The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-13
Mrs. J. M Craig Talks About Housekeeping Cake
 Baking and Fancy Icngs, at Which She is an Expert
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

What is body to do when one goes seeking story with woman of really marked personality who says:
 Don't print anything personal. The public is not interested in me. It may be interested in my work, but what does it
 matter who I am, or what l am? My works the thing.
 And then you look at Mrs. Craig-tiny, dainty, frail and blonde, just slip of girl whom many Birmingham people knew and liked when she was just a mere girl, long before she was married, and went to England and came back-knew her as Marie Brittain-when she was a school girl in pinafores and her hair braided down her back.
 Yes. you look at her and begin to won
 in other words, if this remarkable young woman is not interesting enough to ap- pear before the public just plain so, whether she had her splendid record as housekeeper, wage earner, a good cook. and a wonderful talent for doing practical things in an attractive way, would her work ever have been above that of dozen other women you know?
 Mrs. Craig carries enough responsibility on her tiny shoulders to stagger a dozen men, and yet you'd never know that any thing was happening inside of her clever little head except the fact that she keeps up to the minute with all the new books and plays and musical affairs You'd never suspect that such a thing as one of the largest boarding houses in town was presided over by her, and also in ad- dition she makes and ices the most beauti- ful cakes you've ever seen, besides attend ing to her social duties and everything else that she should.
 that worried, uneasy, nervous sort of way tion few days ago that we'd chat over her affairs and so when the hour came for us to fulfil our engagement, instead of that worried, uneasy, nervous sort of way that most housekeepers have, found her not in the least upset over having to grant an hours time to me from her large family, because she had already provided for them the proveribal three meals, with every pound of meat, every quart of milk, every pint of cream, every single potato, and all the things that come in little tin cans and glass jars and things mapped out and arranged and she felt no more concern about these affairs than a general
 in time of war, who has his campaign all mapped out in advance.
 Mrs Craig is really a very remarkable woman-a woman whom Birmingham is very proud of-a woman who has accom- plished big things in the quietest, easiest, cleverest and most attractive way.
 All of which spells efficiency" sug- gested to Mrs. Craig, as I commented upon her excellent systematic way of managing her house, which is more like a palatia1 residence of some well-to-do capitalist than anything else I know of.
 The dining room of Mrs. Craigs home is charmingly- arranged-small tables be- ing used with little green and white chairs, trellised walls and quaint tapes- try effects being arranged in conjunction.
 On each table a tall, slender vase is always used, with fresh cut flowers each day. and the place is so home-like and pretty that enc wonders why anybody would bother with the ups and downs and trials and tribuations of housekeep- ing when this clever woman is at hand to do it for you.
 Efficiency is what your work means to me- I repeated, and when that is said 1t is the last word, for efficiency is the watchword in this decade in every thing. The word is applied now to gov ernment and to business, and has worked a revolution in saving time and money, which topics absorb the thought of the modern business man woman.
 You know, I spent four years in Eng land" Mrs. Craig said, in her sweet, gen. tie way, "and I learned a great deal there My husband, as you know, is an EnglishmaE. and during our residene , abroad I absorbed much of the English vcman's efficiency that characterizes all l the nations women in managing their households and everything else. I was greatly impressed with the wonderfully clever manner Tn which English women 1 are posted in all matters Not only are 1 they good housewives, but they under stand politics, and help their husbands l tremendously in the game. I do not mean | by that that they are fragrant in their political prejudices, but they study poli-
 tics among themselves and are well in- formed and find time to be companionable | to their husbands in the things that in- | terest them."
 (Which accounts, perhaps, for the mili- | tant attitude of the suffragists over there" I suggested
 q am an ardent suffragist myself" !" said Mrs. Craig, enthusiastically, "but