Opinions such as these are based on the soundest common sense, indeed no one could honestly oppose them. But it powerfully adds to their weight to find them thoroughly endorsed by the representative medical authority of The British Medical Journal and Tlie Lancet ; the former has from time to time insisted upon the self-same truths, and strenuously urged their practical adoption. These contribu- tions are somewhat too lengthy for complete reproduction, but the views expressed may be briefly referred to. It was maintained that English people have much to learn from the I¥ench methods of Cookery ; that these are not merely tasteful and appetising, but that they are extremely economical ; that materials which the English housewife throws away as useless, her French sister skilfully converts into toothsome and nutritious food ; and that it is only an increased knowledge of Cookery which the poor need to render life more agreeable. The Lancet also, in an admirable article on "Culinary Civilisation," spoke of the need of women becoming acquainted with the modes of concocting palatable food, if they wished to maintain their domestic power. It was further pointed out that if the husband was to be prevented from neglecting his family, the wife must see that he had well-cooked food at home. And lastly, it was tellingly set forth that when women had fully mastered this lesson a step in civilisation would have been gained, which would show in increased health, increased prosperity, and happier domestic hearths. But I caimot conclude this portion without a special reference to some remarks by Madame Emilie Lebour- Fawssett. They occur in her most admirable book French Cookery for Ladies, and are so sensible that they should never be forgotten. " I like," says Madame, " to place " before my husband, who has been hard at work aU day " long, a nice tempting dinner, very much varied and well 110 THE ART OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. " cooked ; and I cannot repeat it too often, it is one of the " strongest ties of home life, and I am sure many a man in " the day, when he is most busy, unconsciously smiles " inwardly at the prospect of the nice httle dinner awaiting " him at home, when his hard day's work is over. Small, " dainty, well-made dishes gratify your husband's appetite, " help to keep him healthy, prepare him a good digestion " for his old age, and save your purse." In another part of the book, a little farther on, she remarks : — " One of my chief objects also is to teach the " great mass of people to make better use of the numberless " good things there are to be obtained, and thereby keep " their husbands away from the public-house. It stands to " reason that if a man who has worked all day comes home " and finds nothing warm and appetising prepared for him, " he will go away quicker than he came, and spend at the " first hotel the money he would otherwise have gladly " spent on his family if his wife had tried and knew how to " make him comfortable ; and, there is no denying it, the " greatest comforts a man can have after a day's work, be " it manual labour or brain work, are a good meal and a " quiet corner in which to smoke his pipe or cigar." COOKERY IN THE F0R5LA.TI0N OF CHARACTER.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Opinions such as these are based on the soundest common sense, indeed no one could honestly oppose them. But it powerfully adds to their weight to find them thoroughly endorsed by the representative medical authority of The British Medical Journal and Tlie Lancet ; the former has from time to time insisted upon the self-same truths, and strenuously urged their practical adoption. These contributions are somewhat too lengthy for complete reproduction, but the views expressed may be briefly referred to. It was maintained that English people have much to learn from the I¥ench methods of Cookery ; that these are not merely tasteful and appetising, but that they are extremely economical ; that materials which the English housewife throws away as useless, her French sister skilfully converts into toothsome and nutritious food ; and that it is only an increased knowledge of Cookery which the poor need to render life more agreeable. The Lancet also, in an admirable article on "Culinary Civilisation," spoke of the need of women becoming acquainted with the modes of concocting palatable food, if they wished to maintain their domestic power. It was further pointed out that if the husband was to be prevented from neglecting his family, the wife must see that he had well-cooked food at home. And lastly, it was tellingly set forth that when women had fully mastered this lesson a step in civilisation would have been gained, which would show in increased health, increased prosperity, and happier domestic hearths. But I caimot conclude this portion without a special reference to some remarks by Madame Emilie Lebour- Fawssett. They occur in her most admirable book French Cookery for Ladies, and are so sensible that they should never be forgotten. " I like," says Madame, " to place " before my husband, who has been hard at work aU day " long, a nice tempting dinner, very much varied and well " cooked ; and I cannot repeat it too often, it is one of the " strongest ties of home life, and I am sure many a man in " the day, when he is most busy, unconsciously smiles " inwardly at the prospect of the nice httle dinner awaiting " him at home, when his hard day's work is over. Small, " dainty, well-made dishes gratify your husband's appetite, " help to keep him healthy, prepare him a good digestion " for his old age, and save your purse." In another part of the book, a little farther on, she remarks : — " One of my chief objects also is to teach the " great mass of people to make better use of the numberless " good things there are to be obtained, and thereby keep " their husbands away from the public-house. It stands to " reason that if a man who has worked all day comes home " and finds nothing warm and appetising prepared for him, " he will go away quicker than he came, and spend at the " first hotel the money he would otherwise have gladly " spent on his family if his wife had tried and knew how to " make him comfortable ; and, there is no denying it, the " greatest comforts a man can have after a day's work, be " it manual labour or brain work, are a good meal and a " quiet corner in which to smoke his pipe or cigar." COOKERY IN THE FORMATION OF CHARACTER.

The art of living in Australia