Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-26
HERS NO JOB OF
EASY LANGUOR
She Tolls With Her Hands
While Figuring
Economies.

The top potato in the dish that
was filled . little too full wigsled,
1.-THE cover quivered, rolled off on to
the floor and broke. That was
while she was getting supper onto
the table. The bias crack in the
next to the largest platter, which
had never shown signs of being any
thing but crack, decided to become
fracture and split. That was when
she was clearing the table. The
little blue pitcher that just matched
the sugar bowl and that was always
used for milk for his tea, tipped
over and rolled off the kitchen shelf
onto the floor and broke. That was
when she was picking up" prepare
tory to doing the dishes.
"She" is the housewife-just an
ordinary housewife who lives in a
small single house, and whose hus-
bands income is enough to keep the
family in comfort with woman to
come in and do the heavy cleaning
once . week, but to whom chicken
for Sunday, and silk stockings for
every day are Injuries.
She gathered, up the collection.
OF broken pottery and started down
cellar to make a gift to the as,
can. When she put up her hand 10
turn the electric light button at the
top OF the stairs, the button flew
OFT in the depths of the Swallowed
cellar. The devil was with me
that night" she related, "and I
went up stairs for a little silent COM
nunionP This all happened on the
same night to the same housewife.
Things like this happen often to the
housewife and the proverbial "three
times and out" rule.
It's a Profession.
Housewifery is a profession.
] sometimes monotonous, always ex-
acting, often exasperating and fire.
quently wearying. But with all its
routine and drudgery, it is creative
and executive, admitting of humor.
OF laugh and a cry, Of rush and
quiet, of thought and impulse. It
IS a profession inspired by love and
duty, not wages.
1t was Saturday afternoon and
she was busy with paint and brush.
She was not working on canvas.
She was painting the kitchen. She
was painting it yellow. That's fer
sunshine" she said. Why should
the room where / spend so many
honfs day be ugly and barren.
Why should just anything be good
enough for the kitchen? It
shouldn't. I'm tired of looking at
smoky, dark walls, poorly-curtained
windows and tables and chairs, none
Of which match" I
Then she told how she was going
to paint the kitchen furniture the
same sunny yellow to match the
woodwork, how she was going to
scaleimine the walls a light spring
like green, put yellow and green
bingham Dutch curtains at the win
sdows' to hang over dotted muslin
sash curtains, and add a rocking
chair to the rooms equipment. II
don't spend any more time out here
than / ia, to-" she emphasized,
"but when I have to be here I'm
going to have it as comfortable and
attractive as possible. If there's
any room in the house where there's
need Of the suggestion of sunshine,
its the kitchen! It's a good place
for q bouquet Of summer Aovers,
too"
Most Of Table and Stool.
The usefulness of the kitchen
stool and table it has taken her
some time to discover. That may
seem strange in regard to the table.
/ Il used to stand with its long side
against the wall. Now its stands
with one Of its ends next to the wall
and juts out into the room, That
might seem awkward, but it isn't.
It gives two long sides of the table
to work on, one near the sink and
one near the stove, whereas before
there was only one long working
side. 81 wouldn't change it back for
anything" the housewife says, even
If it doesn't make a straight passage
way to the pantry, and you have to
60 through some gymnastics to
i1aneuver the trip"
As for the kitchen stool. she was
essentially stupid. She says so her
self. She never had any kitchen
stool until short time ago. Then
it suddenly Occurred to me. why
should / always stand up when I
wash the dishes, why should I stand
up when I wipe them, why should
stand up when | pare the potatoes.
fix the vegetables at the sink; why
shouldn't sit, unless / want TO
stand? Then ] got one of those high
stools. and it's blessing. Some
times wonder how many miles I
walk about the house"
She doesn't do the dishes regu-
larly after each meal. as her grand
/ mother did. Lots of housewives
don't and the specter of stacked
dishes would cause many grand
mother to throw up her hands in
horror. But it saves time in the
end. THE cooking dishes and the
silver l always do, that is, most
always, after each meal, and the rest
y ] rinse and pile up in the dish pan
and do them once day. she said.
Why, because she lives little out
side. The center of the city and the
cars run but once every 20 or so
minutes, why should she miss a car
and not be able to go somewhere,
just because of the dishes? She
shouldn't
This housewife is an organizer.
She has to be, otherwise the steak
won't be broiled when the potatoes
Sare done. or the omelet will fall
while waiting for the bacon to fry.
II she wasn't planner the peas and
the squtsh would get cold while the
q 4 a.