LOST ANGELS OF THE HOME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 11

LOST ANGELS OF THE HOME.

THE FORGOTTEN ART OF HOUSEWIFERY. ' The opinion expressed by Dr. Brown, chairman of the Preston Public Health Committee, that women were bettor housewives thirty or forty years ago than they are now, is generally endorsed by exports (says a London paper). , It is, however, agreed that, so far as London is concerned, the opportunities for learning tho art of housekeeping have nover been so great as they are to-day. Every small girl in Greater London has tho chance of becoming • a great • cook and housekeeper if she chooses to take it. : \

Nearly all the girls in the London County Council' elementary schools arc required to attend a centre, for. instruction in domestic subject after tho age of cloven for ono halfday each ,week. Cookory, laundry work,, and household management (tho latter embracing a knowledge of household expenses) aro in-

eluded in the threo years' course. Tho experiment of fitting up a flat in connection with tho London' County Council Paddington Tcchnicarinstituto' l has been a great success. In this flat tho girls are instructed by a tcachor in all the arts of housekeeping. Miss Middleton, editress of " Home Notes." has strong views on the housekeeping or to-day. "Excellent as are these classes in domestic economy, I think it is a deplorable thing that there should bo a necessity for them," sho said. "Is it not terrible that young mothers should know so little about tho management 'of a homo and of children that they have to go to fa mothers' school? " There has been a great social upheaval during the past fow years. Women of all classcs are so busy, working or trying to get votes, or, in the upper classcs, "playing golf. or. bridge, that thoy have no time to give their children tho only proper training in tho art of housekeeping—which is, of course, home training. "The girls of the masses have invaded every branch of employment, and so they grow up without any .knowledge of the management 'of- a homo. Onb cannot picture what would happen if thero wero no outside domestic instruction." Thore is, however, a cheerful sido to tho picture. Mrs. Clarke,. tho superintendent of tho National School of Cookery, is of the opinion that English ' cooking lias greatly improved. If wo live long enough we will seo tost of our pet theories characterised as absurd. For instance, how very obstinato most of us are with regard to currants. In our childhood's days and until quite recently wo havo heard them condemned. But medical men arc-try-ing hard to alter this. They tell us now that currants must bo boycotted no longer. We may now enjoy them openly. Their fU.'\<jur always appealed to us, but it was ill tho "stolen-sweets-are-sweetost" sort .of way. They aro now ordered by tho medical man as containing a saccharino element that is in-' valuablo to both health and pocket. Currant bread,is said to be especially nutritive, aud for growing children is particularly good.