The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-05-12
Women and Money.
New York Correspondence of the Richmond (va)
DISPATCH.


throughout this country to be economical
that the American woman doesn't seem to
realize that she has become spendthrift.
Not only are the mass of girls of mar
riageable aye quite innocent of any knOwl-
edge of household economies, or frusality
in personal expenditures, but the advanced
woman and the fin de steele production
who may be willing to wed have any num-
Der of expenses that women never used to
have.
Alphonse Karr wrote: ''The rrodigality
of woman has reached such proportions
that one must be wealthy TO have one for
himself"
Few young men are to be blamed if
after study of possible wives, they de-
eide matrimony is too expensive for their
incomes. 1t is said that so well estab-
ished is the spendthrist trait in our wo-
men that no matter in what part of the
world they appear the natives look on the
average ALltElCdu NOhilh &c BAAhSSt7o VI
prodgiality, and the extortionate prices
foreign shopkeepers name to our compa-
triots are well known.
YOUNG MRS. Aston.
Rich young women have the instinct of
noney-spenders naturally, because they
never know the value of dollar by earn
ing it. So generally accepted is this fact
that when matrimony was suggested as
Young John Jacob Astor's intention it
was insisted that his mother would never
approve any engagement until he chose a
fancee of financial prudence. When his
engagement to Miss Willing, of Philadel-
phia, was announced it was agreed that
lust such a woman had been found. No
one could blame Mrs. Astor for her salts
faction.
Young Mrs. Astor has proved an emf
nently happy choice, and while she is
popular, lovely, and has even added to the
Aston prestige, it is well known that she
is thrifty in n sensible fashion that is
worth thousands Of dollars annually.
If Mrs Astor, with her position as
leader in New York society, can afford to
be known as an exponent of thrift
and prudence, and Mrs. J. j. Aston can
practice the same doctrine, certainly the
great mass of manageable young women
can afford to adopt similar ideas. Yet not
even the Astors can make thrift fashiona-
bic
Nor can Mrs. Cleveland. Women who
are anxious to initiate the Presidents
wife would do well to follow her practice
in financial matters. From many sources
hear she is unusually prudent in expen-
ditures of all kinds; and considering her
private income, the wealth Mr.. Cleveland
accumulated, and her position, she dresses
very moderately, and doesn't even disdaln
To wear a made-over dress.
TO be sure, among the most opulent cir
cles. there is now a tendency to encourage
Young girls to learn the value of money.
The cashier of the bank Of New Iorks
Fonr Hundred, where very young girls OF
millionaire families follow the fashion and
keep an account says that some OF these
Girls are developing unusual prudence and
thrift in handling their allowances. But
this small grain Of leaven has not spread
any into the lump.
The edict in general society. $50
abroad and economic. Come back to the
United States and cut a wide swath.
Fashionable women are willing to be known
as following those laws, but economize at
home-never.
MOTHERS CRITICISED.
Next to fashion, mothers are the mis-
chief-makers In our great prosperlng
middle class, as soon as girl is born her
mother begins the struggle to dress her
better than the other baby in the block.
The strife goes on as she grows up, and
there is no class distinction here to frown
on the impulse to rise higher in fashion or
to teach the mother the good sense of cut
ting her aspirations for the girl to fit the
family income The girl grows up with
her desires foolishly granted. She spends
money without looking at it twice. In
stead of saying, "Tll save so much money,
when she has her own little allowance, she
tries to get more than the money will pay
for. By the time she is ready to marry
she is grounded in spendthriit ways, and
to intends to give up nothing, but to gain
by marriage
Whena young man would like to endow
her with his name and fair share OF his
salary, lightning calculations decide him
that she is too expensive and hasn't any
characteristics that are likely to develop
his income and make it big enough for
two. So he cuts off his courtship with the
lovely spendthrift whole parents are not
too rich nor yet too poor, but in just that
state denominated middle, but aspiring,
don't see how young man can be
blamed in these cases. It's the girls own
parents.
If prudence could be made "fashiona-
bic" it would certainly have good effect in
families whose heads have incomes
ranging from 81, 800 to $4,000 per year.
II is in this grade of society that young
men most plead that they can't afford mat
rimony. Girls in these families are not
taught these mysteries of household econ
omies or general frugality that are daily
taught in German and French households.