Fragments
133
which is steadily and surely impairing the digestive organs, and making
a poor quality of blood; the result is, frequent attacks of inflammatory
disease, and sometimes death. Many a life has been sacrificed by the
eating of heavy, sour bread. An instance was related to me, of a hired
girl who made a batch of such bread. In order to get rid of it and
conceal the matter, she threw it to some very large hogs. Next morning
the man of the house found his swine dead; and upon examining the
trough he found pieces of this heavy bread. He made inquiries, and
the girl acknowledged what she had done. She had not thought of
the effect of such bread upon the swine. If sour, heavy bread will
kill swine, which can devour rattlesnakes and almost every detestable
thing, what effect must it have upon that tender organ, the human
stomach?
[157]
It is a religious duty for every Christian girl and woman to learn
to make good, sweet, light bread from unbolted wheat flour. Mothers
should take their daughters into the kitchen with them when very
young, and teach them the art of cooking. The mother cannot expect
her daughters to understand the mysteries of housekeeping without
education. She should instruct them patiently, lovingly, and make
the work as agreeable as she can by her cheerful countenance and
words of approval. If they fail once, twice, or thrice, censure not.
Already discouragement is doing its work, and tempting them to say,
“It is no use; I can’t do it.” This is not the time for censure. The will
is becoming weakened. It needs the spur of encouraging, cheerful,
hopeful words: “Never mind the mistakes you have made. You are
but a learner, and must expect to make blunders. Try again. Put your
mind on what you are doing. Be very careful, and you will certainly
succeed.”
Many mothers fail to realize the importance of this branch of
knowledge, and rather than have the trouble and care of instructing
their children and bearing with their failures and errors, they prefer
to do all the cooking themselves. And when their daughters make
mistakes in their efforts, they send them away with, “It is no use; you
can’t do this or that. You perplex and trouble me more than you help.”
Thus the first efforts of the learners are repulsed, and the failure so
cools their interest and ardor to learn that they dread another trial, and
will propose to knit, sew, clean house,—anything but cook. Here the