would share tibie household duties and go it alone. The one cross-your-throat-and-hope^ to-die promise which my men-folk extorted from me was — ^I being the feminine quarter of the family unit — ^that if I found myself get- ting overtired I was to confess. Two weeks later I had forgotten that I had doubted my ability to make good. I had a sense of mfinite opportunity. My first move had been to watch for wasted minutes as I went about my work. By a process of elimina- tion and selection, dust-collecting ornaments, furniture, superfluous silver, in fact every article which did not contribute directly to the artistic or material comfort of the family, vanished into the limbo of discarded things. The result of my clearance was a sense of restful spaciousness in the house and a magical increase in leisure moments. Next I discovered the number of needless steps which were taken between dining-room and kitchen. In the nearest city I bought two white papier-mache trays — size 22 x 16 inches —which sell for $1.75 each. One of these is kept in the china-closet and, when the table is PERSONALITIES AND PAPER 15 to be set, every necessary dish, glass, and piece of silver is placed on the tray and taken to the dining-room; then back it goes to receive the dishes which are to be heated in the kitchen. When the food is ready it again renders one trip only necessary. The second tray is kept in tihie kitchen for refrigerator and pantry use. The usefulness of the trays depends upon the amount of intelligence of the woman be- hind them. My next step was to substitute paper for the linen doilies used on the polished table. I found such pretty ones. They look like a piece of crochet, are firm, quite thick and can with care be used a number of times. I bought plate and finger bowl sizes and small ones for the water glass by the hundred. Then I in- vested in a dozen large oval doilies to use over asbestos mats, under hot platters, and some large round ones with a lacey edge upon which to unmold a jelly, mousse or parfait. As mine would have been the task of laundering the linen doilies, think what an amount of time, strength and energy I saved by substituting paper. 16 COMFORT OF THE FAMILY I bought white paper napkins at ten cents per hundred. The saleswoman where I was buying knew her business, for, when I confided to her what I was trying to do, she fairly radi- ated interest. "Have you ever tried paper plates? Some folks use them for food which is put in the ice-box," she volunteered. Her suggestion seemed worth trying, so I pur- chased plates, size 6 x 7 at 40 cents and size 8 X 9 at 50 cents per hundred, and you can have no idea until you try them what time they save. No more skillful device to kill interest in housework was ever contrived than that drudg- ery, washing dishes. The Youngest Member, to whose lot had f aUen this portion of our co- operative housework, did his share faithfully, but with such a pathetic lack of enthusiasm that I set about simplifying his task. While foraging for ideas I discovered paper bag cookery, and, lo! those bogies, greasy pans, skulked shamefacedly out of sight. I use No. 3 bag for roasting occasionally, but 'tis No. 2 which I find most useful for cooking smaU pieces of meat or fish and in which to warm J PERSONALITIES AND PAPER 17 over rolls, doughnuts, etc. Lamb chops are a luxury with us, but when we do indulge we approach them with glowing anticipation, for we have a de huve edition. Kidney chops are cut double thickness, are cooked thirty minutes in a paper bag which has been well buttered inside✪ Paper Bag Roasted Lamb Chops, with the result that they are the most luscious juicy morsels you ever tasted.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

would share the household duties and go it alone. The one cross-your-throat-and-hope to-die promise which my men-folk extorted from me was — I being the feminine quarter of the family unit — that if I found myself getting overtired I was to confess. Two weeks later I had forgotten that I had doubted my ability to make good. I had a sense of infinite opportunity. My first move had been to watch for wasted minutes as I went about my work. By a process of elimination and selection, dust-collecting ornaments, furniture, superfluous silver, in fact every article which did not contribute directly to the artistic or material comfort of the family, vanished into the limbo of discarded things. The result of my clearance was a sense of restful spaciousness in the house and a magical increase in leisure moments. Next I discovered the number of needless steps which were taken between dining-room and kitchen. In the nearest city I bought two white papier-mache trays — size 22 x 16 inches —which sell for $1.75 each. One of these is kept in the china-closet and, when the table is PERSONALITIES AND PAPER 15 to be set, every necessary dish, glass, and piece of silver is placed on the tray and taken to the dining-room; then back it goes to receive the dishes which are to be heated in the kitchen. When the food is ready it again renders one trip only necessary. The second tray is kept in the kitchen for refrigerator and pantry use. The usefulness of the trays depends upon the amount of intelligence of the woman behind them. My next step was to substitute paper for the linen doilies used on the polished table. I found such pretty ones. They look like a piece of crochet, are firm, quite thick and can with care be used a number of times. I bought plate and finger bowl sizes and small ones for the water glass by the hundred. Then I invested in a dozen large oval doilies to use over asbestos mats, under hot platters, and some large round ones with a lacey edge upon which to unmold a jelly, mousse or parfait. As mine would have been the task of laundering the linen doilies, think what an amount of time, strength and energy I saved by substituting paper. I bought white paper napkins at ten cents per hundred. The saleswoman where I was buying knew her business, for, when I confided to her what I was trying to do, she fairly radiated interest. "Have you ever tried paper plates? Some folks use them for food which is put in the ice-box," she volunteered. Her suggestion seemed worth trying, so I purchased plates, size 6 x 7 at 40 cents and size 8 X 9 at 50 cents per hundred, and you can have no idea until you try them what time they save. No more skillful device to kill interest in housework was ever contrived than that drudgery, washing dishes. The Youngest Member, to whose lot had fallen this portion of our cooperative housework, did his share faithfully, but with such a pathetic lack of enthusiasm that I set about simplifying his task. While foraging for ideas I discovered paper bag cookery, and, lo! those bogies, greasy pans, skulked shamefacedly out of sight. I use No. 3 bag for roasting occasionally, but 'tis No. 2 which I find most useful for cooking small pieces of meat or fish and in which to warm J PERSONALITIES AND PAPER 17 over rolls, doughnuts, etc. Lamb chops are a luxury with us, but when we do indulge we approach them with glowing anticipation, for we have a de luxe edition. Kidney chops are cut double thickness, are cooked thirty minutes in a paper bag which has been well buttered inside, with the result that they are the most luscious juicy morsels you ever tasted.

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Paper Bag Roasted Lamb Chops

For the comfort of the family