Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
LEISURE OF THE WEALTHY.

AL10O OS LII w kIAA4
More OF It in Imagination Than in Fact
The Cares OF Large Establishment-
Duties of Managing Servants-The De-
mands of Society.
WRITTEN FOR THE pIsPArcH.l
How do women of wealth put in their
time? is asked by somebody-the popular
idea being that they have plenty of money
and nothing to do. But if one will take
time to think, it will be seen that no
women, under the rules of their order and
according to their light, lead more labori-
GUS lives
Women of wealth are largely housekeep-
ers. If it takes brains, energy, managing
ability to keep affairs going smoothly in a
little house of, say three rooms (and it
does), it requires even more to run house
of from II to 25 and upward. If there is
needed watchful care, incessant superin-
tendence and the most constant looking
after things in small house, it takes big
head to keep everything in its place in a
mansion-so big, indeed, that it is rarely,
if ever, well done.
Somebody now will be sure to say here,
but they needn't do it. They can hire
everything done and repose upon fowery
beds of ease. But can they? Not bit of
it-in these days at least. The hired girls
in this country at present do pretty much as
they please and how they please. She, not
seldom, finds that the cook has gone off in
tantrum before breakfast, without warning,
or that the butler has taken French leave,
or that the chambernaid and nurse have
not returned from the ball the night before.
The Theory of Housekeeper.
But. says someone, she can employ a
housekeeper and save all this trouble. To
which it may be said, first find your house
keeper. Housekeepers trained to such
business are almost impossible to find in
mate. If a housekeeper is employed, it
only adds one more to the number of people
for the mistress to look after, and the more
servants employed the more trouble and
vexation ot spirit. The one girl-maid of
all works. hard enough to manage, but
"stah of servants" requires the capacity and
courage of Major General.
1t may be said that such women have the
power to change all this-to rid themselves
of all this work, to make their lives easy,
but they are reqnired to do the duties of
their position-made as incumbent upon
them by the laws of society-as inexorably
as it falls to the lot of the poor woman to do
her own work. That something will have
to be done for this class of workers becomes
more evident every day. Many women Of
wealth are overworked in mind, and to OBJ
tain rest they simply have to close their
lot al opI %n
great advantage they have, however, over
their tired-out, poorer sisters is that they
can take this rest, and that the question Of
bread and butter does not have to be con-
sidered.
Effect of Wealth on Children.
Women of wealth. who are wives and
mothers. have no less their full share of
work, if they do not shirk it. They have
the same responsibility for the training of
children, the same deep concern for their
welfare, and what is not often thought of is
that their very wealth may detract from the
future happiness of those they hold most
dear. The children of wealth, it has been
remarked, rarely amount to much, as the
world calls it. The spur of necessity is re-
quired to develop the best energies in
men and women. The straits of poverty
frightened the genius of Harriet Beecher
Stowe. The dire necessities of "Apple
Slump" sharpened the wits of Louisa M.
Alcott.
Then the women in society are working
women. Their pursuit may be deemed
trivial and ridiculous, but they have to
work hard at it to keep up with the pro-
cession. The teas, dinners, luncheons, re-
ceptions they have to edo" are strain on
both soul and body. Dinners, teas or other
for rfoip n MOI nj ,rif o1 fria de A.
intervals, are cheering and delightful, but
to make business of them is something
dreadful to contemplate.
Not Much Fun In Society.
To be compelled to dress up in your best
toggery every day of your life, wear your
falsest smiles, and go forth to meet the
same old crowd of bores to tell the same
old lies, to eat the same old greasy salads
coupled with the same old cakes and slops,
to chat-not with the brightest and best of
women-but only your own "set," and this
for perhaps not only once day but three
times over, is something too soul-sickening
for description, to say nothing of the effects
of such dissipation upon health and nerves.
Then the calls-Great Cesar-don't say
anything about women of wealth not work.
ing. when the struggle she has to keep up
with her calling list is considered. No
living woman who has soul to save and
house to keep can possibly make all the
calls and distribute all the cards that the
code of society demands. It is outside of
the bounds of possibility, and yet the So
ciety working-women toll on in the vain
endeavor. Business women and others who
have families to look after have given it
up, and only do what they possibly can in
the fight.
No primrose path or bed of roses have the
women of wealth in politics-say in WASH
ington-or in States on a smaller scale. They
have to hold "teas" and receptions" and
stand up for hours to receive not only
friends-but bores and snobs of all sorts and
sizes. The mere standing, the saving the
same soft nothings, and shaking of hands
are more wearing on nerves and physical
strength than whole day of Homework at
home. Then when they are not doing this,
they are flying around to other receptions
that they must edo" and paying calls that
must be paid for the credit of the family,
and to keep square with the code of society.
One Benefit of Mourning.
A lady in Washington told the writer that
she sometimes could get through 40 calls a
day, if it was a bright day and many were
out. Now think of the physical exertion of
going up 40 sets of steps and then down
again, and say women of society do not
work! Many cannot stand it long-some
have to take refuge in invalidism-and
others in being in mourning-if it is only |
for forty-seventh cousin whom they never
saw.
If it were not for the women of wealth |
u bo uorE what would baoo,ua of tho cba ~;