Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-24
HOMEMAKERS COLUMN.
Correspondence on topics Of interest 70 the adie.
n soficited. Address: Editor HonEHAKHns
CoLUnN. Oxford Democrat. South Paris. Nc
Success.

COLu4Ns OxIOfu pomoohoss oVusu SA'os e
Success.
mo, ma'am, puts no chemicals In
the water. I wash this beautiful lace
careful and clean" She looked at me
with frank, honest eyes. =.
"You see what work I have done"
and she pointed to hand embroideries,
delicate flimsy laces, thin silks. All
we're perfectly laundered. So l lett'the
Venetian collar. When l came for 1t
after few days, there it lay In her little
case, all its delicate beauty brought out
by her careful hand. Her face flushed
with pride at my praise. =.
81 left that always In the window"
she remarked with q shrewd twinkle In
her eyes. "It is good advertisement 80
charge you less for washing It," she
would say In her friendly broken Eng
lish.
1t was the beginning of great friend
ship between us. used to drop INTO
her little shop with my package OF
things too precious to trust to the care
less public laundries.
"Oh, that waist 1t Is not quite done.
I washed 1t again 90 to make 1t perfect.
You please to remain while l flush the
cuffsP' So would linger in the little
back room and watch her, her white hair
fluffed around her rosy face. Each time
there seemed to be some reason why l
should stay little while. Each time
heard little more of her story.
"Think of it, ma'am, I am ffty-fve
wears old and Just getting started again
in life." Her husband, tailor, bad
drowned, Just when all would have gone
we'll with them. When all claims were
settled, she was nearly penniless. Then
she rented this tiny building which had
once been hand laundry. 1t was, how
ever, haunted with ghost bard to lay.
For large laundry near by, notorious
for it's careless work, had had its office
there for time after the previous laun-
dress had gone away.
cat first, no one came. l could not
understand why. waited and waited.
The first week took in only ninety-two
cents. One day q lady came with some
pretty clothes, but said she would leave
them there some weeks till she came
back from her vacation. So l got no
paw, then. But did them up nicely and
mt them in the window. At once Others
brought their clothes. So little by little
| lived down the bad name of that big
laundry. did my best with every little
thing 1 got to do. And lived on as little
as could. When could lay by little,
| bought new tubs, then wringer, so ]
did not have TO hurt my wrists. Then
these flatirons, ali, what | can do with
these flatirons!" And she patted them
almost lovingly.
"That first week must have been
pretty hard for you," said. She went
70 tiny closet, took down her handbag
and from out of bit OF paper she
proudly unrolled half-dollar.
1.-THE first money earned" she said,
her eyes shining with great hope and In.
SEPARATION. "To think that /, after all
nv reverses, and such an old woman az
I am, could earn money again, l could
scarcely believe 1t. l would starve
rather than part with that fifty.cen'
piece" 1t was the embodiment of heI
regained hopes, her new life.
81 did not know you did curtains"
remarked to her one day, as | saw a pair
hanging in the window. She laughed
joyously.
"You have not been here for month
A man came to me six weeks ago and
wanted to put those curtains up and give
me q commission on all sold. didn'l
take any orders yet, but ] get twenty
four pair of curtains to wash already"
Her glee was contagious.
Through that first winter / heard oil
a growing business, some new triumph
each time. When left for the summer
she had permanently one woman to help
her and often hired two or three by the
day. In the fall came to her with my
suit case of delicate waists, laces, lin
gerie, anything and everything l could
not trust to the large laundry. l found
her as usual at the ironing board, bel
face glowing with all the news she bad
to tell me, how business had grown, how
the hotter the weather, the more clothes
she had to wash and iron, how she had
worked far up into the night to fill bel
orders promptly and do her work we'll
She tiptoed into the front room, beckon
ing me to the farthest corner. Looking
covertly around to see II her "help'
were listening, she whispered to me-
NOW have been In business sixteen
months and l have cleared $1,000. co."
1t really was a thunderbolt. This
tiny, white-haired woman, over half
century old, starting business 10 q
strange town, without capital, indeed
without living expenses, In building 10
bad repute, bad in sixteen months built
up an honorable trade which had netted
her, beside Improvements and supplies,
a thousand dollars.
How had she done itp You who have
failed, you who have succeeded with toe
hi; b price for your success, learn Of
her stock in trade, that Is to say, bel
ideals, and how consistently she stood
BY them aud worked for them until hel
work brought adequate returns In dol
lars and cents.
She had the requisites for real sue
cess. In the fret place, she loved bel
work. Clean things, we'll ironed, were
joy to her.
Second, her trade to her was an art
perfection was her work.a.day motto
She learned every possible method oil
taking out all sorts of stains without In
turing the cloth. She aimed to know
everything about her work. You could
trust her with everything, even the most
delicate washable fabric. A baptism
dress, fifty years old, yellow, stained
and worn, was perfectly cleaned. She
had read nothing on efficiency, yet you
could not find better exponent OF thai
present day slogan of the busines'
world.
Third, she has held fast to her ideals
in face of chance and temptation to &c
the way of countless so-called hand
laundries. / asked her, now that she
was getting more prosperous, why she
didn't rent larger building and have
delivery boys. She had thought of that
"But If l do that, then have all the
time trouble with Thorn. They lose the
laundry; they make mistakes. have to
pay for horse and wagon; no, my Gus
toners pay, for have to charge more
| have to sit all day checking up those
bundles and scolding those boys. No,
do not do that. maybe hire women to
do just the things l train them to do,
but do always the finest things, wash
and iron, too. People will bring 1t te
me; am no longer afraid. l do my
best, so they need me. l can learn all
things; they ask me any stain, take II
out and do no hurt" And she laughed
the spontaneous joy of young girl.
~, an old woman, l make money,
lay by some for the rainy day"
Added to these indispensable qualities
R..l k1A q