The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-14
A DAUGHTERS
EXPENSES NOWADAYS
Thousands Are Necessary to Launch
Her on the Sea Of Matrim0ny.
The Mother Surrounds the Daughter With
all the Form and Luxury Due a Prin-
cess-Ths Father Foots the Bill.

Since the accumulation of large fortunes
in this country, and notably in New York,
and the establishment of moneyed ariS-
tocracy, one of the greatest problems pre-
sented to rich parents is the marrying of
their daughters. To the father it is as much
concern as his affairs in stocks, and to the
mother it is matter Of daily care. The
daughter is no sooner born than her future
becomes subject for reflection. In few
weeks it Is known whether she will be
plain or pretty. If she is plain that means
the expenditure of good-siZed fortune to
take her after years to the bridal altar. If
she is pretty the parents are jubilants for
her future can pretty well take care Of ITSELF
Wealthy New York parents make it point
of surrounding their daughters with all the
form and luxury that fall TO the lot of
princess. They are not willing when their
daughter goes to boarding school that she
live in a neat, plain room like the conyen-
tional quarters assigned to young ladies in
oden times III English neutrality-suspicious. and
French pensions, but they must surround her
with every display that the modern inStitu-
ton will tolerate. Her room is bOudoir of
oriental luxury. Entering il you sink to the
ankles in Persian, Smyrna and every de-
Scrpton of Turkish rugs in cOlorS Tyre could
not rival; the walls are hung with beautiful
tapestries with chaste Dianas upon them;
there is divan with great elder-down pill
lows and made Savagely luxurious by tiger
skin thrown carelessly across 1t TO give the
gilded maiden rest when she comes Wearied
from the street or the classroom. There
are Turkish or Chinese slippers cool and
soft to her feet; Oriental wrappers of the
sotteSt and coStilest StutfS and the OYeleSt
of cOUrs; a dTeSSing-case studded with
every thing dear TO girls heart, not the
least of which are
PERFUMES
Costing from 30 cents an ounce to 81 drop.
In her wardrobe are her hand embroidered
night-dress of silk as soft as down and
beautifully designed; and her white iron
bed, with brass knobs, Is made so inviting
with its MaTsellles or quilted India silk
coverlid in summer. its eIder-dOwn spreads
in winter, the hanging cherub above and
the hangings, with their beautiful hand
painted designs, that II might tempt ST. Ag-
mes herself to come and lie there. But what
money it all costs
When she reaches her eighteenth year she
graduates from the bOarding-SchOOl, and is,
perhaps, sent TO finishing school, where
She becomes parlOr bOarder surrounded
with her usual luxury, and gets finishing
touches on department. All this, it must
be borne in mind, is preparation for the
matrimonial market. linen my young lady
goes home and the real expenses commence.
If she is very plain girl she must have
every accomplishment that money can give
her. She must learn 10 Draw and 10 paint
on silk and china, for Earepean princesses
have lately made this fashionable. A select
dancing master IS engaged To give her prl-
yate lessons, for that Is supposed to make
her more graceful in her movements.
Every rich mans daughter in New York
learns to ride, and if it Is the intention to
send her to England she must learn TO ride
cross country, so she joins q private hunt
club and follows the hounds on the trail of
the anise seed Then she must have an ex-
pert French teacher one day in the week for
conversation, and q German teacher for the
same purpose another day. The knowledge
of the music she acquired at the boarding
school is not considered sufficient. so she is
at once put under the care OF pale, mild
gentleman with fierce hair and many di-
plomas, who brings Wagner into her life;
10 which is added the Offices of some melan-
choIy and
EXTINCT NOBLEMAN,
VINO teaches her the guitar. 1t is also con-
sidered an accomplishment to be able to
fence, so to the fencing master she goes, and
she varies this exercise by ate nding
gymnasium, where she develops her mus
cles. Of course, If she Is pretty all this is
not necessary.
She makes many other calls on her
fathers pocketbUok. She must formally
made by Worth or Felix and pay as high as
$500 for the making of one OF these. Ii no
family jewels have descended to her, she
must have diamonds, pearls and other
precious stones and her equipment must
compare with girls already out When bills
for the ball are paid, then comes the allow
ance for pin-money, out OF which she has to
assist several fashionable charities. She
appears at grand opera at least one evening
in the week, at theatPr another. and she can
sit only in box; then come flowers,
bonbOns and the latest perfumes. The
manicure comes regularly to beautify her
hands and nails, and the chirOpodst to tend
her feet. Her maid she has always with
her; companion If she has no sisters. and
frequently paid chapeTOn at the telephone
waiting to be called.
Although it may seem strange. ii is true
that the richer a New Yorker is the more
wealth does he look for In the man who is to
marry his daughter. He and his wife make
ii point to keep the daughter as far as
possible from making the acquaintance of
young men who are not rich. They will n OF
permit her to visit houses where she is
likely to make such acquaintanceS, and
they constantly impress upon her that an
admirer without money is altogether below
her station and not to be dreamt Of. Unless
she is romantic she comes TO look upon
young men as articles of merchandise and
falls entirely into line with her pare hts
N Y. World.