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
[D] From two Greek words,--[Greek: kalos], _kalos_, beauty, and [Greek:
sthenos], _sthenos_, strength, being the union of both. The writer is
now preparing for the press, an improved system, of her own invention,
which, in _some_ of its parts, has been successfully introduced into
several female seminaries, with advantage. This plan combines singing
with a great variety of amusing and graceful evolutions, designed to
promote both health and easy manners.
[E] This work, which has gone through numerous editions, and been
received by the public with great favour, forms No. lxxxv. of the
"Family Library," and No. lvii. of the "School District Library," issued
by the publishers of this volume. It is abundantly illustrated by
engravings, and has been extensively introduced as a school text-book.
CHAPTER IV.
ON DOMESTIC ECONOMY AS A BRANCH OF STUDY.
The greatest impediment to making Domestic Economy a branch of study,
is, the fact, that neither parents nor teachers realize the importance,
or the practicability of constituting it a regular part of school
education.
It is with reference to this, that the first aim of the writer will be,
to point out some of the reasons for introducing Domestic Economy as a
branch of female education, to be studied at school.
The first reason, is, that there is no period, in a young lady's life,
when she will not find such knowledge useful to herself and to others.
The state of domestic service, in this Country, is so precarious, that
there is scarcely a family, in the free States, of whom it can be
affirmed, that neither sickness, discontent, nor love of change, will
deprive them of all their domestics, so that every female member of the
family will be required to lend some aid, in providing food and the
conveniences of living; and the better she is qualified to render it,
the happier she will be, and the more she will contribute to the
enjoyment of others.
A second reason, is, that every young lady, at the close of her
schooldays, and even before they are closed, is liable to be placed in a
situation, in which she will need to do, herself, or to teach others to
do, all the various processes and duties detailed in this work. That
this may be more fully realized, the writer will detail some instances,
which have come under her own observation.
The eldest daughter of a family returned from school, on a visit, at
sixteen years of age. Before her vacation had closed, her mother was
laid in the grave; and such were her father's circumstances, that she
was obliged to assume the cares and duties of her lost parent. The care
of an infant, the management of young children, the superintendence of
domestics, the charge of family expenses, the responsibility of
entertaining company, and the many other cares of the family state, all
at once came upon this young and inexperienced schoolgirl.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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