Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-16
ALe.n E.nensive once Broker.

! this woman until she had first tried less
| expensive office broker whom 1 afterward
visited.
Less Expensive once Broker.
| This wal. also woman. but gray, grave
without a4,}y # the strong points of the
other-not even the elusive and seductive
charm which the appearance of an un-
written his tory lends a woman.
Like thYpthef, this old woman demanded
SO a month during my continuance in Of
| fee. in event of her procuring me place
Her retainer fee, however. was extremely
| modest. not more than s., she said. and
urmjstakable Ritegrity of character caused
her to feel and express much compunction
| at takina even this. Her record was as
modest as the retainer she asked. She had
| put one girl in office who had paid her 80
at frst, and. having her salary raised from
| $50 to SIS through the efforts of the broker,
increased the latter's share per month to
ST. She had Stree made several unsuccess-
ful attempts to repeat this success but mad
| failed Yet she had hopes in tho new Con-
sress which encouraged her to believe that
| If cared to have her undertake the work
she could get a place. incidentally she
work. and when told her that I had writ
ten a little she said she thought that If
| were to write some pieces about Washing
ton could make a great deal of money.
| She knew a woman who makes $500
| year doing this. 1 Immediately asked the
name and address of this woman, and
| learned that she is about to open school
! OF Journalism.
| Now, thought I, If here is to be unearth-
! ed an opportunity where woman may in
| vest SOD and learn how to write pieces at
the rate of $500 year. Pauline herself
will beg. borrow or steal 500 and herself
| go to school,
This teacher CT journalism. however
proved to be "Olivia." Mrs. Emily F.
| Briggs. Thus, all who know her work.
know without further particulars the prac-
teal information my query called forth.
! When 1 earned $500 a journalist"
said Olivia. Il was the only woman cor
| respondent at Washington, and it was dur
Ing the war, which furnished a journalist,
man or woman. exceptional opportunities.
| 1 doubt If woman correspondent here
now, however gifted, would be likely to
you the technicalities of journalism. but I
could not possibly assure your success; and
! certainly If you have only 500 at your dis
poSal and no positive ability for the work,
would advise you to turn your attention
elsewhere"
| An Office WOmnn's Experience.
| number of replies to my advertisement
brought me nothing but vagarious schem-
ers, whose one clear. practical idea was to
possess themselves of my 800.
Finally, after a wild goose chase in many
| directions. 1 ran down the women who
| were able to give me thoroughly practical
| ideas of what a woman with a very small
I
| husband. Oddly enough, these two really
valuable sources of information were
wholly disinterested. and animated by a
purely philanthropic motive in replying to
! my advertisement.
| l found the first in coy home in the
| northwest. Loving kindness radiated from
every feature of her face. that betrayed
patient struggling with physical suffer
| ing.
II don't know that you will but think
me meddlesome.' she said. but happen
ed to read your advertisement and 1
| thought perhaps my experience might help
You. Have you husband and family? Do
you own your own home? Board? Well.
| then. l am, glad l wrote to you. When
| was your ase.t 7 acquired, by saving money,
which 1 earned in office. Just the same as
you have totinvest. l was in Office when
was mapriAd. and while my husband
earned sufficient to support US decently, we
| thought it would be nice to have the extra
amount 1 earned. and as my work was not
| burdensome, l continued in office until my
| second child was three years old. The
! idea on which we started that from our joint
| salaries We would be able to get some
thing ahead. soon passed into a sort of
| dismal tradition. and as the children were
| born and our expenses increased, my SAL
airy was needed to keep things even, and
| then we weren't always even by any
means. We boarded because my absence
| from home seemed to me to make keeping
| house an mpossibiity. For the same rea-
| son. l was obliged to keep a nurse and
| such a wretched lot we We're; We were
| underfed, and the children were a constant
| reproach to me- You couldn't say exactly
| that they were neglected yet there was
| something lacking of what they needed
that was clear TO any one, and right here
l want to warn you don't let anybody in
| Veisie you into any occupation that takes
you from your home, l don't care how
| much money may be promised YOU. Unless
| woman be driven forth to supply her
| family with the very bread of life, my ex-
perlence Is that for every dollar she earns
| working outside her nome more than a
| dollar is wasted at home In consequence of
| abstracting her visible presence ard mo-
mentarily watchful care from the domestic
machinery. What this absence further
costs In a sentimental but very essential
something her family lose in her is an
economic consideration impossible to es-
| innate in dollars and cents.
To he Her Own Landlord.
| "A realization Of this finally made me
| desperate and I resolved to save 500 at
| any sacrifice of myself. l went without
| clothing. and If the whole truth were known
l also went without enough to eat, until five
| ten and twenty-five cents at a time, l had
! finally accumulated the coveted sum. Then
l resigned from Office and declared in a very
| loud voice that henceforth my office was
| that of wife and mother only and that any
| further money l acquired would be got on
the principle that "a penny saved is penny
| earned
For long time had been reading real
| estate advertisements more regularly and
| devoutly than did my Bible. and from GER
| tain ones which read, Why pay rent when
| you can own your home? l got the notion
| that there are certain philanthropic capital
| lists engaged in the real estate business for
| the sole purpose of furnishing homes to poor
| but deserving people duly impressed with
| the sacred duty of owning the shrine of their
| household gods. l tried to negotiate with
| several on this assumption, and my feelings
| were dreadfully hurt. This is an awfully
matter-of-fact world. my dear, and there
| isn't much to be had in 1t without the price
| is paid with interest
| when had my 800 in hand, however,
| was of more Importance. and my logged de-
| termination to have home for my children
| became a possible factor in a real estate
transaction. This is what did. 1 found a
small house In the northeastern just where
1 wanted to live, to be sure, but the location
| was fair and not so far from the treasury
my husband could not walk to and from
| office. This house was new, sanitary in
| every respect and contained six rooms The
| price asked was $3.50. By giving a mort
| gage on 1t for $1,000 and paying down my
500 l was able to buy this. paying $35 a
month. Then l had my house and nothing
| but two babies and husband to put in it.
| We were paying $50 month for our board,
| SO a month for our VS. Shipg and n q