The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-03-28
A FEMININE IDEA.
Two New York Spinstcrs Start Novel
and Successful Book Shop.


Two New York Spinstcrs Start q Novel
and Successful Book Shop.
Two young New York women who
we're decidedly 'cultured" persons
found themselves about two years ago
minus the means of living as they had
been accustomed to. They had been
people OF easy means. occupying pref
ty house on Madison avenue filed with
pictures, books and musical instru-
ments. Every year or two they went
to Europe for six months travel. When
at home they amused themselves with
lectures, concerts, classes for all sorts
OF study and literary society. They
keenly appreciated and sympathized
with every thing admirable In all the
arts, but they never attempted to do
any thing themselves. They were not
beautiful, and had passed out of girl
hood. Suddenly their father died, and
it was discovered that his property
was so entanslcd there was not more
than about $4,000 apiece for each of
the daughters. Of course starvation
did not stare them in the face, but
$4,000, even when most judiciously in
vested, does not yield a very liberal
income, and tho two sisters sat down
to think what they should do to in
crease that income
They determined to set up q book
shop. Now, of course, book shops are
not new, but the sort of book shop they
planned to have was very new. They
rented two good-sized rooms in CEN
trally located place, near the greatest
congregation of the offices Of folks who
earned their living with their pen and
who were likely to be interested in
books. The outer room was fitted up
like the ordinary book shop, in the
inner like charming library. In this
room were dull, rich-colored paper,
carpets and curtains. There were
great tables strewn with new books
and magazines, others with all the con-
veniences for writing. There were
chairs OF undeniable comfort, some
good bits of bric-a-brac about, and
half dozen clever etchings on the
wall just the sort OF library one
would like to spend ones days in.
They spent 5000 of their $40, 900 on
fitting this room and buying their
stock, and then they gave tea and
invited their friends. They wore their
prettiest gowns. lighted candles, and
had some roses about, and had a
charming little tea table set out with
nice china and silver near
the fire. People came partly
from friendship and partly from
curiosity, and staid because it
was jolly and pleasant. And they con-
tinued to come, for whenever they did
there was always that pretty room with
o fire and the odor of flowers and two
pleasant genial women, who knew all
the latest and freshest literary gos-
sip, who had read the last new book
or magazine and could tell you if it
was worth reading, and who the new
author was and all about him or her,
and there were tickets to be had there
for all the concerts and lectures and
theaters, the days papers and the best
books. People got into tho habit Of
making appointments to meet there,
and any afternoon one was sure to drop
in upon dozen or more people one
wished to see. 1t grew to be sort of
informal club for all the book people,
For two years it was JOY and a de-
light to every one, but last autumn a
perverse old uncle up in Maine died
and left the two women q fortune, and
they have given up the charming shop,
though they admitted they were mal1-
ing money very rapidly with it. Now
it is any body's idea, which any clever,
cultivated and impecunious woman is
at liberty to use.--N. Y. Cor Chicago
News.