Evening star., 1943-05-26

1neTe are thousands of officers
who, before they go to work in the
morning or after they return in the
evening, do housekeeping chores
such as sweeping, cooking, dusting,
floor polishing, bed making and all
the other things that Edgar Guest
has proved goes to make a home a
home.
The officers don't do these chores
because they can't afford help or
love the duties that normally are as
sociated with girl. They do them
because there is no such thing as
domestic help in London. You
might as we'll sit in Sam Goldwyn's
Office and try to find a mo" man
as to try to find a servant in Lon
don. They just don't exist.
Servant Problem Acute.
If you think there is a servant
problem in the United States. come
over here. The papers are filled with
help wanted ads, but no one answers
them. If you are ablebodied in this
country you are working on Spit
flres, not rugs; Mosquito bombers,
not hardwood floors. If you are able
TO WELD mop you get into some
part of war work.
AS a result, American officers are
taking care of themselves. Men
who never looked dustpan in the
lace before are handling it with the
skill OF Sarazen handling a mashie.
Men who didn't know what a skillet
looked like are manipulating skillets
with the touch of chef, and officers
are learning about shopping. Back
nome shopping was something that
was left to a wife or mother. Not
here. 1t is common sight to walk
into a green grocer's chat is Eng
llsh for something or other) and find
colonies, majors and captains hag-
Cling over the price of lettuce, mush-
rooms or carrots. More than once
have asked an officer to go to the
movies with me and have gotten
turned down because he was behind
In his housekeeping and must get
home to clean the kitchen and the
living room.
Does His Own Work.
AS matter of fact, I am living
IN a fiat and doing my own work.
tried to get a char chat is English
Tor something or other) and was
told that long before I ever found
one I would be invited to Bucking-
nam Palace for shot of tea. Half
my day is spent in tidying the rooms.
Before breakfast I dust. Dusting
has always seemed such a trivial
thing until I had to do it myself
Now find that I dust the dust on
to something else, thus making a
vicious circle.
After breakfast I make nv bed
Making bed has always made me
laugh until I had to make nv own.
1 never make my bed without ask
Ing forgiveness for the things have
SAID about the simplicity of a wom-
ans lie. I know now that I would
rather work 10 hours in an office
and walk 2 miles home than make
one bed. The sheets won't STAY
straight. The blankets ruffle IN
The pillows are stubborn.
U. S. Homes of Future Tidy.
AS for polishing floors. Well, anv
woman who ever polished floors for
more than week deserves to have
her husband shower her with dia-
monds and jewels.
When the war is over and the
men from London return home YOU
can rest assured that American
homes will be the tidiest in all the
world. Early in the morning the
husband, out of habit, will saw.
Dear, you do the downstairs while
1 do the upstairs and if I finish first
III cook breakfast. After that we
will do the washing and give the
basement a good going-over."
No, let's not have that new rib
bon I suggested in the first SEN
tence. The wives of America will
take advantage of it. If their men
come back wearing it they'll let
them do all the work.
Forget this whole article. Being
a husband myself I do not fancy
spending my mornings with a mop
and broom.