Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene - Ellen G. White

tempting them to say, “It is no use; I can’t do it.”
This is not the time for censure. The will is
becoming weakened. It needs the spur of
encouraging, cheerful, hopeful words: “Never mind
the mistakes you have made. You are but a learner,
and must expect to make blunders. Try again. Put
your mind on what you are doing. Be very careful,
and you will certainly succeed.”
Many mothers fail to realize the importance of
this branch of knowledge, and rather than have the
trouble and care of instructing their children and
bearing with their failures and errors, they prefer to
do all the cooking themselves. And when their
daughters make mistakes in their efforts, they send
them away with, “It is no use; you can’t do this or
that. You perplex and trouble me more than you
help.” Thus the first efforts of the learners are
repulsed, and the failure so cools their interest and
ardor to learn that they dread another trial, and will
propose to knit, sew, clean house,—anything but
cook. Here the mother was greatly at fault. She
should have patiently instructed them, that they
might, by practice, acquire skill and efficiency.
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