The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-17
THE GAS RANGE AS FOE
 TO GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

her days: She lives in a modern fiat. About 10 minutes before the breakfast hour she lights the gas range, boils the kettle, makes coffee and boils or fries eggs.
 Fresh bread is delivered by the baker and she has a cereal which does not re- quire cooking. Her husband does not have to get to the store in which he works till S3O therefore early rising on her part is not required.
 She has two children who go to school and these she dispatche to school with some bread and butter and bakers cake and cents each to buy some other sweet or fruit with at the noon hour.
 There are no ashes to bother her and the jantor does not require the garbage can until evening. therefore after putting away the breakfest dishes she proceeds to dress herself and get off to the shops Unless the weather is stormy 1t is not often that she does not pass the greater part of the day down town. Sometimes she gets home as soon as the children do, but oftener she does not
 She listens to free concerts in the stores, looks at the fashions. drops in at tho fine hotels to see the smart women who pass in and out. gets bite of luncheon in restaurant where there is plenty to see, in short amuses herself for perhaps five or six hours without thought of home.
 "On these tours she buys from time to time everything the family wears. I have never known her to make a garment of any sort for her children for herself to wear-she says that they can be bought for as little as they would cost made at home. and perhaps they can.
 That is not my point What I deplore is the demoralizing habit of wasting time aimlessly.
 I, and buys something for dinner. something easy to cook. She boasted once that it took her just 20 minutes to prepare very good family dinner.
 What did you have?' I asked. "She told me. Like most of these idlers she depended, I found, on canned things and bankers desserts. The dinner refer red to consisted of canned soup, boiled potatoes, stewed canned tomatoes, fried beefsteak and for dessert a bakers pie.
 .'She has trained her husband. a most indulgent man, to wash the dinner dishes and cooking utensils. She dries them and puts them away. None of her even ings, let me say, is given to mending. I never heard of her studying anything. "A woman comes in to wash and iron once week. An old fashioned house. keeper would call her fiat far from clean, although she contrives to give q surface appearance of neatness of things, and her parlor is usually presentable be- cause it contains some nice bits of furn- ture and is not used commonly "In common with most flat dwcliers she makes no overtures to next door
 neighbors, and it is furthest from her desires to be called in by a neighbor fin time of sickness. In fact, if she knew such a thing was likely to happen be- ieve she would make a bee line away from home as fast a trolley car would take her. Neighoorlness is ono of the lost graces.
 That the health of this idler of preci- ous time is excellent. that she presents a. very youthful and stylish appearance considering her family cares and small income and that her husband and chil- drcn seem not to suffer In health or hap piuess because of the frequent absences of the wife and mother does not Justify any housekeeper of small means in idlin.s away her time.
 And more than all I deplore the ex- ample these idlers set to their children.
 sighed the critic in conclusion.