Cooking -- Periodicals; Home economics -- Periodicals
Consideration was given the matter of special guests, either for meals,
or for over-night. The couch in the living room provided emergency
sleeping quarters. As for meals, separate fixed rates were set for
breakfasts and for dinners. This was paid into the regular weekly
provision fund by the girl who brought the guest, or by all four
equally, if she were a "general" guest. The girl who brought a guest
also "pitched in" and helped with the work.
Whenever the group went out for a meal, as they did now and then for a
change, or for amusement, or recreation, each girl paid her own share at
once.
Finally, there was the factor of laundry. After a little experimenting,
household linen was worked out on an "average" basis, so that a regular
amount could be assessed each week. Of course each girl met the expense
of her own private laundry.
As a result of this planning, each member of the household found herself
obligated to meet a weekly assessment containing the following items:
Rent, furniture tax, household laundry, extras ($1.00) and personal
laundry. Of these, the only item not positively fixed, as to amount, was
the last. Each girl, naturally, paid all her strictly private expense,
including clothes, and medical and dental service.
One of the number was chosen treasurer for a three-months' term, and was
then, in turn, succeeded by another, so that each of the four served
once a year. The treasurer received all assessments, gave the weekly
allotment to the housewife, and paid other bills. Minor deficiencies
were met from "surplus." Moreover, she kept accurate accounts.
Once settled comfortably in their quarters, with boarding-house memories
receding into the background, it took but little time for a happy,
home-y atmosphere to develop. Of course, with closer intimacy, there
were temperamental adjustments, as always, but they came easily. The
household machinery ran smoothly, almost from the first, because there
_was_ a machine, properly set up, operated and adjusted--rather than an
uncertain makeshift.
To Express Personality
By Dana Girrioer
"'Keep house?' I should say not!" answered Anne, who had journeyed out
into the suburbs to "tell" her engagement to Burt Winchester to the home
folks before she "announced" it. "I'm going to retire to the Kensington,
or some nice apartment hotel, at the ripe old age of twenty-four. What'd
you think, we're back in the dark ages, B. F.?"
"'B. F.'?" repeated Aunt Milly.
"Before Ford," said Anne, laughing. "Oh, it was the thing for you,
Auntie, you couldn't have brought up your own big family in a city
apartment, to say nothing of stretching your wings to cover Little
Orphant Annie, besides, everybody kept house when you were married!"
"And now nobody does, except a few Ancient Mariners?" inquired Cousin
Dan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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