The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-06
HAVE THEIR OWN HOME
Cooperative Boarding House
of Four Girls.
BETTER THAN REGULAR HOUSES
Instead Of Paying Good Sum for Inferior
Accommodations They Have Banded To-
gether and Run a Household on the Co.
operative Plan-TotaI Expenses shared
EsuaIIJ-PIan Works sp.endidly in This
Particular.InsIance-D Of scheme.

ParticularsfnsIance-D Of scheme.
There is a snug new house in the North
= est that is proving OF intense interest 10
the homeless women bread winners OF
Washington. especially to those board-rs
who are made 10 feel that il is blessed
privilege to climb gloomy stairways 10
gloomy rooms. and then have the land
lady glOOmily remark that she prefers
gentlemen, but as none seem 10 ike the
room. she supposes she can let you have
IT, This surceass was suggested b. Miss
Long. daughter Of the Secretary of the
Navy. who. with several cOngenial spiT-
its, did cooperative housekeeping in Bal-
timOre. Since IL was so happily successful
for those girls. why not for others? Some
thing of the same plan was adopted by
the Washington bachelUr-girls, with the
difference that Miss Longs associates
were mostly students. while in this house
there is but one student, an art teacher,
a public school teacher, and a newspaper
woman.
After they had shown their pretty
house. all talking at once. and had finally
settled down around the dining-room ia
bic TO a cup Of tea, still chattering like a
lot Of jay-birds up a cherry tree. one Of
them-probably because she owned a su-
perior pair of lungs-beeame the spokes-
woman.
1t is jolly fun, this coop. housekeep-
ing, and not a bit of trouble nor a bit
more expensive than boarding. We each
OF us remained at the mercy of people
who told us in unvarnished terms that
/,
in the world but the need for the $50 per
month would induce them to tolerate us.
We sat at the table and shook like earth
quakes if Derchance our stomachs de-
manded a second installment Of any given
culinary production. while the enormous
pig opposite US, with striped trousers and
an appetite like billy-goat, was not only
helped TO a reckless portion in the first
place, but was urged. teased. and coaxed
into more. He paid s25 per month for the
room just above, where it was all right
for him to strew the carpet with ashes
and cigar stumps, drop paper around,
spill water all the way from the wash
stand up TO the ceiling, demand extra
towels. go out and leave his gas burning
full head.
1t struck us that we were each paying
$50 per month to establish a monarchy in
that lodging house; $50 each that We
might be allowed to live in the atmos-
phere of tobacco fumes and opinionated
remarks. We said we could no longer. in
self-respect, succumb to these indignities,
so We moved in here"
Light Household Cares.
do not your household cares interfere
with your business?''
Might, if we had any-cares, mean"
came the laconic reply. We have lived
here since the first of last September and
We haven't found any yet, have we girls?"
Just then, for answer. they all shot out at
the door. amid the rustic of petticoats and
signs of giddy hose, and rescued plump,
well-fed. Well-cared-for old lady from
bundle of wraps, and trundled her in as
the living explanation of why there were
no worries.
This is Mattie's mother''-Mattie is the
teacher-"and we will warrant her TO even
Danish the bubonic plague by a watt of
her wand. She is the lubricant of this
concern, and her mandate is law. She did
the househunting, and when she found a
likely abode-the only stipulations were,
four bedrooms, kitchen and dining-room.
sitting-room, and servants room, all for
$40 month-whenever she found such an
one she laid by the key that we might
inspect II. We all agreed upon this one
because II was roOmy, easily heated. and
within walking distance of down town
She had il cleaned had our small house
hold goods moved in, and went with us
to invest in furniture"
1T is surprising that you girls would
want to cucumber yourselves with fur1i-
ture! Suppose"-but the other kept right
on Keeling off replies
We'll, that didn't bother us. We each
furnished our own bedroom, Clipped in
for the sitting-room, dining-room. and
kitchen things-and there you are, How
much did II cost us? Oh, not more than
800 apiece, II that. We all had pillows,
and these pictures, you See and that, and
that, and that'-which meant a lot of the
small things dear TO the feminine heart.
1t was pretty, honey little place. the
dining-room, with a fireplace and a man
tel cabinet, and a quaint corner cupboard
built in. with old blue cups and japanese
cream jugs shining out here and there.
There were Oriental curtains at the two
windows, and a tasty rug under the IA
bic. There was a dear little kitchen
hitched on to the back by means of a
snug pdHAAss meat DidlttTS and
blue plates stood along the shelves with
all the dignity OF an old Dutch kitchen.
Description of the House.
The sitting-room was an artistic ar
rangement of comfortable bits OF furni-
ture, soft curtains, and interesting mic
lures. while the polished floor shone like
glass, 'twiXt some prettily selected
rugs The whole was a harmonious
blending Of cream and dull blue, with a
touch of pink about the dark corners
II was perfectly foreign 10 the ordinary
installment-plan clearinghouse, where |
the woman bread-winner has to lodge |
The hall was one of those little semi |
reception places, with a fireplace and
mantel-shelf and a settle built in.
The bedrooms We're simple and airv
but awfully clean. Each girl reigned SUI |
preme in her own room, save the little |
students room, where two white beds
side by side told the story of maternal |
affection. Matte has the biggest room. |
because she and Aunt Martha have to |
abide in peace and plenty together"
"Of course, IL costs you all a lot 10 |
keep up real house with a servant"
volunteered the interviewer
Not bit OF it, they all answered IN |
chorus We calculate on $50 a month |
each for the four OF US or course Aunt
Martha works for her board"-With a sly /!
look at Aunt Martha. who nibbled tea |
biscuit and chuckled, and that covers IL |
too. You know if We just went right
upon the first day Of every month and
paid our board 10 Aunt Martha, il would |
seem ike real clearinghouse, so We just |
wait until the end of the month and add |
mn oil Of NJ %
hire gas bill, milk bill, grocery bill, etc, !