Maria Rundell (1745–1828) was an English writer. In 1805, when she was over 60, she sent an unedited collection of recipes and household advice to John Murray, of whose family—owners of the John Murray publishing house—she was a friend. Murray published the work, A New System of Domestic Cookery (frontispiece shown), in November 1805. It was a huge success and several editions followed; the book sold around half a million copies in Rundell's lifetime. It was aimed at middle class housewives. In addition to dealing with food preparation, it offers advice on medical remedies and how to set up a home brewery, and includes a section entitled "Directions to Servants". She also advises readers on being economical with their food and avoiding waste. Rundell wrote a second book, Letters Addressed to Two Absent Daughters (1814), with advice concerning death, friendship, how to behave in polite company and the types of books a well-mannered young woman should read.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Rundell

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1689:

The Parliament of England enacted the Bill of Rights, setting out basic civil rights and later influencing other documents such as the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_Rights_1689

1901:

English writer Beatrix Potter privately published 250 copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit (illustration shown) after several publishers' rejections. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Peter_Rabbit

1930:

German-American gangster Herman Lamm, the "father of modern bank robbery", killed himself during a botched robbery attempt in Clinton, Indiana, rather than be captured by police. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Lamm

2012:

A woman was gang-raped and fatally assaulted on a bus in New Delhi, generating public protests across India against the authorities for not providing adequate security for women. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Delhi_gang_rape

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

prototype: 1. An original form or object which is a basis for other forms or objects (particularly manufactured items), or for its generalizations and models. 2. An early sample or model built to test a concept or process. 3. (computing) A declaration of a function that specifies the name, return type, and parameters, but none of the body or actual code. 4. (semantics) An instance of a category or a concept that combines its most representative attributes. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prototype

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

You shall not, for the sake of one individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour to persuade yourself or me, that selfishness is prudence, and insensibility of danger security for happiness.   --Pride and Prejudice https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice