Home Occupations

HOME OCCUPATIONS By Alice B. Palmer "Man is asleep in the cradle of infancy," dreaming away the hours, when it comes to making pin money at home. The following suggestions are just a few incidents of the kind, in my own immediate vicinity: There is Mrs. "A" in the two-story brick around the corner, a mother of a large family. Who would think it possible for her to step outside of the beaten path of her own establishment? Yet she has done so in a most remarkable manner. For years she has volunteered her services to her neighbors in case of emergency, with- out thought of compensation but out of pure, neighborly love. At the present she is in great demand at any price. She is called out regularly to assist as practical nurse. Her earnings have brought a great many transformations in the home, which the family would have otherwise been unable to enjoy. 'Then there is Mrs. "B" on the same street. She is a natural, born cook; and an excellent one, at that. Do just her immediate fam- ily indulge in her goodies? Indeed not. Every Thursday her ten-year-old daughter calls upon the neighbors and takes orders for the Sunday supply of bakery goods. On Friday, she bakes and on Satur- day, delivers. Miss "C" on the next street, Who is a stenographer and sole support of her aged mother, finds time, through her efforts, to earn pin money evenings. This is how she does it. Possessing a natural talent for hairdressing, she assists her friends and neighbors in this great art and really has more work than she can handle. She does not interefere with the professionals, as she has no set price and hangs no sign in the window. I must not forget Mrs. "D" over on Ja .' Street. Through her inveterate love for dainty fabrics, she has become an expert in fine laundry work. Regardless of her great handicap, three small children, she has slowly worked up a trade whereby she does up most of the dainty linens for the entire town. She declares it is mere child's play for her, through sheer love of handling the finery. With this so-called pin money she has added electrically to her home and has purchased a fine radio within the past two years. "We just couldn't get along without faithful old Mrs. "D." She was discovered through serving lunches at church socials. Her baked ham and potato salad have actually helped purchase the cozy bungalow her family now occupy. Whenever anyone receives unexpected com- pany on Sunday and is at a loss as to what to serve for lunch, the problem is solved in a moment. They simply slip over to Mrs. "D's"

HOME OCCUPATIONS 1133 and get a generous supply of her delicious ham and salad. Each Saturday she prepares these things and never fails to dispose of them. Don't think it is only women who earn pin money at home, for we also have several men in the neighborhood who are doing the very same thing. There is Mr. "H," for example, right next door. hL is a printer by trade. Nevertheless, he has always been interested in bicycles. From boyhood up, while having his own wheel repaired, he watched to see just how everything was done. Naturally he picked up all the details connected with it. As the years went by, he slowly added the necessary equipment, until he finally acquired a small repair shop in the corner of his father's garage. Now he is in great demand and has all the work he can do evenings. This pin money pays for all motor trips throughout the summer months. Right now you are beginning to say, "What next?" But there is really no end to them. This time, it is a barber. This man is an automobile mechanic by trade. Yet he finds time nights to cut hair. He had all his life been handy with the shears, thus keeping the family well clipped. Neighbors discovered the fact, and began to ask his assistance as a special favor. Now he has from three to seven callers nightly; and so earns enough extra, each week, to purchase all the necessary automobile accessories. Even our grocery boy believes in earning pin money. He began by putting soles and heels on his neighbor's shoes. Now he has a regular little shop in his basement where he works in spare hours. He has attached a small sign on the corner of his house which says, "Shoe Hospital." He vows he is going to have a car some day as the result of his efforts. Last of all comes our little friend, Benny, who lives just around the corner, and is an example to the whole neighborhood. He is but seventeen years of age, and can already boast of a bank account of several hundred dollars. This was all carefully saved up through childhood, starting in the small iron bank which stood upon the clock shelf. When others spent, he saved; and was laughed at many times by his playmates. But they don't laugh any more. They look with envy at all the things he is now able to enjoy which they are not. Just recently he picked up a rare automobile bargain and drives these same playmates to outings of all sorts, charging them twenty cents each. This all goes back into the bank to fill up the vacancy made by the purchase of the car. What do you think of that for thrift? Elgin, III. Be Independent M Men and Boy Scouts should take pride in paying their own expenses. Young men, through a little care and thrift, can easily pay their subscriptions to the Era, their annual M. I. A. fund, and their scout fees without asking father for money. Try it.