles is inaugurated, the young wo-
men will go to the department
/ stores to learn first hand the value
of materials, fabric tests and de-
signs.
Our future wife certainly won't
be buying shoddy woolenS' Miss
! Otis assured
Architecture, interior decorating,
landscape gardening and number
of other courses are planned for la
ter on College graduate homes of
the future will have their own con-
sulting experts right at the helm in
| the kitchen. And if hubby shuffles
off this mortal coil on short notice
or targles with an automobile ana
is retired to the wheel chair bri-
gade, his mate will be prepared to
keep the domestic craft from gong
on the rocks