There are colored tags which I use when putting away clothing — each member of the family has a color — and in traveling I have found them most useful. Tag trunks with green and it takes but a moment to pick them out from a mass of baggage. Such appealing articles as sharp shears, a letter opener, a large magnifying glass are chained to the desk. 'Tis not that the family do not intend to return these implements when 42 COMFORT OF THE FAMILY they borrow, dear no, but a lapse of memory might cause me great inconvenience, as my moments for desk work are not so many that I have time to hunt up articles when I reach it. It was amusing to see how the idea of pro- visioning the domestic garrison to withstand a siege of industry spread through the family. It became epidemic, with the result that each one of us did his work with more interest, ease and speed. While the family take kindly to my innova- tions, successful and otherwise, they enjoy good-naturedly jeering at some of them, and the boys thought that the height of absurd suggestion had been reached when they pre- sented me with a cork bulletin board for the den. But what a joy it has proved! If a telephone message comes for an absent mem- ber a note of it is pinned to the board. Our goings-out and comings-in are here chronicled — 'tis a courteous habit we have grown up with, that of keeping the family posted as to our plans — ^and many anxious moments it has saved — errands to be done are posted; repairs THE TOOLS OF YOUR TRADE 48 to be made and workmen to be telephoned for are here listed; in fact, this little joke on Mother has proved to be the Good Genie of the house. CHAPTER FOUR: FOR A SIMPLE AND SANE SUNDAY CHAPTER IV FOB A SIMPUS AND SANE SUNDAY The sun was transforming the ocean to a shimmering sea of sapphires. A little balsam- scented breeze frolicked and flirted tantaliz- ingly past the windows; earth, sea and sky seemed coaxing and imploring me to come forth and join in their revels, and I — I was cooking a hot dinner in a hotter kitchen on this glorious Simday. Enter the Head of the House. "Why," de- manded he, standing in the fairly temperate zone provided by the outer door, "Why should you spend the best part of Sunday in the kitchen, preparing a dinner, and I the choicest hours of my weekly out-of-door day eating it? With what results? You are tired and I am heavy and sleepy after a hearty meal in the middle of the day. The arrangement is all wrong I'* 47 48 COMFORT OF THE FAMILY Now the nonnal masculine mind has a good, somid, logical, common-sense outlook on af- fairs domestic, if the homemaker wiU but ad- mit it. No sentimentality disturbs its sense of proportion, so I pondered weU his observation. He was quite right and I was wrong in my expenditure of tune and strength. With a smiling "My lord, thy servant thanks thee I" I dismissed the six feet of wisdom from my kitchen door and began a study of my problem. By Monday night, per order of the Head of the House, carpenters had replaced the or- dinary kitchen windows with full-length case- ments, which when opened out admitted air that made a marvelous change in the temperature of the room, and I had a plan for simplifying Sunday. On Saturday I make out the three menus for Sunday, then proceed to prepare every- thing possible. In warm weather our limch- eon is taken on a large tray to the veranda or out under the trees, and in winter to the living- room before the open fire. Served in this way, the simplest viands take on an appetizing se- ductiveness whidi is imknown when one sits SIMPLE AND SANE SUNDAY 49 prosaically at table. This informal meal usu- ally consists of soup in cups, sandwiches, cake arid fruit.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

There are colored tags which I use when putting away clothing — each member of the family has a color — and in traveling I have found them most useful. Tag trunks with green and it takes but a moment to pick them out from a mass of baggage. Such appealing articles as sharp shears, a letter opener, a large magnifying glass are chained to the desk. 'Tis not that the family do not intend to return these implements when they borrow, dear no, but a lapse of memory might cause me great inconvenience, as my moments for desk work are not so many that I have time to hunt up articles when I reach it. It was amusing to see how the idea of provisioning the domestic garrison to withstand a siege of industry spread through the family. It became epidemic, with the result that each one of us did his work with more interest, ease and speed. While the family take kindly to my innovations, successful and otherwise, they enjoy good-naturedly jeering at some of them, and the boys thought that the height of absurd suggestion had been reached when they presented me with a cork bulletin board for the den. But what a joy it has proved! If a telephone message comes for an absent member a note of it is pinned to the board. Our goings-out and comings-in are here chronicled — 'tis a courteous habit we have grown up with, that of keeping the family posted as to our plans — ^and many anxious moments it has saved — errands to be done are posted; repairs to be made and workmen to be telephoned for are here listed; in fact, this little joke on Mother has proved to be the Good Genie of the house. CHAPTER FOUR: FOR A SIMPLE AND SANE SUNDAY CHAPTER IV FOR A SIMPLE AND SANE SUNDAY The sun was transforming the ocean to a shimmering sea of sapphires. A little balsam-scented breeze frolicked and flirted tantalizingly past the windows; earth, sea and sky seemed coaxing and imploring me to come forth and join in their revels, and I — I was cooking a hot dinner in a hotter kitchen on this glorious Sunday. Enter the Head of the House. "Why," demanded he, standing in the fairly temperate zone provided by the outer door, "Why should you spend the best part of Sunday in the kitchen, preparing a dinner, and I the choicest hours of my weekly out-of-door day eating it? With what results? You are tired and I am heavy and sleepy after a hearty meal in the middle of the day. The arrangement is all wrong I'* Now the nonnal masculine mind has a good, somid, logical, common-sense outlook on affairs domestic, if the homemaker wiU but admit it. No sentimentality disturbs its sense of proportion, so I pondered weU his observation. He was quite right and I was wrong in my expenditure of tune and strength. With a smiling "My lord, thy servant thanks thee I" I dismissed the six feet of wisdom from my kitchen door and began a study of my problem. By Monday night, per order of the Head of the House, carpenters had replaced the ordinary kitchen windows with full-length casements, which when opened out admitted air that made a marvelous change in the temperature of the room, and I had a plan for simplifying Sunday. On Saturday I make out the three menus for Sunday, then proceed to prepare everything possible. In warm weather our limcheon is taken on a large tray to the veranda or out under the trees, and in winter to the livingroom before the open fire. Served in this way, the simplest viands take on an appetizing seductiveness whidi is unknown when one sits SIMPLE AND SANE SUNDAY 49 prosaically at table. This informal meal usually consists of soup in cups, sandwiches, cake arid fruit.

For the comfort of the family