THE HOUSEKEEPER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 688, 13 December 1909, Page 4

THE HOUSEKEEPER.

,' f Th® truth, (generally speaking) of- the lollowing; ■'.wliich' appeared; m an English paper, will 'appeal to' most: housewives:—"lt is to me an appaUing"thought.that practically all the wo- ; -men one" encounters know precisely. what they 1 are going to eat ; to-night and most'of to-mor- !, row. . .The burden of that knowledge. would ' suffocato any man. Women are only able to support it because food in itself does not appeal: to them. A meal to them is not a surprise or a .delight.or an occasion for self-: gratification.', It is,a,domestic,crisis foreseen. r and prepared ;fpr, a coup deliberately planned, and lall: the satisfaction they get out of it is i >urely managerial. Until, a woman' is able to afford a • housekeeper her palate stands 'n<» chance, and she, is never able to, sit. down to, table in-the proper spirit of anticipation. Food : has :no:;surprises for her any, more than :it has for; the professional caterer.. Full; justice, has been done to feminine heroism—it is nothing less—in this 'matter.', Housekeeping is.'by; far the most diffioult'of all tho professions; and a womaiu who is a good houssV keeper 'twould, if .she were n man, _ be a'Kitchener or a Carnegie. The distinctive tragedy ! of her situation is that, while one may assume. Lord Kitchener-to be' interested in , war and; Mr. Carnegie in steel, women have no interest in food; which is the pivot of their household : work; ■ and . only apply' 'themselves to • its problems' because 1 they are obliged, to. The really : efficient mistress of. a home has thus a moral i claim to j greatness above and beyond • that of any masculine achievement."