LADIES' COLUMN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 852, 8 January 1879, Page 3 (Supplement)

LADIES' COLUMN.

LETTERS TO FARMERS'

DAUGHTERS.

t EVERY-OAT MATTERS. I My Dear Girls,—l propose to talk to you Ira this letter upon house-keeping, and matters in general. Mow much caster and teas distasteful household duties might be made if they were entered into moTe heartily t , To see a toting girl washing dishes, dressing vegetaTluu, sweeping and dusting, with the ends of her fingers, and disgust marked upon every feature, doe* not give one an agreeable impression of either her temper or good sense. I do not deny that there is much in domestic work that i 3 far from agreeable, bat so there is in every department of labor. Therefore it becomes the part of wisdom to study despatch, neatness, I energy, and cheerfulness; also, the very ! beat method of performing these duties. ! All labor is performed with much better [grace with some definite object in view. If i yoa do it for love's sake, to lighten the load for a patient mother, or to save the expense of an additional servant to an already overburdened father—this might make yon sing |while you work. If jou are hurrying ! through the morning duties, to get time for study, music, drawing, recreation, or to learn something towards some long-cherished | plan—this will give alacrity to your step and j courage to your heart. ! If you will study system, order, and punctuality in your household arrangements, lyou may save much time, strength, and I worry. As far as possible, certain day 3 should Ibe allotted to certain duties, such as cleaning paint and cupboards, brightening the ; silver and glass, sorting and mending the i linen, &c. An abundance of holders, both I for ironing and handling kettles and cooking i utensils, will save time and your hands. A mitten made of stout woollen cloth, kept i hanging by the fire, is invaluable, if you care jto keep your hands nice and comfortable. i A sensible girl will not; hesitate to put her hands to anything that may be needed, yet i she is right in trying to preserve their beauty 1 and neatness. A little Indian meal rubbed upon the hands when washing, with the aid lofa nail brush, will do much towards keeping them nice. Farmers' daughters are expected to nndcri stand housekeeping, but sometimes a hard, barren life begets in them a disgust, which teads to extreme carelessness and indifference in the nicer parts of home duties. Beware of this. I pray you. Study grace and beauty in the folds o£ a curtain, the arrangement of a table-, the position of a chair, the amount of light and shade to give the right effect to all. Take the prettiest way of doing things, and you will soon discover la charm in tod. and the effect on your I own natures will be ennobling. _ Do [not begrudge five minutes to trim a dish with green leaves upon the dinner table, not forgetting to twiat a spray i of flowers or leaves amtd the dark or gold of 'yourhahrt Somebody's eyes will brighten :to see it, and, ere yon are aware, you will : become "a trap to catch a sunbeam."^ Whateveryour difficulties, battle with cir- ' ewmatances —work good out of ill. Prepare ; yourselves, if need be. for better homes. |Do good, if you expect to receive good. Be i faithful to every duty, and gather the sunbeams, which break through the rifts, that you may be prepared to receive the blaze of noontide happiness.—Yours truly, T. S. H.

COOKING. Now that we can have gas stoves, and that cooking no longer necessitates tiring «p, and blackened fingers, we- hope to hear of young ladiw* branching out in this depart - merit of domestic- economy. What a pleasant change from gabbting French verbs, and jinking piano keys, to don apron and bib, mil! Kifltttge tn the practice of the culinary art. We believe that .the results would be- much more manifest if women would bring mow intelligence to bear on i the subject, antt not walk ' Mindly in the . old rata on the principle that " as it was in :the banning, now, and ever shall be. Many "women cook just after the same fashion that they belong to a given church j i— because they have leen brought up toit. Ther» b no question of conviction. The bM ways most he- right, they think, if they think »t all. We hrar that schools of I coofeery are being opened in New Zealand, and. no-doubt, tin* Colonies have been sttg- ! seated »» suitable openings for teachers. Jit ■h stated that from the Slat of March, 1877. ito the Ist of April. IST*. 52 atwdents hail entered the National Training School for cookery, at South Kensington, London, '•t» traa* for teachers, and 45 diplomas 'have been granted to teachers. A little white ag® w weTe * *»f *bat trained ■ hoapitafnttrses were in great request as wives i for widowers, because of their practical] knowledge-, llow ranch more then wotdd ithb be* the case if girts were, trained and competent cook*. Tfc« woman who can prepare her httaband a savoary mess of pottage i w more likely to be lastingly enshrined in bis ! affection* than if she were "W w wg* m i everything bat cookery. Whether this be to the credit of the maacuirne peranasion we leave for others to decide; we simply state the fact. Steme sisters were talking abont tovera the other day. One of them, the '■ plainest, clapped her hands and cried, laoghm«ty. "I shall beat you pretty oiicsyd; I can cook a first-rate dinner, ami that s what ; husbands like T Take the hint, young taitiea.