388 INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION OF WOMEN. 



could afford, so as not to entrench too largely upon other necessary 

 expenditures.&quot; 



The next inquiry of importance is the question of nourishment. 

 The professor said: &quot;Ladies, for to-day s dinner/ 3 many of the 

 pupils being boarders, &quot; as you know, we had rice soup, beef, and 

 vegetables, for the first course; sausage and potatoes for the second; 

 and pudding for dessert; can you tell me what was the cost of that 

 dinner per person ?&quot; They could not. What is the price of beef ? 

 What is the price of potatoes?&quot; They did not know. &quot;For to-day 

 I will excuse you; but when we take up this subject again, you must 

 be better informed. Inquire of your mothers or friends, for it is of 

 importance to you to know the values of the necessities of life.&quot; 



Coming back to the initial point, the annual income, the conver 

 sational lecture involved a thorough sifting of the details. Its chief 

 value lay in its minute examination, so that every pupil could make 

 either an additional inquiry or relevant suggestion. After a thorough 

 canvass of the house-rent question, the conclusion was reached that 

 a family, with the income specified, could afford one hundred and 

 fifty dollars per annum for house-rent in that city. In other words, 

 after surveying the whole field, the conclusion was reached that one 

 hundred and fifty dollars house-rent would be a proper proportion 

 of the whole expenditure, and that any considerable increase in that 

 direction would tend to diminish the comfort of the family in mat 

 ters equally essential. 



The discussions of the questions of proper nourishment and its 

 relations to price, health, and comfort, were continued through a 

 number of sessions. Not merely were the prices brought forward, 

 but the questions: &quot;What kinds of food contain the most nourish 

 ment ? How to secure a reasonable variety consistently with econ 

 omy ? and how various dishes can be prepared and waste prevented ? 

 were treated in the same suggestive and familiar manner. In fact, 

 these conversations were so genial, and withal so dignified, so 

 pleasant, and, for girls, so interesting, that the pupils looked for 

 ward to them with anticipations of both pleasure and profit. Ques 

 tions were submitted by pupils, and the zest with which the discus 

 sion was followed up, showed that not merely was the topic in itself 

 congenial, but that they appreciated its important relations to their 

 future welfare. After a final and exhaustive review, it was deter 

 mined that, with the existing prices of food in the city of Gotha, a 

 family, with the income stated, could afford to spend three hundred 

 dollars a year for food. 



The next great question was the one of clothing. How shall we 

 be clothed ? The consideration of what are the chief requisites for 

 clothing? brought out a number of answers. The first one Ger 

 many being a cold country was, quite naturally, that it should 

 afford the requisite warmth and protection in winter. This was fol 

 lowed by the suggestions that it should be suited to the season; 

 that it should be handsome in appearance; unchangeable in color, 

 of firm and durable texture. The wearing apparel of the grown 

 members of the household was first considered, and the cost of 

 silk, woolen, linen, cotton, broadcloth, and cassimere was discussed. 

 The relations of colors to each other, and their correspondence with 



