FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 159 



THE PERPLEXITIES OF THE HOUSEWIFE. 



BY MRS. EMMA A. CAMPBELL, YPSILANTI. 



The motive of the Women's Congress is to raise the standard of 

 the work of the housewife. It has been thought that a woman could 

 manage domestic affairs without any special training and with little 

 brain power. This, if ever true, is not true to-day. At no time has 

 more value been put upon woman as the housewife than at the pres- 

 ent. 



Prof. Atkinson says the family of the average American spends one- 

 half the income for -food. Surely this should not be true. When all 

 girls shall have the practical education of which we have heard to-day, 

 it will not be true and the perplexities of the housewife will be fewer 

 in number and less appalling in character. Education should fit a 

 girl for her life work. 



The zoologist's daughter says "papa, speak kindly to Edward to-day 

 for I am fond of him and I want to be his wife." "Be his wife! Wife 

 indeed, a pretty wife you would make when you don't know how 

 many joints a lizard has." 



The sweet girl graduate bases her fitness for marriage and the du- 

 ties of the housewife, on the fact that she can make nice fudges and 

 lovely chocolate creams. John, when he calls, finds her so charming, 

 as she dispenses these sweetmeats, that he feels he can eat chocolate 

 creams all the rest of his life, if only Mary sits on the opposite side of 

 the chafing dish. There are perplexities enough for the housekeeper 

 whose scientific knowledge has not been confined to lizards and whose 

 culinary accomplishments are not exhausted in making chocolates, 

 fudges, etc. "Where are you going to live, Mary?" "I don't know, we 

 haven't got that far yet." "Well," said the unsentimental older wo- 

 man, "once you are married it is the first place you will reach." And 

 she was right. Mary's practical education should include some knowl- 

 edge of house building and house sanitation. "What! A woman 

 build a house?" Yes, woman lives in the house more than the man does, 

 most of her work is done there, and she ought to know — it is her busi- 

 ness to know — what is needed for the family health and for lier own 

 convenience. Many a housewife finds herself appalled as she looks at 

 the mountain of apparent duties. 



Let us consider a few of the perplexing questions the housewife has 

 to answer. How shall I build my house, and how shall it be furnished? 

 I will say here, in passing, it has been my attempt, in this address to 

 voice the perplexities of the women of Michigan made known through 

 the question box, during my four years' experience in institute work. 



Building the house. — It is of the greatest importance that the house 

 should be adapted to the circumstances of its occupants. Desire to 

 have a fine house has led many young people into debt on the pretext 

 that it is better while building to build such a house as will meet the 

 wants of the family through all the future. A large house is built, 



