The Ottawa free trader., 1883-07-28
SHABBY GENTfLIIY.
Women of New York who Labor to Screen
Their Poverty from Fashion Eye.

Their Poverty from Fashion Eye
"One-half of the people in New York
live said philosopher the other day,
"and the other half pretend to live. y
This is truer than most people suspect.
The number of persons who give their
lives to making an appearance is aston
ishing, and the devices to which they
resort to be thought genteel and to
avoid working for Il living would as
tonish the world if fully exposed.
One of the most interesting cases of
shabby gentility will be found at the
family hotel. Every one of these cstab-
lishments has one or more dodgers who
live in the top of the house in the cheap
est apartments, next to the hired help;
who take their meals at cheap restau-
rants, or beer saloons, but who dress
well and use fine monogram note pa
per. and receive their company in the
hotel parlor, and who generally assume
the style and airs of retired well-to do
people.
In one case recently brought to the at
tention of the writer. a lady and hertwo
daughters occupied rooms at one of the
most fashionable hotels in the city for
two Years. Her daughters furnished the
income by very hard work, one OF them
as a copyist and the other in Il large tel
egraphing house. But no one in the
house ever suspected that they depend
ed upon their labor for their income.
The young ladies together made about
S25 or $50 week, and on this sum they
managed, by the most pinching ccono-
my in eating, to dress and move in Il
certain circle. But the air of disdain
We're compelled to work and the poetic
references they constantly made to their
blood and ancestry produced the most
respectful treatment from all who came
in contact with them.
A young lady and herfather, who lived
at the Westminster for some time and
passed Us u belle in certain sets, worked
in book binders establishment in Mas
sau street, and actually supported her
father in his gentcel airs. In this case
it came to the knowledge of the writer
that this young lady, on more than one
occasion, went suppcrless to bed because
she had to pay for coupe.
Another form of portentious gcntility
is found in those families who hire houses
and then sublet all but Il couple of the
rooms, retaining the use of the parlor
to make show, and always turning up
their noses at people who are compelled
to live in flats "Oh, we,' they always
say, couldn't be restricted to a flat, you
know. 1t may do for people who have
never had the freedom of Il whole house.
but we must have our own establish
ment." If they live in basement house
they have to put up sometimes with a
doctor or dentist, but they compromise
by calling his room the library when
they have party.
There are hundreds of genteel people
living on Lexington avenue. who. for the
sake of making it appear that they oc-
clIsv a whole house to themselves, are
content to bunk in the garrct and cook
with The oil stove. But they make
enough off their wages to dress well and
have coach and livery take them to the
park in the afternoon.
lit is said by those who know, that the
gay cavalcade to be seen on pleasant
afternoon on the avenue is made up in
unequal proportion of millionaircS and
bemgars, who, 50 far as distress is con-
cerned. cannot be distinguished from
each other,
In the ranks of the opera gocrs who
liye Oh the east side it is curious to know
that coach is the sign of gentility. To
be able to hire a coach is the weakness
OF hundreds of girls who work by the
week downtown, and 1t p for this rca-
son. perhaps, that in the poorer classes
funerals have become a sort OF evidence
of gentilitv, the condition of the family
being rated by the number of coaches.
There are scores of girls who give music
lessons who spend nearly all they make
at the livery stable. They are driven to
their pupils residences in coupes. and
they are very particular about the liV-
cry.
The superintendent of a large en-
vclope factory in this city said that
some years ago fainting epidemic
broke out among his girls. Withoutany
premOnition whatever, an operator
would suddenly fab over rs ifdcad. and
he was in the habit sometimes of calling
n acarriage and sending the invalid home.
But when the thing grew to affect the
whole factory he turned one of his rooms
into 4 hospital and hired doctor to APP
ply restoratives, from which moment
not girl tainted. 1t was not till some
time after that he discoved by accident
that it was the ride home in the coach
that had brought on :he epidemic.-M.
Y. Journal.