658 Reading-Course fuk Farmers' Wives. 



her family something palatable, and presumably wholesome, in sufficient 

 abundance, and at a cost within her means. To-day the same intelligence 

 implies a knowledge not only of the cost but of the nutritive value of 

 food materials, and the proportion of different food ingredients necessary 

 for perfect nourishment. The housekeeper must be able to choose from 

 a great variety of foods those that will be digestible and those that will 

 give the highest food value for the money she can expend. She must 

 study how to adapt the food to growing children, to the out-of-door 

 worker and to the aged; she must learn to avoid adulterated and con- 

 taminated articles, and she must know how to prepare the food so that 

 its flavor shall be developed, its digestibility increased lather than dimin- 

 ished, with as little waste as possible, and if she is wise, with the greatest 

 saving of labor. 



The housekeeper sometimes questions the value of the new knowl- 

 edge that is offered, and feels that the old ways are sufficient. She re- 

 members the good housekeeping of her mother or her grandmother ; she 

 recalls how " good " things tasted when she was a child, she thinks of 

 her own robust health, and sees no reason for new methods. But the 

 notable housekeeper of the past was not the average housekeeper. For 

 one capable woman who kept house well there were dozens who kept 

 house poorly. Often the child who grew up strong and well w^as one of a 

 family whose other members were ailing or delicate. New conditions 

 have come to make new knowledge more necessary. Greater choice of 

 food, the preparation of many articles, such as canned goods outside the 

 house, less familiarity with the raw material on the part of the house- 

 keeper and different living conditions have brought new needs. 



Mrs. Abel, in the '' Rumford Kitchen Leaflets," has given a little 

 fable that illustrates excellently the relation of knowledge to taste in the 

 matter of food. 



King Palate is represented as absolute ruler of a vast kingdom, pay- 

 ing as little heed to law as such kings are prone to do. After years of 

 undisturbed peace, enemies were discovered lurking in the kingdom, such 

 as Indigestion, Dyspepsia, and others of their kin. The wise men of the 

 realm tried in vain to drive these imps away. Daily they grew more 

 powerful and more bold, until at length a young man named Knowledge 

 appeared, who was able to hold them in check. Without pretence to the 

 throne, or attempt at usurping, he gave wise counsel to King Palate. 

 This old monarch did not always heed the counsel, but whenever he 

 failed to do so the imps became so troublesome that he was forced to 

 ask advice. At last Knowledge was made prime minister, and King and 

 minister working together, succeeded in subduing the enemies, with a 

 fair prospect of soon driving them from the kingdom altogether. 



Now, it is quite true, as the king in the story said, that Knowledge is 



