San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-15

the Envy of other women-Some Curl
Gus Opinions of What True Feminine
Luxury Means-Turki ,l, Baths and Maids.
Curious. isn't it, what queer ideas some
women have of luxury Pr hlnly most men
suppose that all women thin alike on the
luxury question. If asked, they would very
likely say that TO women luxury with big l.
means. horses. laces diamonds and nothing
to do This is looking at it entirely from the
outside and taking a general view OF it,
wrong way 70 Judge, for there are many de-
tails TO he considered. Doubtless 10 many
women horses, laCeS, diamonds and nothing
to do does mean luxury; but not TO all, for
all women do not think alike on this question.
group of women were talking together
the other day, when one of them started the
question, What is your idea of luxury! With
out moments hesitation a very bright wo-
man answered: The possession of something
| don't own" A silence had fallen on the
group when the question was asked, but this
answer was received with applause And
then they entered into detail They were all
clever. refined women, but none of them
owned distended purses. They generally wore
pretty gowns, stylish hats and neat gloves
and boots. but as a whole they did not swathe
themselves in lace, nor did any of them own
horses; there were not more than dozen
diamonds among them all, and they were
none of them oilers, nor did they wish to be,
One of them, noted for her extreme neat
ness of dress, said that her idea of luxury
meant clean linen twice day and Russian
bath once a week. She declined to say how
often she INDUCED in clean linen; but no
member of the group had ever seen her when
her ruches at neck and wrists were not inn
maculate, nor when there was the tiniest
speck on her snowy petticoat AS TO the
Russian baths, she said that she managed to
take two a year, instead of fifty-two. They
are expensive luxuries to woman of small
means who has her own bathtnb wherein
she may splash by the hour without extra
charge.
The next woman, who was the envied pos
SCISSOR of a magnificent quantity of hair, said
that she wanted a maid to take care of it;
that would be luxury to her The care of
her hair required time and strength, and
| quite exhausted her. But she met with no
| sympathy She was promptly told by all
| the women present that if she could acquire
so much hair without maid she did not need
one, and should be willing 10 undergo any
amount of fatigue to be able to possess her
Grown of glory The unlimited supply of
| clean linen and the baths appealed to every
woman present, but they seemed to think
that women with hair did not need a maid to
take care of it, only women with sCant hair
! needed one to brush and shampoo, and so i'm
! prove what little they had
| Woman number three said that her idea of
luxury was having plenty Of pocket money;
not money for household expenses, nor for
| gowns, boots and bOnnets but money to
spend on little things. For instance if she
| went into a shop and saw anything pretty-a
| picture vase, scarf or glove bOX-she would
| like to be able to buy it without stopping to
ask. Can afford it, And without stopping
to say, will give up such thing that need
for this that is 50 beautiful, | must have it.
She cared neither for diamonds nor horses,
but she did enjoy spending money, and spend
ing it on pretty things. 1t was hard for her
to pass by all the beautiful things in the shop
windows, but her limited purse compelled her
to do SO more than half the time,
SHE MET WITH SYMPATHY
The next woman said that she wanted a
maid all the time. Shoe buttons were trou-
blesome; dusty dresses played havoc with her
temper, neck ruches were refractory, and
mending kept her nerves in a constant state
of irritation. She said that she could face
a great and terrible trial with Calmness and
courage, but that these little things made her
quail She openly confessed her cowardice
in these matters, and said that she wore
pair of shoes until all the buttons were off
and then put on another pair, and so on until
all of her shoes were buttonless; and so on
with mending and brushing. She did not
care anything about that stitch in time that
saved nine; she never had the time until she
was reduced to a state of almost nudity, and
then she devoted a day to putting things to
rights, and it was equal to a surgical opera
ton.
This woman met with great deal of sympa-
thy; there are very few women who enjoy
these small details of the toilet; they put up
with them because they must but there is
hardly woman who would not have a maid if
she could. There are. of course, a few examples
of total feminine depravity who have de-
clared against maids; but such cases are rare,
and they are generally women who are rich 4
but too stingy to part with sufficient money!
to pay maid. Often, too, the strongl
minded declare themselves quite independent
of any such help; they would scorn to have
done for them what they cannot do them
selves. But the average woman dearly loves
to have a maid; it is such a relief to get rid
of ones back hair
There was another woman who said that
her luxurious soul would only be satisfied
with an opera box; she was passionately fond
of music, and she desired an opera box for
every operate performance during the sea
SON And yet lotl er woman wanted sad
die horse. She ID not care for driving; it