Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-04
1--WE Forgotten Ny Parse -

were OF recent development indeed
the cause might not be far to seek
the sheath-like raiment of the
present day leaving little room fol
extraneous properties, and an out
side pocket located at the back OF
the skirt being hardly a desirable
receptacle for objects Of value.
But the habit is Of far older date;
in the days when pockets were us
wells, from which all kinds of sur
prising and miscellaneous articles
were drawn at intervals, the same
answer was sure to be returned
when any occasion arose for the
production of petty cash: so dear,
I'm so sorryl How stupid of me-
Eve forgotten my purse" OF
course the needful amount is gem
orally forthcoming; there is a man
ia the party whose shillings are
available, or of some lady to whom
money is an object, and who is
therefore never likely to be found
without some small amount Of il,
being neryously sensitive lest any
one should imagine her to be abso-
lutely destitute. And it is on these
unlortunates that the penalty Of
their richer friends forgetting their
purses invariably falls.
The woman who forgets her
purse and has no money to pay for
her entrance, let us say, to a picture
gallery, or her catalogue, and bor-
rows what she requires from the
friend who accompanies her, is toll
erably certain to forget to refund
what has been lent her, and the
friend, ill as she can afford to spare
her scanty shillings, never likes to
remind her. 1t is not that the
feather-brained lady always means
to be dishonest; often she would
gladly give her friend four times
the sum if she imagined she wanted
it; it is simply that it never occurs
to her to think of others, and when
she has seen the pictures she be-
gins at once to look forward to
some fresh future pleasure and for
gets that she has left another to
pay for the one she has just enioy-
ed. But though she may have no
dishonest intention she cannot bear
to be reminded of her debts; it
puts her so clearly in the wrong;
first, in having been disgracefully
careless in coming out without what
she was certain to require, and,
secondly, in having omitted at once
to. refund what she has borrowed.
If reminded-and the most amiable
and long-suffering friend, even when
able to afford it, does not always
care to be called upon to supply
the t%rifing sums disbursed for ex-
hibitions and catalogues, wasted on
sugar-plums at French shops, or
expended on tea at Princes or at
Hurlingham-she generally wakes
plalntiye. 81 really believe YOU
think / ment to cheat YOU" she
says reproachfully. "0f course, |
remember it all perfectly. Can't
you trust me!" And there is
naturally nothing more to be said.
a friend hardly caring to assume
the role Of an im%portunate creditor;
but the amount is very rarely paid,
OF if it is, many Of its items have
frequently been forgotten. When
the money is advanced by a gentle
man, the forgetful fair one rarely
thinks any more about the matter.
1t is natural she should forget her
purse; equally a matter of course
that he should supply anything that
she may require; what else, indeed,
is his use! The squire of danes
occasionally finds his post slightly
expensive when ladies who have
forgotten their purses require adj
mission to botanical fetes, concerts
or similar amusements. Why
should he not try the experiment
OF forgetting his purse, too? 1t
would be an excellent method OF
educating his female friends into
recollecting theirs.
If girls were plainly taught that
not to refund q sum lent, no mat.
ter how small it may be, is as clear
and distinct a piece of dishonesty
as TO steal the same amount, those
sensible people who do not forget
their purses would have perhaps
fswer dad debts than is now I'M
fortunately the case. No more
valuable lesson can be taught
young people, either male or fe-
male, Than that they have no right
to anything for which they cannot
pay; and it would certainly be an
excellent discipline for the silly
women Of whom we write if no
one would provide them with funds
for things which they generally do
not want, and which, if they do
require, they should remember to
provide themselves with the money
to pay for. OF course if a woman
honestly refunds the money lent
her, at the earliest opportunity, and
does not conveniently ''forget all
about it," there is no reason why,
when she requires it, her friends