Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-11-14
How Ladies' Garry Purses,

1t is an effeminate trait, and one sell |
dom noticed even by the ladies them
selves, that the majority Of them never
use purse after the manner of men.
A wOmsn's pocket book is rarely an
article of dress, convenience and an
ornament at the same time. 1t would
be an exceptional curiosity to hear of
a lady going out without her purse,
even if she had but ten cents to put 10
it, and no immediate demand for that,
nor any use for it, SO far as she knew,
while out.
That such a wonderful variety of
purses are manufactured yearly, estab-
fishes the fact that they are necessi-
ty or popular part of feminine dress,
and that there is a demand for the
taste and attention Of purse.makers in
the great world of fashionable trade
that is of no meagre Importance. A
Iady's purse is presumed to be design
ed for the purpose of carrying sums of
money, but the majority of them are
miniature curiosity shops.
1t is safe to affirm that nine purses
out of ten owned and carried by ladies
contain a dozen or more articles for
eign to money.
Go into any of our fashionable up.
town retail bazars any day, and watch
the process of the opening of hundred
purses, more or less.
First of all, the manner of getting at
the contents OF her purse is a WOmanly
peculiarity, really ludicrous and inter
esting. From the amount of delving
and diving of the feminine fingers, the
really laborious digging into the COM
partments, it would seem as if all the
money was glued fast to the uttermost
corners.
Why women have 80 much trouble
in getting at their money, particularly
small change, is a good deal of study.
A man whisks out his pocket book
and unclasps it with enterprising ener-
gy, and seems to alight on the money
ne wants the first thing, as lift was full
to the top and running over. He gives
il sort of emphatic bang and snap As
he clasps it and thrustS it back into his
pocket, in less time than a lady cons
sumes in fishing hers out of her pocket.
With woman the hard work seems
to be in getting hold of the money,
shallow rs the purse may be, for it
seems to be stored away in a marvel
ously secure and secluded manner.
Ladies frequently suffer the greatest
annoyance when trying to make change
hastily in crowd or paying car-fare in
d hurry. The pennies won't come out,
in spite of the eager, nervous scratch
ing they keep up inside the mysterious
purse. The next and perhaps the great
est object of interest attending lHdy's
pocket book is its contents, apart from
,efDr fnr
Examine one of them, and it will be
found to contain bits of dress-small
samples of ribbon and woods, broken
machine needle, piece of lead pencil
about an inch and balf long, with the
point broken off; lock of hair in a
piece of white paper, u photograph, a
recipe of some kind, generally for cake,
hair dye, or some new cosmetic; mar
riage notice from some paper; two or
three addresses, mostly OF spiritual me-
diums, fortune tellers and dress makers;
button or two, drieG verbena leaf, "a
broken ear ring and wish stone.
Is it any wonder they have such diff.
ticuIty in finding their change? Yet,
in the darkest night, and on the short
est notice, if necessary, they could go
to that purse and find any one of the
articles it contains. The majority Of
these purses are carried in an outside
pocket or in the hands, and generally
half open. 1t is remarkable that all
ladies are not more frequently robbed
of their pocketbooks than they are.
The purse at home has a wonderful
knack of never being in the same place
twice, and never Can be found quickly.
When it is wanted grand search Is
instituted, from all the pockets to all
the boxes, drawers and hooks in "my
lady'S chamber" 1t seems to be for,
ever on the wing, getting behind the
big Bible or under the large cover, be.
hind the bureau, iuto the work basket,
under the bed, ON the mantel, and in
the baby wagon.
If there are any bills in the female
pugse they are generally crumpled up
into mysterious wads, or rolled around
ten cent piece and a few pennies
With the masculine pockPtboOk 1T is
quite the reverse-it is always carried
in a particular pocket;i tcontail tiIs,
they are generally we'll folded although
there are exceptions; when man has
but little money, che more carefully il
is folded up. But the feminine port
LhOhlO 10 dlWcy D uOtbOIdliZ1U-DO I'D At
ter what denomination note may be.
five, ten or twenty, il is all the same,
admirably crammel into the little re
ceptacle.
1t appears to be the general impres.
sion that ladies have more difficulty in
keeping monty y inside the purse than
gentlemen. 1t has faculty of being
always at low tide and at all times hard |
to get out by force, but evaporates in
mysteriouf way, perplexing to the
owner and annoying to the furnishing
agent.
No woman's purse is literally empty
even if it contains no money. There
may not be millions in it." but in
ninty nine cases out of hundred there
will bea small variety stock for private
use within it.-BuffalO Com. Adverti'