The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-04-27
WOMANS DEPARTMENT.
WOMEN or WISDOM.

VVMdN - ODl k1xS / MxIAv IL
WOMEN OF WISDOM.
Those for whom The Lsss Of Wealth Aas
No TeFrosH
Some one writing to the n. Y. Her
aid from London says: ut Is one Of
the signs of the times In Great Britain
that . considerable number Of intelli-
gent and well.bred women. Of families
formerly wealthy and dominant have
of late ..taken to trade" Those that
he mentions, says the Herald are the
wives and sisters Of landlords who,
through tho fall in agricultural rents.
have become impoverished. One has
opened shop for the sale of decora-
tive furniture; another has begun a
dressmaker's business. Alady once .
recognized leader Of fashion, sells
cloaks designed by herself. and her
husband, less energetic. perhaps less
sensible. secludes himself upstairs as
her book-keeper. One of the Duke
of Richmond's family prospers in q
shop where she sells dresses; and the
sister of another lord makes bonnets
and hats. and. by her skill and taste.
supports her family.
Good enough! There is no reason why
a high bred. cultivated and thoroughly
refined woman, reared in wealth,
should not work If the necessity for her
doing SO arises She is likely possess
ed of graccs and accomplishments Of
which she can now make practical use.
II there is anything calculated to dis
turb my usual seltpoise and serenity Of
soul. it is the spectacle of an educated.
accomplished woman. suddenly re-
duced from wealth to poverty. sitting
down with folded hands and harping
about her 'better day." or the cruelty
of the fates that made her dependent
on her own resources for livelihood.
All of us know or have heard of such
women. They are dreadful thorns in
the sides of all their old friends.
went once with friend to see .
woman who had once been rich but
was now poor A few remnants other
former glory were to be seen in her
two or three little rooms. The second
sentence she uttered was: ''Oh. sir. do
not think that have always lived
thus; ali no! have seen better days!
This was said with sweep of her hand
that took in the pieces offurniture and
bits of expensive bric-a-brac and a
costly picture or two representative OF
her ..better days" Then she began to
weep. and let her weep. There she sat.
q strong. healthy. accomplished
woman, In tho very prime
of life, weeping because there
was before her the necessity of earning
an honorable living for herself l didn't
weep any myself Her friends had ex-
erted themselves to secure her an ex-
cellent position As teacher in = school
where her duties would be light But
she said she 'shrank from coming into
contact with anybody" and said some
thing about being forced Ito associate
with '.all sorts of common people" that
quite upset me. and was glad when /
vas outside with my friend and at lib
erty to express myself freely and forci-
bly,.
Is there. on the other hand. a spec
tacle more worthy of praise and admir-
alton than that of woman suddenly
thrown on her own resources. rejecting
the charity of friends. and bravely tax
ing up the battle of life for herself.
and. perhaps for her children? Hun
dreds of women are doing this in our
own country. doing it bravely and we'll.
without vain dwellings and rcpinings
for their .'better days" the days that
were not after all. their better days.
Many of them would not go back to
their old, useless. easy lives il they
could. To work should be 1.-THE COM
mon lot of ALL" and hopeful sign for
the future of our own country lies in
the fact that so many women are to-
day earning their own living and TAX
ing upon themselves duties and re-
sponsibilities hitherto relegated to
men alone. 1t is, l take it. q sign of
good sense that 50 many of our women
do not in the time of adversely. sit
down to weep. but with their sleeves
rolled up. perhaps. make themselves
useful. self-supporting and independ-
ent women. Housekeeping.