A Treatise on Domestic Economy; For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at SchoolBeecher, Catharine Esther
General
A Treatise on Domestic Economy; For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School
Beecher, Catharine Esther
Home economics
In regard to the great deficiencies of domestics, in qualifications for
their duties, much patience and benevolence are required. Multitudes
have never been taught to do their work properly; and, in such cases,
how unreasonable it would be to expect it of them! Most persons, of this
class, depend, for their knowledge in domestic affairs, not on their
parents, who are usually unqualified to instruct them, but on their
employers; and if they live in a family where nothing is done neatly and
properly, they have no chance to learn how to perform their duties well.
When a lady finds that she must employ a domestic who is ignorant,
awkward, and careless, her first effort should be, to make all proper
allowance for past want of instruction, and the next, to remedy the
evil, by kind and patient teaching. In doing this, it should ever be
borne in mind, that nothing is more difficult, than to change old
habits, and to learn to be thoughtful and considerate. And a woman must
make up her mind to tell the same thing "over and over again," and yet
not lose her patience. It will often save much vexation, if, on the
arrival of a new domestic, the mistress of the family, or a daughter,
will, for two or three days, go round with the novice, and show the
exact manner in which it is expected the work will be done. And this,
also, it may be well to specify in the agreement, as some domestics
would otherwise resent such a supervision.
But it is often remarked, that, after a woman has taken all this pains
to instruct a domestic, and make her a good one, some other person will
offer higher wages, and she will leave. This, doubtless, is a sore
trial; but, if such efforts were made in the true spirit of benevolence,
the lady will still have her reward, in the consciousness that she has
contributed to the welfare of society, by making one more good domestic,
and one more comfortable family where that domestic is employed; and if
the latter becomes the mother of a family, a whole circle of children
will share in the benefit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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