South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-29
The Vacation Side of Housekeeping

keeping but, as ! find that for vari-
GUS reasons l cannot Go justice 10
that and TO my stage work while I
am playing, 1 just lock the door and
move out to some quiet hotel near
the theater whenever 1 have an en-
gagement, and there l stay until
get through being an actress for the
time and turn into a hOmemaker
and hOusekeeper again" SO speaks
Margaret Wycherly. who says that
she finds her own little home quite
as interesting a place as the stage
of any theater in which she has
sist that her fame as a good house
keeper is quite as great as her fame
as a good actress. They also con-
slider that she shows much more
pride in an attractive layer cake.
baked in the oven Of her own
kitchen range, than i'm any Of her
theatrical achievements.
Really, j do not see how some
women on the stage can keep up
their homes and their stage careers
at the same time" says Miss Wych-
erly. L love 10 keep house, but I
like TO have time enough to do it in
the way / consider proper. 1t
seems 10 me that TO be a success at
housekeeping a woman should her
self supervise everything that goes
on in her home, from the moment
the day begins until the last light
is extinguished at night
In the case of daily household
duties, I try to adhere TO a regular
schedule and, when ! succeed in
carrying out the plans that l make.
1 find that the house seems almost
TO run itself automatically; my
maid likes her position and Incl
dentally has more time 10 herself
than she ever does if l permit the
homework TO be done in a hap
hazard way without any definite
system.
Take the question of meals. for
instance. When 1 am keeping house,
/ set aside one hour each week in
which 1 do nothing but plan out the
menus for the entire week. 1 make
a copy Of the meals L wish and
turn it over TO the cook. Then I
take my own copy and do all the
marketing, at least all that can be
done in advance. OF course, some
things, such as meat and fish and
salads. I cannot buy all at once, but
I order those and have them de-
livered day by day as 1 need them.
Some of my friends have asked
Inc why L have such plain food at
home. If they had 10 live on the
highly seasoned foods usually
served in hotels, they would be only
too happy 70 have a chance 10 en-
JOY a bowl Of bread and milk at
night, if that was all they wanted.
without encountering the SAD sur
prise Of a head waiter
But housekeeping. at least my
Housekeeping, does not consist
merely in spending an hour or so
each day at it, in addition TO plan
ming the menus and attending TO
the marketing, and then leaving the
house and the maid TO themselves
No indeed: il means being in touch
with all the varied sides Of il all the
time But that Is freedom 10 me.
and the best sort os freedom 1 have.
1 love my Housekeeping and. though
I naturally love my work on the
stage also, 1 always look forward
with the greatest pleasure 10 the re-
turn 10 my home and my house
keeping duties The greater part
of the year, usually, 1 am working
or the stage. and then. Of sourse. I
must live as the neCes sities Of the
work require, but when that Is over.
why, then / go right back 10 that
little home Of mine and live just IS
I please. As I say. I consider man
aging my own home and all its de-
tails a real vacation"