When the vital question in Italy was that of independence from Austria and of unity under an Italian government, Mazzini said, with a sublime appreciation of the principle involved, “Without a country and without liberty, we might perhaps produce some prophets of art, but no vital art. Therefore it was best for us to consecrate our lives to the solution of the problem, ‘Are we to have a country?’” It is possible to have peace and contentment in individual households along with ignorance of the economic laws that govern the household, but there can be no radical reform in domestic service in this or any other country that does not recognize the inseparable connection between domestic service and all other forms of labor, and that does not make this fact its starting-point. If the difficulties in the present situation, which are all too evident, are to be overcome, it can only be by devoting our energies, as did Mazzini in Italy, not so much to temporizing in our households as rather to the slow methods of careful, patient investigation of the conditions without. The immediate gain to ourselves may be slight, but those who come after us may reap the benefits. FOOTNOTES: [1] _American Journal of Sociology_, I, 556-559, March, 1896. Cf. the chapter entitled “Household Adjustment,” in Miss Addams’s _Democracy and Social Ethics_, 1902. [2] _The Forum_, August, 1899. [3] _The Arena_, September, 1898. [4] _The Atlantic Monthly_, January, 1897. [5] _Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts_, vol. v. [6] _American Historical Review_, II, 12, October, 1896. [7] New Haven, Connecticut, 1901. [8] Isabel Eaton, “A Special Report on Domestic Service,” in _The Philadelphia Negro_, by W. E. B. Du Bois. Publications of the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1899. [9] _Die Lage der weiblichen Dienstboten in Berlin_, von Dr. Oscar Stillich. Berlin. 1902. EDUCATION IN THE HOUSEHOLD It is reported that a distinguished foreigner was once visiting a well-known woman’s college, and after listening to the explanation of the work carried on there, inquired of its president, “Pardon me, but how does this affect the chances of the young ladies?” Some years since several persons were speaking of the recent marriage of a college woman and the remark was made, “What a pity to have so fine an education wasted in keeping house!” Not long ago a college woman was discussing the education of women with a young German Ph.D., and found that her arguments in its favor were met by her opponent with the triumphant question, “But can these young women cook?”