The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-19

people to leave the table when the affront
ie committed in their presence. All these
bad habits argue an insenslbility which is
not to be reached by common means.
curious little letter lie from Virginia
"You said that bran was hard to get In
city. and some persons considered III neces-
ssry to health, and that some one might
make n great deal of money by putting 1t
mp In little boxes and selling IL. Now. why
cannot be that wise ana, perhaps. suc-
cessful individual. If you would kindly let
people know here it could be hadf
II am Southern girl who. until recently,
had every ease and comfort, but long ago
my father failed in business and has never
rallied since. We keep the dear old home.
idle and see 1t go to wreck. My position
in society requires that should be well
dressed. and by my music buy my clothes
and make them myself. as have quite
"On the small sum of ST. month dress
myself we'll, and. besides. buy most OF the
comforts of home i have youth. health
and q strong will. and who knows but
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 wellf word Of ad-
vice from you" etc.
Sounds lovely. doesn't it-and touchlngi
Precisely the ideal amount of trial to fit q
magazine story. But the poor little girl
has come to the wrong place for sympathy
this time. Do you know don't feel one
particle of in terest In this picturesque DOy
ersy and ambitioni / know SIT month il
Q mere bagatelle that wouldn't buy candy
for many girls. Still. it is over 500 year.
all that peers daughter often has for her
dress allowance. and much more. consider
Ing the circumstances. than amaId OF honor
to the Queen has for her dress. A girl with
. poor father who can spend 500 year for
the materials OF her robes. which she makes
herself and so saves three-hlths or the ex-
pense, has no right to ask for sympathy or
help from any one.
NOT AN OBJECT OF COMPASSION.
A girl with lovely home dressing at the
rate of $500 year is hardly an object of
compassion. / DO not forget the "home
comforts she provides, but, young lady,
home comforts are apt to mean Vienna
Photograph rack. lace lamp shade or new
embroideries for the guests rooms. know
of too many women with children who in
very plain cottages live and meet all wants
on $500 q year / knew of one with hive
children and taxes to pay who only had
$50 in cash for years income. Their liv-
ing came from the garden. But out OF that
$50 she su described for u magazine, as her
starv ing mind could not do without read
ing.
Those who know the world feel that no
n
year for personal wants needs assistance.
1t Is no good slgn for the young people OF to-
Gay that they are so ready TO ask help OF
strangers for no real need but to crafty
social ambition. It speaks q lack OF indie
pendence, of that instinct OF gentle breed
ing which shrinks from applying to others
save in EXTREMIST need.
As for the fiction that her position requires
her to dress any girl wants that nonsense
taken out of her at once. No position re-
qnires any one to dress beyond or mp To her
means. A nuns gown on nuns income Is
dress for a court.
recall a lady in one of the older States,
herself of old and distinguished family,
wife of the influential minister of rich
parish, with the sons of wealthy men under
his care In his house.
One wonld say dress was obligatory in
such o case but this woman, accomplished
and finely bred, chose To crafty her tastes
and her charities at the expense of her toll
let. 1t was the scandal of all the farmers
and mechanics wives who never felt re-
spectacle out of alpaca. that Mrs. X. went
all day and walked to the village IN print
gown, and when the gown as new very
likely wore it to church of q summer day.
lt wasn't French Saline. my dear lady, nor
zephyr gingham. with point trimming, but
unmitigated 9-penny print
But il 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,
homeless and unfriended always.
/ recall both Southern aud Northern
women of the very best blood aud breed
inc. whose person, dignity and grace COM
com vet with them, yet whose stuff gowns
never began to cost them $50 year. 1t
were ambition worth while to win pres
encs and distinction like theirs. There is
Distinction in plain gown worn with self
respect and cOurteOusness which goes lar
beyond the charms of dress-making.
These comfortably placed women, young
and old, who have never known uncertain
" of good food, home and clothing under
stand no more what the world really con-
tains of struggle and privatlon for other
women than they do of the seraphim.
USELESS TO ATTEMPT.
OF interest to town women is the letter
of property-owner of New York, who
proposes to build a women's hotel with
good architectural finish. perfect sanitary
design. large rooms. tastefully decorated
and furnished. to meet the need depicted
in Grets's letter last spring. He is evident.
~ in earnest in the matter. but. compelled
by fact, had to write HIM. as he valued bis
property, credit and peace of mind. never
TO have anything TO do with wOmen's
hotel of any sort. Not that there isn't need
of such quarters, or that women would not
flock to them eagerly and be glad to live in
tnem, Dut the conviction grows with
thoughtful observers that 1t is useless to at
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 unwilliDgly persuaded of this
belief. From the working W omen's home
in Elizabeth street. which some OF us can
remember. to the last experiment in semi
private clubs for society women. the out
come has been failure and dissatIsfa tion
In the Elzabeth-street home the girls
stole from each other till property was not
safe except on the owners back, while the
eeamstresses aud nurses Who boarded there
gossiped and tattled and tore character to
fragments till decent girls dreaded to en-
counter the risks of living under the roof
In the Young Women's CHRIST an Assocla-
tons and other select homes the scant fare
and rigid and suspicious supervision. W hich
does not ct all prevent amazing scandals.
renders q stay rather penitentlal Women
live In these hOuses solely because they are
cheap. endure the rigid rule as long IS they
can. and leave when q hall bed room offers
IN decent third-class boarding house.
The cit bs fall to pieces, being usually
speculations of the superintendents bent
on getting all the money and social stand
ing possible out of them In the shortest
possible time.
1t runs in women's nerves to make fail
ures of such things. They get tired. mar
assed. take dislikes to people and cannot
treat them well as q matter of self -interest,
as your trained man of business feels til at
he must. Most women are equal to hating
ct sight another whose manners or appear
trnF aoA..