Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-07-11
Why are Women Extrayaganti

way A~SN-
The London Spectator asks why is
expenditure on dress so universally al
:Tactive; Because women are VAN,
ray men, who are just as vain in other
directions, but IT is hardly a sufficient
answer. Too many women waste on
dress who know better, who know that
costiliness is not in any important de-
gree an element in success, who con-
denim gold pencil-cases with diamond
tips as utter vuIgari>ms. Because they
wish TO be attractive, say the philoso-
pliers, that being their first business in
this world, but IT is men they wish to
attract, and the men hardly see the
Costilincss, are certainly far more
dauntcd than attracted by il, when they
do see II. The tear OF the wiic's bills
is even exaggerated in modern life, till
II is one at least Of the causes that de-
ter all but the rich and poor from mar
rying. j. not the real reason the one
which the strong-minded women are
always preaching so truly and so wca-
ryinglv, that under oar present arrange
mcnts women have no enjoyment OF the
use of money, no room for the excite
ment of competition. no power OF get
ting separate credit for anything, except
through dress? They seldom. compar-
aiively, have money of their own, and
30 are debarrcd from all that interest in
life which a man derives from The eX-
penditure of his resources as he pleascs.
Much oil them, no doubt, are mortgagcd
10 the establishment and the position
and the requirements OF the career, but
still he spends the remainder as he
pleases. SO true do we believe this TO
be, that rich and Independent women
are the last that we should expect 10 see
spend money with Madame Resale; and
that the new class OF working women
whom the professional classes are pro-
:!ucing, women who earn money and
are making slow v revolution in opin-
ion, are careful to righteousness about
dress expenses. The last thing they
think of is getting into debt to their mil
liners. They, no doubt, are specially
trained, but still the pleasant woman
with small dependencies TO be met here
and there are, in this respect. just like
them, and would as soon think Of get
ting into court for a bill OF Madame
Rahels cosmetics. The excitement of
competition, too, is great. in their daily
and hourly contests with each other
over politics, or theology, or what not.
They are being tested every day, and
are aware OF it. The women have not
this distraction, except so tar that mar
rage may be a career. IL they COM
pete in the arrangements OF their homes
or the bringing up OF their children, or
even in the pleasantness they bring
into the lives OF those around them, they
may earn love, but not the in>tantane-
Gus credit which to the majority of O-
men, as TO all actresses, Is so sweet.
There is nothing for ordinary rich half
educated, half-idle women 90 compete
in except dress; and they compete in
il, often without any definite idea of
what they are spending, OF how they
are embarrassing the family treasury.
IuCy arc dSudSL "uCH Nit hutu - IT,
vealed to them, when they find the re-
suit in figures oil their eternal visits 10
the millincrs, and yet to give up the
practice is, in their own eyes, to lose
The race, TO be Inundated, TO feel as
bankrupts feel when they descend ,nto
squallid homes. The curc-for this
form of the evil, at least-is more va
riety in life, stronger intellectual inter.
ests, a pursuit, IL, one is obtainable,
something TO do that shall interest them
more than a rivalry which half the time
is more expressive of desire fer indi-
viduality than OF anything worse. II
is not the busy that are ex.ravagant
and Il is IN the absence of the capacity
for being busy that half at least of the
extravaganza Of women has its root.
They are not as extrayagant as men
even then, but their extEavagance-ior
reasons We do not care to dwell on here,
but which society thoroughly UNDER
standS-does infinitely more harm. Ex-
.travagance in men ruins, in women it
demoralizes.