Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
committed in their presence. All these bad
habits argue an insensibility which IL NOS
to be reached by common means.

commltted In their presence. All tneso pau
habits argue an insensibility which IL nos
to be reached by common means.
A Plea for Sympathy.
A curious little letter is from Virginia.
| You said that bran was hard to get In
city, and some persons considered 1t neces.
sary to health, and that some one might
make good deal of money by putting 1t up
in little boxes and selling it. Now, why
cannot be that wise and, perhaps, success
full individual, if you would kindly let peo-
pie know where it could be had?
II am Southern girl who, until recently,
had every ease and comfort, but not long
ago my father failed in business and has
never rallied since. We keep the dear old
home, which is lovely place, but cannot
sit idle and see it go to wreck. My position
in society requires that should be well
dressed, and by my music 1 buy clothes and
make them myself, as have quite talent
that way.
''On the small sum of SIT month dress
myself well, and, besides, buy most OF the
| and strong will, and who knows but What
l may yet be the victor, bringing the OLD
home back to its former glory, lifting the
burden from older shoulders and gratifying
my own ambition as well? A word OF ad-
vice from you," etc.
Nothing to Complain About.
Sounds lovely, doesn't it-and touching?
Precisely the ideal amount of trial to ht q
magazine story. But the poor little girl
has come to the wrong place for sympathy
this time. Do you know I don't feel one
particle of interest in this picturesque Pov-
erty and ambition? I know ST month Is
mere bagatelle that wouldn't buy candy
for many girls. Still it is over 5000 year,
all that peers daughter often has for her
dress allowance, and so much more, con-
sidering the circumstances, than maid OF
honor to the Queen has for her dress. A
girl with poor father who can spend S2Oo
year for the materials of her robes, which
she makes herself and so saves three-ffths
of the expense, has no right to ask for SYM
pathy or help from any one.
A girl with lovely home dressing at the
rate of 5000 year is hardly an object of
compassion. L do not forget the "home
comforts" she provides, but, young lady,
home comforts are apt to mean a Vienna
photograph rack, a lace lamp shade or new
embroideries for the guestrooms. I know
of too many women with children who in
very plain cottages live and meet all wants
on $500 year. L knew of one with five
children and taxes to pay who only had $50
in cash for years income. Their living
she subscribed for a magazine, as her starv
ing mind could not do without reading
This Girl Is Going Wrong.
Those who know the world feel that no
one with home, youth and health and 5000
a year for personal wants needs assistance.
1t is no good sign for the young people of
to-day that they are SO ready to ask help Of
strangers for no real need but to crafty
| social ambition. 1t speaks a lack of inde-
pendence, of that instinct of gentle breed
ing which shrinks from apply to others save
in EXTREMIST need.
AS for the fiction that her position re-
quires her to dress, any girl wants that non-
sense taken out of her at once. No position
| requires anyone to dress beyond or up to
her means. A nuns gown on nuns in
come is dress for q court. I recall lady
in one of the older States, herself of old
and distinguished family, wife of the inf1u-
ential minister of a rich parish, with the
sons of wealthy men under his care in his
house. One would say dress was obligatory
| in such case, but this woman, accomplished
and finely bred, chose to crafty her tastes
and her charities at the expense of her toilet.
1t was the scandal of all the farmers and
mechanics wives, who never felt respecta-
BILE out of alpaca, that Mrs K. went all day
and walked to the village in print gown,
and when the gown was new very likely
wore it to church of summer day. It
wasn't French satine, my dear lady, nor
zephyr gingham with point trimming, but
unmitigated nine-penny print.
None the Worse for Cheap Gowns.
But it never made the least difference
with that bright woman's honor and well
come in the proudest families of the town
and State Simple as her dress might be,
her house had room and shelter for the
homeless and unfriended always.
recall both Southern and Northern
women Of the very best blood and breeding
whose personal dignity and grace compelled
the admiration of all who came in contact
with them, yet whose stuff gowns never be-
gan to cost them $50 year. 1t were ambi-
tion worth while to win presence and dis
tinction like theirs. There is distinction in
plain gown worn with self-respect and
courteousness which goes far beyond the
charms of dressmaking.
These comfortably placed women, young
and old, who have never known uncertainty
of good food, home and clothing, under
stand no more what the world really con-
tains of struggle and privation for other
women than they do of the seraphim.
Useless to Provide Women's HoteI.
Of interest to town women is the letter of
a property owner in New York, who pro-
poses to build women's hotel, with good
architectural finish, perfect sanitary design,
large rooms tastefully decorated and fur
nished to meet the need depicted in Greta's
letter last spring. He is evidently in
earnest in the matter, but, compelled by
fact, had to write him, as he valued his
property, credit and peace of mind, never
to have anything to do with women's
hotel of any sort Not that there ism 4 need
of such quarters or that women would not
flock to them eagerly and be glad to live in
them, but the conviction grows with
tempt schemes for communities of women
with the present ideas and feeling which
control the mass of them.
Those who have watched and aided the
plans for homes for women of different
classes are unwillingly persuaded of this
belief. In the Elizabeth street home, New
York, the girls stole from each other till
property was not safe, except on the owners
back, while the seamstresses and nurses who
boarded there gossiped and tattled and tore
character to fragments till decent girls
dreaded to encounter the risks of living
under the roof In the Young Women's
Christian Associations and other select
homes the scant fare and rigid and suspici-
Gus supervision, which does not at all pre-
vent amazing scandals, render stay rather
penitentiai. Women live in these houses
solely because they are cheap, endure the
rigid rule as long as they can, and leave
when a hall bedroom offers in decent third
class boarding house. 1t runs in women's
nerves to make failures of such things
SHIRLEY DARA