The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-03-23
ON A MODEST INCOME.
HOW ONE CLEVER WOMAN MANAGES
TO GET ALONG IN SOCIETY.
Getting the Maximum of Results for the
Minimum of Outlay in Entertaining
Some Interesting Secrets About an
Economical woman's Wardrobe.

to keep a small family in society, who give
occasional teas, receptions, or dinners?n To
answer that one has to begin with-that all de-
pends Everything in society, as well as the
world generally, is relative. To those of large
wealth the elegance of the spreads are only
bounded by the size of the entertainers ambi
ton, or the length of the bank account. But
the questioner probably referred only to those
who desired to enter the arena on limited
means. One experience is worth thousand
theories so the reply shall come from .one who
has tried it and not failed She will answer
your question
81 am astonished myself at the results to be
obtained from a comparatively small ncome,"
she said, in answer "My husband, you can
readily ascertain from official sources, has q
salary somewhere between three and five thou
sand dollars per annum, counting all the
'perques' of the position in. Wehave two chill
dren. My daughter, you know, is one of last
years dSbutantes, and l feel it necessary that
she should enjoy some Of the advantages of
society. My little girl is still in school, she
costs comparatively nothing in a social way.
Now all my early life | was accustomed to So
ciety right here in Washington, as we'll as at
home, for my father was for several terms
member of Congress. He was not rich--and in
those days the Congressional salary was smaller
than it is to-day-thus, in consequence, grew
up under a certain kind of economical discip-
line which helps me now. The first thing
woman has to think of who wants to reSnter the
swim is how to get there creditably. One must
be conventional enough to do as other people
do in the way of entertaining, etc.. and these
afternoon teas are perfect godsend. They
are growing however, more and more elaborate,
which will soon spoil their charm. At first
cup of tea with a wafer sandwich deli
cately prepared was enough These new Eng
lish caterers have played the mischief with our
teas by introducing expensively prepared
salads and ices. However, you can if you like
arrange your teas to suit yourself-that is, if
you have independence and taste to compen-
safe for expense. | always put more money
into my flowers and effective things, such as
shades and drapery, than into fancy ices for
which you have to pay fancy prices. L always
order the very best creams in layers, without
the fancy shapes, and thus save the dollars
which buy my madenhair ferns, smilax, and
flowers for pretty centre piece. You may uot
believe it, but can get up a tea for an outlay
| of one hundred dollars on the table that salts
| fes all the social requirements. OF course the
attendance Of servants is not included in that
| bill, but twenty dollars will cover extra wait
| erage. I know you hardly credit the statement
| that that was the cost of my recent tea, which
| you were pleased to denominate as 'an ele-
| giant affair." The invitations would cost more
| If they were not written, and perfect as cop
| per-plate, by young lady hire to do it for
| one-fourth the cost of engraving 1t would
take an expert to tell the differences; besides
Mrs. Senator Blank and Mrs. Dash, both i'm
mensely wealthy, you know, also employ her
| to do their cards, and If she is good enough for
| them she will do for me. never offer elaborate
refreshments on my days at home during the
| season cup of good, fragrant tea and
| delicate cookie or fancy cake from my basket is
| all. That fulflls the code, and | save my money.
GLOW to get the desired number of dresses is
thenext thing to beconsdered on such limited
| income as ours. am getting fat, and | al
ways wear black. | pretend that think it
makes me look smaller. do not mind telling
| you that deSpiSe black for dressy occasions, but
| cannot help myself. must be well dressed,
and can make black go further than colors.
| Let me show you. Here is my black velvet
| You see 1t has a short round skirt, made plain,
with high basque, trimmed simply with pas
sementenc. That is my carriage or street cos
| tune. 1t is suitable for any occasion where
either would be required. But if am going
out to dinner put on this train, which is faced
| back with silk and buttons on at the belt over
the short skirt; and here is dinner basque of
the velvet ''V' neck, and elbow sleeves, and
| trimmed with lace. That makes two dresses in
| one, but If am to attend an evening reception
| here is the third: velvet bodice, square in the
neck filled in with rich white lace, short sleeves,
and the long. armed gloves to go with It. Now,
either of those bodices will harmonize well with
| a lavender silk skirt, or black and white bro
my management thus save off my wardrobe
to dress my daughter, who must have va
riety of clothes delicate in color, fine of fabric,
and suited to her youth. Dear me! In telling
you this have made public half the secrets Of
my particular 'set," who are, in sense, at
tached to official circles by virtue of our hus-
| bands positions. But we have to keep up a
certain amount of style, and that is how we do
it. But dinner parties? We often compare
notes in private.
81 never ventured SO far To be a success,
except among ones intimates, they cost money,
and are the most pretentious of all social obli-
cations. And l would not give one, anyhow
for a real dinner party always calls for wines,
and as it is against my principles to pass round
the social glass | draw the line at dinner
parties. 1t takes deal of tact to keep in the
| swim on a small salary and have about con-
cluded that even in society, success depends as
much upon ones personality as upon what one
can do. Personal magnetism is not all a myth,
! and no one withoutit could succeed in the swim,
| if they were the wife OF John Jacob Astor,
any more than they could as the wife Of the
head OF bureau or chief in some of the De-
partment ofices.' e. l.. S.
Superior goOds-lowest pricss.-China, bric-
a-brac glass, pottery, cutlery. Having replen-
ished our stock we are enabled TO offer great in