Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-05
WOMANLY ECONOMY.
HOW SOME MANAGE TO HIDE THEIR
GENTEEL POVERTY.
There is an Army of such People-They
Keep Up Appearances but
Nearly Starve.

giTi Tko Is brought up with maid and
who has never taken stitch in her life
would probably feel like beggar and de-
graded in her own eyes if compelled to
dismiss her maid and do an occasional bit
OF sewing herself And yet she mightstill
have handsome income. Everything is
comparative, after all, and people are rich
or poor only compared to what they have
BEEN
Every one hears of cases where people
think themselves poor, that really seem
absurd in the face of actual poverty. 1t
was said of Mrs. Gaines, during the long
lawsuit, that she was so poor she occupied
a hall bedroom and washed out her own
laces The hall bedroom sounded poor,
but many rich woman washes her own
laces from choice, rather than trust them
out of her sight; and many woman not
rich would be willing to wash any amount
of lace if she could only own it. And
then there was the man who lost so much
money that he was obliged to take his
family to Europe to economic, because he
found it impossible to live in this country
on $4,000 year. Another family, who
lived in the country in considerably style,
lost good deal of money, and were so re-
duced that they could afford to keep only
twelve servants. In their own eyes they
were actually poor and to be pitied. And
then there is the woman who felt reduced
TO beggary because her husband could no
longer afford to let her send to Europe for
her gowns. Another instance is that of a
young married couple of moderate means,
who on going to New York to live, before
actually settling down tried the expert
ment of living in lodgings and going to
different restaurants for their meals. The
young wife's sister thought it beggarly
way to live, and said that she "never
thought her sister would have to walk the
streets for bread" This is one way of
looking at it.
But these cases cannot be called pow
erty. Actual poverty-the poverty that
many refined ard cultivated persons are
com PEELED to endure-is long way off
from such imitation poverty as this. Cen
teel poverty, so-called-the hardest of all
to endure, for it necessitates a keeping up
of appearance-seems to fall so often upon
delicate, proud, refined women, and their
economies are more than pathetic-they
are tragic. There is the elderly woman
who was brought up in luxury, but whose
income has become so reduced that she
can Just live on it, in country town, with
the closest economy, and washing-not her
laces, but her linen collars, cuffs, hand
kerchiefs and stockings. Her dress, ordi-
narily, is of the cheapest material, and
very simply made, often by herself. She
will have one handsome gown, the gift of
a relative that will do duty for several
years. And so she lives life of constant
economy and self-denial.
Economy is an excellent thing, but
many women carry it too far; that is, their
small means compel them to eat INSULT
cient food, and not of the right kind, in
order that they may make neat and
ladylike appearance in public. For a
woman's first thought is of her outside
dress, especially if she is in search of work
of any kind. She knows the value Of a
well-ftting dress and neat gloves, and
among many of the working women their
bodies are starved for the purpose of ap-
pearing well dressed. These women,
many of them who have known what 1t Is
to have comfortable incomes, have found
that the can live on bread and tea, and
they do it, Their small room in lodg-
ing-house is furnished with a small oil
stove, and on it they boil water for their
tea. 1t is the most unhealthy diet that
they can indulge in, but it is "illing," and
satisfies for the time being. An occasional
dinner at a cheap restaurant is an event,
when they really satisfy their appetite
But sometimes for a day they will not
have even money enough to provide
the tea, and one woman living in
this way said that she remembered
one day when she was obliged tC
60 without breakfast and luncheon, but
fortunately she was invited to dine with
friends in the evening. A fashionable
woman, whose husband died and left
her penniless, left her luxurious home
for a hall bedroom in a lodging house
where she made her coffee every
morning and had three dinners a week
sent in by caterer The dinners proved
sufficiently large for luncheon the next
day, and the other four evenings of the
week she dined with different friends, who
chose this way of assisting her.
THIS question of eating is serious one
with women who feel that they mus
economic. And it is more serious thar
they realize for although they have g
right to disappoint their appetites, they
have no right to injure their health. But
they cannot be convinced. No one knows
what they eat or do not eat, but every one
sees what they wear.
And how do they manage to dress well
Tney have, of course, several dresses which
were bought in happier circumstances, anc
these are carefully worn. Often they art
turned, and made over perhaps, with few
wards of some new material. 1t does moi
take much material to-day to make bon
net, and deft fingers can do it so well that
it will equal milliner's, and in many in
stances it is more becoming. For cloak'
and other articles they watch the shops fol
bargains, and soon learn where the bes
may be had for the money. Occasionally
q gown, hat, or cloak is given them by
some friend, but it must be very carefully
offered for fear of hurting their pride. Fol
these women are ladies who have been ablt
to give away gowns of their own in former
years.
These are some of the snail economic.
rracticed by women who work for liv
ing. receiving small pay, and who mus
vet keep up appearances. They must, be
fore eli things, keep out of debt, and
knowing how to sew, how to starve, anC
hos to economic generally, they do it
This is genteel poverty 1t il
called. Doubtless many of these womer
would gladly fling appearances aside anc
wear tie Irishwoman's calico dress anc
shawl; but they have not courage to dc
it. They could not do it; the outward
and visible sign of the lady must be re
tanned. And 80 they struggle on.
There is az army of such women II
every large city Brave, indeed, they are
and they battle with the world for the
spost part cheerfally, thankful that they
sRe able to get any work at ALL
CHRISTMAS OF 1776.