all her powers of mind and body to it ? In short, without bringing her mind down to the level of that of a common cook and drudge ? ' Now, the idea that certain kinds of labor are deOTadini^r, while other kinds are refining and elevating, is, I think, a stumbling-block to many. People of education and intelligence seem to lose sight of the fact that it is the heart we put into labor of any kind — the motive that underlies it — that makes its performance either elevating or degrading in its effects. It seems strange to me that people w^ho profess to believe in the dignity of labor, should make such absurd distinctions. And I am unable to see how the ordinary labor of the farmer, merchant, doctor, or lawyer, can be any more pleasant, interesting, or refining to them, than ordinary housework is to the wife and mother. Is there not as wide a field for the use of brains in her department as in each, or any, of their depart- ments? And is it a small matter — a low ambi- tion— to devote one's time and energies to making a pleasant and attractive home ? Do not thou- sands of men toil uncomplainingly, day after day, all their lives, to give their wives and daughters the means to render home comfortable and attract- ive ? For my part, I can conceive of no nobler aim in life for any woman than that of making a perfect home. Is there any higher or holier ob- ject to which she can * devote all her powers of EDIBLES AND EDUCATION. 187 mind and body'? I know of none. Hence, my desire to aid in establishing this home-school, where girls can be taught to perform thoroughly all life's homely household duties." " Kate, good men and women everywhere should lend a helping hand to your enterprise," said Eme- line, earnestly, after listening attentively to my sermonizing. "The subject assumes a new aspect to mo ; and I begin to realize that the wives and mothers who allow their daughters to grow up with- out being educated in all the branches of house- keeping, or who spend their lives in boarding- houses for the purpose of escaping domestic du- ties, are among the worst foes of society." "Emeline, your language is forcible, but just," was my reply. "Boarding-houses may be neces- sary ; but they are necessary evils. They destroy all domestic privacy, and are demoralizing society by eating out the heart of our home life. Girls whose traininsr in household duties has been nes:- lected, flee, after marriage, to these places of refuge, to escape the penalty of their bad or neg- lected training, and the oppression of ignorant, insolent servants ; and thus boarding-houses per- petuate the system of which they are the legiti- mate result, — that wretched system under Avhich women are reared without a knowledge of house- work, and are taught to shirk the cares and respon- 188 COOKING AND CASTLE-BUILDING. sibilities— thereby losing all the joys and comforts — of a home ! " "But this school you speak of," interrupted Emeline, "is not to be solely a training-school for gh-ls in these domestic matters, — is it, Kate?"

AI-modernized reading of the original text

all her powers of mind and body to it ? In short, without bringing her mind down to the level of that of a common cook and drudge ? ' Now, the idea that certain kinds of labor are degrading, while other kinds are refining and elevating, is, I think, a stumbling-block to many. People of education and intelligence seem to lose sight of the fact that it is the heart we put into labor of any kind — the motive that underlies it — that makes its performance either elevating or degrading in its effects. It seems strange to me that people who profess to believe in the dignity of labor, should make such absurd distinctions. And I am unable to see how the ordinary labor of the farmer, merchant, doctor, or lawyer, can be any more pleasant, interesting, or refining to them, than ordinary housework is to the wife and mother. Is there not as wide a field for the use of brains in her department as in each, or any, of their departments? And is it a small matter — a low ambition— to devote one's time and energies to making a pleasant and attractive home ? Do not thousands of men toil uncomplainingly, day after day, all their lives, to give their wives and daughters the means to render home comfortable and attractive ? For my part, I can conceive of no nobler aim in life for any woman than that of making a perfect home. Is there any higher or holier object to which she can devote all her powers of mind and body'? I know of none. Hence, my desire to aid in establishing this home-school, where girls can be taught to perform thoroughly all life's homely household duties." " Kate, good men and women everywhere should lend a helping hand to your enterprise," said Emeline, earnestly, after listening attentively to my sermonizing. "The subject assumes a new aspect to mo ; and I begin to realize that the wives and mothers who allow their daughters to grow up without being educated in all the branches of housekeeping, or who spend their lives in boardinghouses for the purpose of escaping domestic duties, are among the worst foes of society." "Emeline, your language is forcible, but just," was my reply. "Boarding-houses may be necessary ; but they are necessary evils. They destroy all domestic privacy, and are demoralizing society by eating out the heart of our home life. Girls whose training in household duties has been neglected, flee, after marriage, to these places of refuge, to escape the penalty of their bad or neglected training, and the oppression of ignorant, insolent servants ; and thus boarding-houses perpetuate the system of which they are the legitimate result, — that wretched system under which women are reared without a knowledge of housework, and are taught to shirk the cares and respon- sibilities— thereby losing all the joys and comforts — of a home ! " "But this school you speak of," interrupted Emeline, "is not to be solely a training-school for girls in these domestic matters, — is it, Kate?"

Cooking and castle-building