It is a popular impression that the knowledge of good housekeeping, and of the proper care of children, comes naturally to a woman, who, though she had no previous training or preparation for these duties, suddenly finds them thrust upon her.  But how many women can really look back with joy to the first years of their housekeeping?  Do they not remember them more with a feeling of dismay than pleasure?  How many foolish mistakes occurred entailing repentance and discomfort!  And how many heart-burnings were caused, and even tears shed, because in spite of the best intentions, everything seemed to go wrong?  And why?  Simply because of ignorance and inefficiency in the home, not only of the employee, but of the employer also.

That an employee is ignorant and unskilled in her work is often excusable, but there is absolutely no excuse for a woman who has time and money at her command, to be ignorant of domestic science, when of her own free will she undertakes the responsibilities of housekeeping.

Nearly all women take interest in the furnishing of their homes, and give their personal attention to it with the result that as a rule they excel in household decoration, and often produce marvels of beauty and taste with the expenditure of relatively small amounts of money.

Marketing is also very generally attended to in person by the housewife, but she is using the telephone more and more frequently as a substitute for a personal visit to butcher and grocer, and this is greatly to her disadvantage.  The telephone is a very convenient instrument, especially in emergency, or for ordering things that do not vary in price.  But when prices depend upon the fluctuations of the market, or when the articles to be purchased are of a perishable nature, it must be remembered that the telephone is also a very convenient instrument for the merchant who is anxious to get rid of his bad stock.

The remaining branches of housekeeping apparently do not interest the modern housewife.  She entrusts them very generally to her employees, upon whose skill and knowledge she blindly relies.  Unfortunately skill and knowledge are very rare qualities, and if the housewife herself be ignorant of the proper way of doing the work in her own home, how can she be fitted to direct those she places in charge of it, or to make a wise choice when she has to select a new employee?  Too often she engages women and young girls without investigating their references of character or capability, and when time proves what an imprudent proceeding she has been party to, she simply attributes the consequent troubles to causes beyond her control.  If the housewife were really worthy of her name she would be able not only to pick out better employees, but to insist upon their work being properly done.  To-day she is almost afraid to ask her cook to prepare all the dishes for the family meals, nor does she always find some one willing to do the family washing.  She is obliged to buy