The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-18

Christmas Hard Luck.
Now and then in feminine business circles
comes a humorous wall from the over-bur-
dened working woman.
Eyes, we all ought to be at home on
Christmas day, if possible" said an alert
yet tired-looking business woman, but if l
could have my Christmas wish this year L
would choose one good, long day in bed-to
rest my head and quiet my nerves. Women
VINO stay at home all the time may work
just as hard as the women in shops and
offices, but they have no conception of and
consequently no real sympathy with the
WORKOUT condition of the women who have
to face the noisy world every day for eight
or ten hours and battle with the foibles and
peculiarities of assorted humanity.
Last year sister Laura and / had the
funniest kind of Christmas with our
mother. Mother is the best woman on
earth. but she simply doesn't know what it
is to be tired of people-to be tired behind
your eyes, clear back into the back of your
head. She wrote us not to fail TO come
home Christmas and get a real good rest
one days real good rest. She laid great
emphasis on the real good rest We could
lie in bed till late and do anything we want
ed to do to get rested.
A through Christmas week Laura and
l had a terribly hard time; up late every
night; worn out by fractions customers, by
nonpayment of bills and by work going
wrong. The night before we went home, 1
remember, we sat up until 1 o'clock to fin
ish some work which was to go to Arizona,
and then at 2 O'Clock walked to the express
office with 1t ourselves, getting to bed only
nA . AI-A
sent us out to Littlebury. to our home, in a
wrecked condition. Mother let us go to bed
pretty early and didn't say a word about
the next day. In the morning we slept until
about 6 o'clock, when in hustled mother.
Come, daughters she said, it's time to get
up now. l didn't tell you last night, be-
cause you were so tired, but we are going
to have a big kinsfolks' dinner to-day, all
on your account. Twelve people will be
here, all Aunt Martha's folks and Uncle
Williams folks. Laura, 1 want you to make
some of your nice chicken salad and some
angel cake, and Alice can roast the turkey,
make cranberry jelly, set the table and do
things like that. Get right up now, daugh-
tiers, get right up; they'll all be here by IL
o'clock
"Oh, dear" sighed the business girl, "how
Laura and 1 groaned into our pillows when
mother had gone down stairs. She hadn't
any idea how worn out we were, and moth
ing but personal experience could make her
understand it. How we yearned for a quiet
day, with father and mother alone. How
ever, we got up, hurried down to breakfast,
shouldered the Christmas burden and prob
ably helped the rest of them have a good
time. After everybody had gone, late in the
day, our fat little mother dropped into 4
rocking chair and sighed, Dear me. I'm
tired to DEATH Just tired to death, Alice,
you and Laura look as fresh as daisies. l
think I'll take a little nap while you
straighten up the house and wash the
Dishes
1--WE were through the work just in time
to catch our train back to the city," con-
Guided Alice. land crept into our Indian
apolis beds wishing there was a society for
the protection of working-class daughters"
Menu for a Day.
Suggestions furnished by Table Talk to
housekeepers of moderate means:
breakfast
Fruit
Parsley Omelet
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Thin Corn Bread Coffee
Lunch
Fried Haddock Roe
Tomato Ketchup
Fruit Cocoa
Dinner
Cream of Spinach Soup
Steamed Col Oyster Sauce
Potato Boultettes
Baked Squash
Watercress French Dressing
Waters Cheese
Charlottes
Coffee