Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-22
A DAUGHTERS COST
The Debit Side of the Ledger
Set Forth.
MAY COST TEARS OF AGONY.
Some Interesting Views of Prominent
Women a Very Important Cues
tion-A Daughter Should Not
Cost More Than S15Oa Year.
copyright, 1891, and all Rights Reserved

copyright, 1891. and ell Rights Reserved
| Special correspondence OF the Gazette.
1t has been truly said that of everything
! in this life it is always best to count the
| cost, and it recently occurred to me that it
| would be matter of great interest to a
| very large number of readers if some rep
resentative mothers in 'ririous walks of
life could be induced to count the cost of
their daughters-that is, the cost of cloth
ing, educating and amusing them from
childhood until they have attained mar
riageable age. The question, What Does
Daughter Costa" was accordingly put to a
number of prominent ladies, eliciting re-
plies that cannot fail to possess absorbing
interest for thousands OF readers.
NkE6HsTHE MOTHER OF THE KINGS DAUGH-
TIERS THINKS.
"What daughter COSTS" said Mrs. Mar
garet Bottome, founder of the religious or
der of the Kings Daughters, must depend
largely upon both the daughter herself and
her mother. Many daughters have cost
their mothers many sleepless nights. anx-
ious days, and bitters tears of agony and
shame. In such cases the money cost of
rearing daughter sinks into utter insig-
niticance. and is completely forgotten. But
the errors of such daughters are often
largely due to a lack of judicious maternal
training, and the mothers whose daughters
cost them most dearly and bitterly usually
have to reproach themselves chiefly
The money cost of a daughter should al
ways be regulated in accordance with both
the income Of her parents and the position
they occupy in society, and it should al
ways be borne in mind that what would be
gross extravaganza in the rearing of one
girl may be the most reprehenSible parsi-
mony in the rearing of another
MRS. RoCKEFELLER's VIEWS.
Mrs. j. &. Rockefeller, wife of the
famous magnate Of the Standard oil COM
pany, thought that the rearing of daughters
need not necessarily be very expensiye-in-
deed, that it should not be, no matter how
great the wealth of her parents. while
children girls should be brought up as
simply as possible she said. ''It is great
mistake to permit little girls to wear all the
tinery aud ornaments of full-grown woman
hood, and thus to make them weary and
blase with regard to such things before
they are fairly out of the nursery. Child
hood is completely denied to many daugh-
tiers OF fashionable parents at the present
day. They have their evening dresses and
jewels and go to entertainments as elabo-
rate as those OF grown people before they
are out of their teens. A daughter brought
up IN this manner may cost nearly as much
at twelve years of age as at eighteen.
81 think our daughters should be allowed
all the childhood and girlhood that nature
has allotted them, unabridged by late hours,
elaborate toilettes, and rich suppers. They
should always be neatly and clearly dressed.
but as simply as possible, and they can not
too early be taught habits of economy in
their personal expenditures, for in this land
JDf ours where fortunes ups and downs are
$50 sudden and 80 violent, the very rich of
to-day may be the very poor of tomorrow,
and the habits of economy acquired in pros
peEeus days will be OF inestimable value
when the sun of prosperity becomes over
cast.
''In the dressing of our young daughters
we should constantly bear in mind that
youth is d gem whose luster is lessened
rather than increased by an elaborate Set
ting, and that they will appear to better ad-
vantage IN an appropriate, simple and mex
pensfye dress than in the most elaborate
anacostly triumph of the modiste's art. A
little daughter of from twelve to fourteen
years of age may be neatly and comfortably
riethed for $50 a year. and that amount
may be very greatly reduced without any
lessening of the child's comfort or of the
neatness and usefulness of her appear
ance by judiciOus economy and care. There
are countless little girls in this city, the
daughters of clerks and statesmen earning
from S25 to $50 week, who make a re-
spectacle and neat appearance on even half
tfte sum have named
f"The estimate is based upon an allowance
II three dresses for winter, five for summer,
q winter hat, winter hood, another hat
for milder seasons, an abundance of under
wear, stockings and shoes, a best wrap or
coat for winter with second best. and a
lighter one for use in warmer weather;
gloves, mittens, ribbons and incidentals.
Che majority of American girls of the
middle class attend our public schools, and
hence the expense incurred for their educa-
ton is trihing. 1.-THE cost of sending a girl
10 good private day-school varies from
about Sl20 to $50 per year. If it is thought
desirable to have her taught music and
RANGING, instruction in those accomplish
ments may be had at prices varying from
So to $50 per quarter, according to the
ability and reputation of the teacher
selected.
''Of course every girl should have some
means of innocent diversion. A tricycle.
may be had for from $40 to SIS, while pair
Of skates will cost from 81 TO 81. To these
items add say $50 for dolls, toys, books,
~, and you have a fair estimate of what
Fwould cost yearly to bring up daughter
n plain, sensible, home-like way, with
every reasonable comfort
MRS. JAMES G. BLAINE TALKS.
The rearing of 4 daughter may cost as
much or as little as her parents please" |
said Mrs. James G. Blaine. 'There is no |
limit IN what NAV he Spant IOOn a Iitt1e pir1 |