The Washington times., 1894-04-15
HUntEnnily' 'SIdea


Things are bound to come right in time
That is the bedrock of our faith in man,
woman. time, and eternity.
Everything in this world goes by compari-
son.
Even the wife CT a millionaire confessed to
feeling poor recently.
Hows that?
Why, her very expensive privileges have
suddenly been cut of or limited because OF
''shrinkage OF values" and failure to rea-
lie" on the usual income.
One such there was who felt "poor,
cramped. and worried to distraction over the
Spring dressmaker's bills" She boarded at
frst-class hotel at the rate of "a or IS q
day. Poor thingl
Not much sympathy was wasted on her,
you better believe.
The tiniest far-away ripple OF distress that
has Just touched her from afar is no more to
be compared with the real thing than blaze
in the cozy fireplace to a condagration in
which a city is laid waste.
Let US hope it will open some eyes unused
to crying to see what life Oh the other plane
really IS. Instead of shutting up their SYM
pathies. it may soften their hearts to get q
peoples lives.
Do they pay these cramped sick people
promptly when the dressmaker's or other
Woodworking peoples bills are presented?
That is the test OF the genuineness Of their
emotion.
Almost all persons who work for the swells
confess they. as rule. are the closest calcu-
lators, the most exacting and the slowest pay
ing of all customers. not because they cannot.
but because they are coldly Indifferent about
such matters.
The only excuse for this ever given is: they
must keep up with their "set," " or 1t will affect
business for the family to drop out of society,
etc.
The people know how 1t is. Ask them.
They have had to economize on necessities,
ana the past year contains more experiences
OF heroic downright and upright manly and
womanly sell-sacrifice than ever will or ever
can be adequately sung in song or told in
story.
. Hard times are not the worst things that
can befall US either as individuals or a nation.
1t all depends upon how we take them.
There may be heroism or something akin
to it in wearing an old coat gone over by
the cleaner. or, after passing through the
hands of the dyer, for another six months
by the head OF the family. who is proud as
Luciier' If he is poor, that his wife and
children may have more comforts. if not the
necessares of liie
There have been more half-soled boots and
shoes worn by both sexes; more old clothes,
once put away to give away or to sell to the
secondhand dealer. once more put through a
critical examination as to possibilities, and
with catering" or 'rrmodeling' made to go
through the winter, than ever before within
the memory OF any onel Even the wife of a
prominent ex-offlcial confesses that she has
not had a single new ''dud," bonnet. glove,
boot, or ribbon for one solid year, Besides,
they broke up housekeeping to save expense,
and yet she says she has had good time and
enjoyed herself in spite of fate Because, 1
say, she respected herself in doing it and rose
above criticisms shafts. 1t takes a person
with brains and self-poise to stand right up to
the big end of situation and take hold of it
as though there never was and never would
be Mrs. GrGndy to criticised Or, even if
there is. who that is worth nickel cares for 1t?
1t is the folks who go right along and ad-
just themselves and their lives to circum-
stances who amount to anything or are any
body anywhere.
One does not need to belong to the elect to
have self-respect and independence to do the
right thing. Nor are the virtues and finer
sentiments of humanity and noble living all
confined to the upper circles. Not much
There are hundreds of houses in Washing
windows which tell their own story, n story
which landlords and real estate men, with all
their shrewdness. have failed to apply.
What mean those empty houses the natural
homes OF the middle class? Simply this: the
rents are too high.
The people outside and inside of the gov
ernment departments have had their pay cut
down or been thrown out of paying employ
ment. Every avenue OF business has reduced
its working force TO the absolute necessity of
the case. but still the rents keep up. There
are undoubtedly Just as many householders
in the city as there were last year. and for
every family Of them who went away family
has come in under the new administration to
take their places. But all the same the
houses are empty and rents are still sky high.
Some people. feeling uneasy about their ap-
pointments o. other business places, have be-
gun to prepare for the rainy day by cutting
down expenses, and they have either taken
half a house with another family or gone to
boarding
Many of the clerks of business houses, with
the printers thrown out OF work by the type
setting machines. the mechanics out of Job
or waiting for the pay for one already over
due every one of these has had to retrench
somewhere. and they have found the biggest
hole in their income to be house rent at the
old inflated rates,
Landlords would not come down, so these
Dtople nave ulONtu bul anu gone INTO u CO.
operative renting OF house big enough to
hold two families.
Il is not the easiest thing in the world to do
to live with two families under the same roof,
where there is that little love of
ontention-children rights to preserve
One or the other family will either be or
consider itself Imposed upon." and too
much noise overhead or too little attention
by one or the other party 10 the halls and
stairs form a fruitful theme for discomfort
There is nothing like it in the fashionable fiat
Yet money finishes here nobly but in all
these that the children might have the neces-
sary food and clothing. and they keep out of
debt
Even all these sacrifices so cheerfully made
have not in some instances kept that last
devouring savage wolf from the door,
More's the pity of it,
1t is the hardest thing in life to pay for
things all used up to tatters. when other
needs are clamoring TO be met next pay
day!
Don't you know how it is yourself? Don't
you feel for other people In the samesboat?
Does it make you fierce" or does it make
you better man or woman to be for a while
near to these depths of despair? These are
the questions that come home to US. for there
are lots of US sailing close to the wind beside