The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-06-06
wHA1 womsh CAN DO.


How often the vexed question arises:
.'What shall I do-either to earn my
own living or to add in some way to .
meager income?" While I was travel
ing around last summer I used my
eyes and tongue, I trust, to some good
purpose, writes a correspondent OF tho
Minneapolis Housekeepcr, and hope
that some of the unusual occupations in
which l found women engaged may in-
terest you. / trust also that to somc
may be suggested the way to indcpend-
ence.
While at ono Of the hotels in tho Cats
kills I was much interested ina bright
young woman who, at stated hours was
alwayssurroundcdb by group of girls and
boys. One morning off they would all
go for q tramp to some spot of interest;
at another hour she would be surrounded
by younger company playing grace
hoops, swinging thcm in hammocks OF
enhancing them into silence in somc
corner of the broad piazza with some
charmingly-told story or bit of history
SO skillfully disguised as to be raptur-
ously received. After a few days repe-
tition of these performances I resolved
to cultivate her acquaintance and find
out, If possible, what relation she bore
to those b%right-cyed, active children.
I found her original and clever, quito
willing to tell me how we'll she was sue
ceeding in this now field. As a teacher,
she was accustomed to spend her a
tions at this place in the mountains,
and had noticed how neglected tho chill
dren were; the parents not able to have
nurses and govcrncsscs for them, and
too indolent, oftentimes, to anus them
themselves, allowed them to wander off
at all hours and in all places to find
what amusement they might. So on
coming up this year II bright girl had
it announced that for a certain small
sum per hour she would amusc, instruct
or guide the plays of the children, largo
and small. She is we'll content with
this summers work and has some now
plans already under way for next sea-
for her, but at present we will call her
the childrcn's friend.
There goes q little friend of mine
down the street, neat in attire, with a
business-like air. You would never
guess her odd occupation, so let us fol-
low her as she enters a beautiful house
and proceeds to the drawing-room. Ev-
identity tho Fridays sweeping has just
been done, for the furniture is drawn
out into the middle of the room and dust
lies powdered over mantcls and cabinets.
Our friend opens her little ~hand-sachel
and takes out an array OF silk and
chccsc-cloth busters. Deity she goes
to work, and soon all the furniture is
busted and in order; then tho bric-a-
brac, too precious to be trusted to clum-
sy Biddy's hands, is taken from an adj
joining and arranged artistically
IN mantels and in cabinets. Scarfs and
curtains are next gracefully drapcd and
then she departs for the next house on
her list. She assures me that she likes
tho work of professional dustcr' and
that her engagements fill three days of
every week. She expects soon to be
employed by a large furniture house as
an arranger Of furniture in their show
rooms.
have in mind a young physicians
wife living in a large manufacturing
city not ten miles from where am
writing. Bright, clever and ambitious,
gifted in letter writing; quick and ac-
c,lratc at figures and with q good knowl-
edge Of bookkeeping, she determined
to turn her talents to account. So, half
in earnest, half in tho spirit of fun. sho
inserted an advertisement in the even
ing papers somewhat like this:
"Business and love letters written,
books kept, bills made out and accounts
settled Some six months after che
laughingly told me of her success. At
first q few letters written for servant
girls, then keeping books and making
out bills for o shrcwd but ignorant
lrisbman who kept IL little grocery store
on tho block where she resided, consti-
tuted the extent of her business. But
now she tells me that she has all she
can possibly do. She has furnished q
pretty little Office of her W and is ac-
cnmulating q nice little sum in tho
bank; this, too, without neglecting her
homo or her husbands interests.
A widow loft without resources and
with two small children to support was
talking with a friend about tho neces-
sity of doing something to earn her liv-
ing. Said the friend: "lvhy not make
the waflies for which you are famous
and sell them?" Acting en- the sugges-
ton she vent to the city, hired q small
ground fiat on a business avenue and
opened the front apartment as a small
lunch room. She sold nothing but
wafles and coffee and soon became cele-
hrated for tho dc1iciOus roldon.hrou,n
triangles busted with powdered sugar
and the clear amber coffee that she dis
pensed. She is known all over that
part of town as tho "Wafie Widow
and she earns enough to support herself
and her children in comfort.
Decisive battles OF the World.
The following are probably The most