South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-16
Make Comfortable
Living By Catering
Woman Whose Only Asset
Was Ability to Keep House
Supported Self and Child.

This was the beginning of nv homo
catering business. 1 was all alone.
without advice or help. Ny relatives
all IN Europe and my only sister in
Baltimore has plenty of trouble of her
own. So when my husband died. leav
ing me with a little home in the
suburbs unpaid for and a little girl
of four on my hands, the only sum
Of money at my disposal, after the
funeral expenses were paid. was $500.
L had no special training in any
thing, except in housekeeping. for my
mother had belonged 10 the old school
Of hOusekeepers, who know how TO
cook and are not ashamed TO acknowl-
edge it. i decided, therefore. to fol-
low in mothers footsteps and do the
one thing well, she had taught me
namely cooking. / was going TO make
my living at it. 1 gave a friend of
ours, a printer, an order for 500 cir
culars, bearing in large letters. Ca
tering,' as a heading. l explained
in as few words as possible that l
knew how TO cook and desired TO do
SO for others either i'm their or my
own home Then / told my friends
OF my intention and received plenty
of discOuragemen and advice; how
ever, I handed them my card, thanked
them and begged them To tell all their
acquaintances Of my business venture
/ must acknowledge, whether agree
ing with me or not, they unanimous
" helped me. ! mailed some of my
cards to strangers, whose addresses l
had copied out of the social register,
to which, however, j never receive
an answer. l abandoned, therefore,
the latter practice and called person
ally, which cost me some unpleasant
feeling. However, my good sense got
the upper hand. See here" l said
TO myself, Anna Maria Thornton, this
won't do. You've got to make a lv-
ing, nobody is going to do it for you"
1. therefore, mustered up courage and,
choosing the best avenue of our sub
urb, i pulled the bell and asked 10
see Mrs. y. / was received far more
kindly than / had expected. My first
call brought me a net result of an
order OF six pies three cakes and 100
sandwiches for a church affair. /
calculated that after paying my eX-
penses that week it left me the modest
sum of SO; enough TO feed the two of
US for a week
The next days mail brought me
letter of inquiry from a wealthy lady
of our town. She was a confirmed
invalid and constantly in troubles
with her cooks. She asked me to cali,
SO that she could eX0lain certain
kind of health bread, ordered for her.
Would l supply three leaves every
week? OF course / would. That was
exactly what l wanted. Some steady
orders and a chance To cook sick diet,
which was a special talent OF mine. /
Went To see Mrs. \. / went away not
only with an order of bread, bat with
q regular appointment 10 prepare
every week on Tuesdays her tea, sand
wiches and little cakes for her receiv-
ing day. SO literally did she pay for
this that it supplied the funds for all
our little extra expenses, besides
enough TO clothe my little one. Try
ing TO please, as l certainly did with
all my energy and good Will, procured
me the good will of the invalid and /
received SO much kindness that it gave
me courage 10 go on with my work.
OF course, l had my setbacks-cus-
toners stopped, complaint were ut
tered. | made it a point TO call every
month myself on every customer and
there was hardly any time when i did
not learn something new about their
tastes and various opinions. l also
found 1T necessary TO change the va
riety of pies, cakes sandwiches and
candies. But as | had my regular cir
Gle of customers by now | soon sue
ceeded in pleasing and winning their
confidence. a little girl delivered my
VI uGlSs ~ 4 NONlu SANC illg IllOl nlllSo
TO my work. l had enough standing
orders 10 keep me busy from 8 until
y. This netted me a regular sum
each week, out of which / was able
to pay the taxes, a small amount of
the mortgage every month and enough
left over TO live comfortably, but mod
estly
You wonder. perhaps, why l did not
take a maid and enlarge my business.
But that would have deprived me of
my time in the afternoon, taken me
away almost entirely from my little
daughter and given me no time what
ever TO cultivate my friends. 1t would
have transformed my quiet, but busy
life, into a rush with a terrific strain
on my nervous system, to which finally
my health might have given way.
There were times when l longed to
make more money, but always on sec
Ond thought / decided not To yield.