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Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods
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 do not realize the importance of this branch of
knowledge and rather than have the trouble and care of instructing
their children and bearing with their failings and errors while learning,
they prefer to do all themselves. And when their daughters make a
failure 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
me.”
Thus the first efforts of the learners are repulsed and the first failure
so cools their interest and ardor to learn that they dread another trial,
and will propose to sew, knit, clean house, anything but cook. Here
the mother was greatly at fault. She should have patiently instructed
them, that they might, by practice, obtain an experience which would
remove the awkwardness and remedy the unskillful movements of the
inexperienced worker
Children should be taught very young to be useful, to help them-
selves, and to help others. Many daughters of this age can, without
remorse of conscience see their mothers toiling, cooking, washing,
or ironing, while they sit in the parlor and read stories, knit edging,
crochet, or embroider. Their hearts are as unfeeling as a stone. But
where does this wrong originate? Who are the ones usually most to
blame in this matter? The poor deceived parents. They overlook the
future good of their children, and in their mistaken fondness, let them
sit in idleness, or that which is of but little account which requires
no exercise of the mind or muscles and then excuse their indolent
daughters because they are weakly. What has made them weakly?
In many cases it has been the wrong course of the parents. A proper
amount of exercise about the house would improve both mind and
body. But children are deprived of this through false ideas, until they
are averse to work. It is disagreeable, and does not accord with their
ideas of gentility. It is thought to be unladylike and even coarse to
wash dishes, iron, or stand over the washtub. This is the fashionable
instruction which is given children in this unfortunate age.
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