Evening star., 1963-01-04
Husbands Fix Their Own Breakfasts
BY VIRGINIA PALMER

BY VIRGINIA PALMER
Written for the Associated Press
Are you the dutiful kind Of
wife who gets up every morn
ing to get the breadwinner's
breakfast? Or do you cham
pion the school of thought
that believes strong men
should be able to fend for
themselves in the morning?
At an office party not long
ago I eveasdropped o n a
group Of budding young ex-
ecutives as they reached a
rather startling (to me, at
least) conclusion: It's a los
ing battle to expect today's
wives to provide breakfast.
One put it: Mary doesn't
fix my breakfast because she
says she can't stand the sight
of people who smile in the
morning"
Takes Survey
Over the next couple Of
weeks every time I gathered
a few friends together, I
threw in the question: do
you fix your husbands
breakfast"
In all, I casually discussed
the breakfast situation with
50 women. Eight lived in
apartment houses either in
the city or just outside. Four
were working wives; the re-
mainder full-time homemak-
ers. Twenty-nine were be-
tween 25 and 40 years old.
Fifteen were 45ish. The rest
were over SIS.
One was 76.
Let's tell her inspirational
tale first. In the so years she
has been wed, she has never
failed to serve her husbands
breakfast.
Each morn the gay little
lady hops out of bed at $50,
dons a freshly starched
housedress, and squeezes a
large tumbler full Of orange
juice which she brings to the
gentleman before he steps out
of bed.
Gets 1t Night Before
Another lady I know, in her
SOS now, once gave UP a
promising career to marry a
small town farmer. So CRATE
full was he that he provided
her with breakfast in bed ev-
cry single day. A few years
later her sister moved in with
them. Now 40 years after it
all began, the farm has been
sold, he trots off to a new
Job but first he serves
breakfast in bed to both
girls"
One Of the women in the
SIS category proudly an
nounced she gets her hus-
bands breakfast - the night
before. A place for one is set
at the kitchen table. Into the
pretty cup goes a teaspoon Of
instant coffee. The kettle is
partially filled. The crumb
buns bought yesterday after
noon are put on his plate,
still in wallpaper. There's al
ways a can of Juice in the
refrigerator "if he feels like
It,"
There's a rose in the vase
on the table and she's con-
vinced that's much prettier to
look at at Z am. than she is.
Her best friend - checked
on separately - confesses she
not only gets up and gives
the OF boy breakfast but
most mornings has hot rolls
or homemade coffee cake
waiting for him.
One young working wife
who admits staying up with
the late late show until she
unwinds, wakes up each
morning to the smell of
mushroom omelets, souffles
or the like. He worries
lest she get run down, and is
something of a gourmet be-
sides!
About half the young sub
urban wives do not get UP
regularly with their husbands
for breakfast. One said she's
excused when there's a new
baby in the house and
there have been three in four
years.
One wife has two school
age youngsters and a hus-
band who works locally. In
the summer months, this
gem-like mate leaves for
work a half hour earlier than
necessary and then comes
home again about $50 am.
to breakfast with her. He
loves to sleep late but can't
so he permits her that
pleasure.
Another young woman has
a reasonable grippe. She's a
morning zombie. He's at his
mental peak. While she STUN
bles about trying to fix some
thing - anything - he's
rambling on about the high
cost Of his friends psychia-
trist, her failure to take his
gray suit to the tailor, and
what does she think Of dis
armament?
They finally worked out a
Luncheon