A WHOLE-TIME JOB

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 4, 26 March 1927, Page 19 (Supplement)

A WHOLE-TIME JOB

LOOKING AFTER BABY An amusing diary of a day’s doings while she was engaged in “running a baby” is given by Miss Storm Jameson, the novelist. “You cannot run a business and a baby at the same time; a baby is a whole-time job,” she writes in the “Soroptimist,” declaring her wholehearted agreement with Mr. G. K. Chesterton in his recent debate with Lady Rhondda. “ I once ran a baby myself,” she writes. “I ran a good many other things at the same time (since I and the baby were living in a somewhat j primitive community, with the nearest shop five miles away and the nearest telephone a half-hour’s walk). “Here is a diary of one of my less , strenuous days: 6.0. —Rose and bathed self and baby, j 7.o.—Prepared breakfast for self, husband and baby. Ate some of it. S.O. —Put baby out in the garden to sleep. Waved good-bye to brave hus- ! band going out to do world’s work. . Washed up, swept, dusted, turned out nursery, washed baby’s clothes. 11.0.—Prepared another meal for baby, j and tried to sympathise with its leisurely enjoyment of same. Took it for a walk to buy butter at nearest farm. 1

I.o.—Prepared and ate own lunch while baby slept. 2.o.—Prepared its third meal. Put it in garden. Brought it out of the rain, and tied it in its chair, with the windows wide open, having been led to believe that babies die like fishes out of water when not in a current of fresh air. Laid down a bowl of bread in front of the 3itting-room fire. Composed my mind to iron baby’s clothes and mend same. Baby now very bored. Removed baby from the bowl of dough. Prepared Its tea. Kneaded bread. Prepared dinner for husband. Headed baby off various dangers. 6.o.—Bathed baby. Gave it its supper. Put it to bed. 7.o.—Put the bread in the oven, in jam jars, owing to absence of bread tins. First attempt at bread-making. Served dinner. Too hot to eat any. B.o.—Cleared away dinner. Removed first batch of bread from the oven. Apparently eatable. 9.o.—Removed second batch. Discovered that several of the jam jars had necks, making it impossible to remove the loaves without breaking the jars. 9.3o. —Discussed with husband the question whether college girls have brains. 10.0.—Decided i* n the negative, and went to bed. “I ask you what time I should have had to run a business.” concludes Miss Jameson. “Of course, I might have given up sleep and taken on night work of some sort. A baby is a wholetime job.” Miss Storm Jameson is, in private life, Mrs. Guy Chapman, wife of * well-known publisher.