The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-02
SPENDTHRIFTWOMEN
ANewYoRk CORRESPONDENT DRAWS
IT RATHER STRONG.

" RATHER STHONo.
-
E.travasansss Of which Our crandmoth-
srs Never Drssmsd--why Many Yssns
Men DO Nst HGssry--A Movement In me
| Interest Of Practical Eeonomy.
IL is so thoroughly unfashionabls
throughout this country to bo economical
that the American woman doesn't seem
" realize that she has become spend
thrift.
Not only are tho mass Of girls Of mar
riageable ago quite innocent Of any knowl-
edge Of household economies or frugality
In personal expenditures, but the advanced
woman and the I'm 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 prodignlity
of woman has reached such proportions
that one must be wealthy to have one for
himself"
Few young men arc to be blamed II aft
er q study Of possible wives they decide
that matrimony IL too expensive sor their
incomes. 1t Ia said that so we'll established
Is the spendthrift trait In our women that
no matter In what part Of the world they
appear tho natives look on the average
American woman ~ princess Of prodi-
gality, and the extortionate prices foreign
shopkeepers name TO our compatriots are
well known.
Rich young women have the instinct Of
money spenders naturally because they
never know the value of a dollar by earn
ing it, So generally accepted is this fact
that when matrimony was suggested as
young John Jacob Astor's intention 10
was insisted that his mother would nsveR
approve any engagement until he chose
. fianoee Of financial prudence When his
engagement to Miss Willing of Philadel-
phia was announced, 1t was agreed that
just such woman had been found. No
one could blame Mrs. Astor for her satis-
faction.
Young Mrs Astor has proved an emil
nently happy choice. While she Is popular,
lovely and has even added to the Astor
prestige, It is well known that she Is thrift
ty in q sensible fashion that Is worth
thousands of dollars annually
To be sure, among the most opulent cir
oles there Is now q tendency to encourage
young girls to learn the value of money.
The cashier OF the bank Of New York's
-Four Hundred, where very young girls Of
millionaire families follow the fashion and
keep an account, says that some of these
girls are developing prudence and thrift In
handling their allowances. But this small
grain of leaven has not spread into tho
lump.
The edict In general society is: $50
abroad and economize. Como back to the
United States and cut wide swath."
Fashionable women are willing to be
known as following those laws, but econo-
mize at home-never.
Next to fashion, mothers are the mis-
chief makers. In our great prospering
middle class rs soon as a girl Is born her
mother begins the struggle to dress her
better than the other baby in the block.
Che 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
teach the mother the good sense Of cutting
her aspirations for tho girl 30 fit the fam
lily income, The girl grows up with her
desires foolishly granted. She spends
money without looking at 1t twice. In
,stcad Of saying "I'll 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 spendthrift ways and
intends to give up nothing, but to gain by
marriage.
When a vouno man would like En- an.
dow her with his name and a fair share of
his salary. a lightning calculation shows
him that she Is too expensive and hasn't
iany characteristics that are likely 10 de-
uelop his income and make it bi0 enough
for two. So he cuts of his courtship with
the lovely spendthrift. whose parents ara
not too rich nor vet too poor, but in Just
that state denominat "middie. but aspir-
ing
aon,t .ce how n vouro man ran ho
Named an tbese casas It,s fba gir,,s own
naronts
To nr,aorco oor,a t,o r,aaa ..sosh,ora.
h,a >. - xvo,,Id carta,rIv h.va .,ood e..
an Families whose hasas hrye incomes
ranc,n., fro,,, q, Eoo 80 es 900 No. raar 7,
10 in tbis grade Of soc;otv tbat vo,,ng mon
,ous. nloea that thev can't afford ,natri.
monv Gir,s An thcse families ara not
tanybt tbose mvsteries ~ houseboId eco.
no,oics or genaysl frnga,,,v that arc da;Iv