Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-26


divorce may not stand fire. If your hus-
pand chose to nag you, he might test the
validity of the decree, and it might turn
out that you had no divorce after all your
pains and expense. People usually, though,
VINO go to Oklahoma often take their next
husband or wife along and get married
again the same day they are divorced so
that complications thus arise to make a
hard task of doing anything with them.
Yes. you might take your attorney from
here with you, but that would be very eX-
| pensive."
How much does a divorce cost, any
way?" I asked
The Cost of u Divorce.
THAT depends to some extent on how
| much a woman wants divorce. and how
much she has to spend. have had women
come in here and say first off in cold Blood
| I'll pay you $1,000 to get me a divorce.
Can you do it,? Generally speaking, the
cost Is much less. There is the retainer's
fee of $40, and-wall, all told, If you con-
Guide to proceed, it will cost you about
$780,
l left the lawyer, promising to tell my
husband l wanted a divorce and report for
further instructions, 1t had occurred to
me, however, that it might be cheaper
to have funeral. 1 therefore repaired to
tho shop OF an undertaken, who is adver-
| Using bargains in coffins-'With a glass,
SO; without glass, SIS; cloth-covered, 500;
| varnised. $751; etc.
To have undertaker's Unborn sense of
the external fitness of things, I would part
| with my great logical mind, and count it
no loss. While 1 waited in his office, the
undertaken drove up in phaeton, and be-
side him. under the black lap robe, a
small white coffin. He walked into the Of
flee with an expression of cOuntenance that
assured me before a word was spoken how
deeply he sympathized with me in my great
atfliction. Anybody but an undertaken is
likely to wear blonde or even bright red
hair in the presence of a heart bowed
down. But the hair, eyebrows and whiskers
of this man were just as black as his hat
His trousers. to be sure, seemed to lapse
into forsetfulness they were Gray--but the
coat and vest We're oh! thoughtfully
bound with black braid that. after all. the
less somber tone of the trousers became a
gentle conSO!ation--a reminder of the period
when second mourning permits sorrowing
widow to look up and take notice.
II have a friend" ! said. whose hus-
band is certain to depart in day or two,
and she wished me to learn the expense of
a funeral so that she can make up her
| mind just what she wants done with him.
She has thought of taking him home TO
Maine for the funeral, and she don't know
but she'll bury him here. and she wanted
to know If you bum them.
Il do everything. he, answered. land I'm
certain my prices can't be beat in the city.
About the burning, l. wouldn't advise it.
If you have had No experience. of course,
you can't judge. Bat it's not pleaSant-not
at all. l don't think you would like it.
But about the funeral l can get up one
that can't fail to please the most particu-
lar. 1 take it that you want things nice
without being observation-disclosures hing Styl-
ish and at the same time plain. l can
show you splendid line of coffins. Now
that one always gives perfect satisfaction.
Or If you to 80 higher. here is
coffin, $50 with the tassels and $I5 without,
all fitted up-upholstered inside with satin.
fine handles and nice plate the size of
that book for engraving the name Not a
solid silver plate--oh, no; but it's just as
solid as you want or you'll get anywhere
It's triple-pla ted on white metal, and
wears-l never saw anything wear like it,
I've dug them up after six or seven years
and not a speck Of rust on them.
Remains and Flowers.
Now about the remains. You would
wish them embalmcd? Yes, it's much
pleasanter 1 always aim to have every
| thing just as pleasant as possible about my
! funerals. For flowers you can spend as
| much or little as you like. 1 can get you
| a nice wreath for So. A cross and crown
comes higher, and so do pillows and gates
| Q jar. A pillow looks nice. Well. We'll say,
then, $40 for flowers and do the best we
| can. The hearse will be six dollars-that's
| with the plumes and everything complete.
| Carriages come $3.50 apiece. Trust me,
| they'll be in nice shape, everything to
match-black horses for the mournerS' car
| riages, and all the drivers in uniforms with
brass buttons. l can provide a grave and
| tombstone, too, if you like. Eighteen dol
lars for just as nice grave as you want
| and $40 for a first-class headstone. Alto
gether that makes-et me see-$lGO, every
| thing first-class, and nothing omitted. You
needn't take my word for it, but l know
| you can't get funeral anywhere in the
country at prices to beat those figures
From the Undertaken to the Dress
| maker.
Promising to telephone IT, as he deli
| cately put it, anything unexpected came
along in the night, 1 followed the natural
| course of woman's grief from the under
| takers to the dressmaker's.
1 went to whom McAllister McWard as
sures me is the smartest tailor in town,
| and said: Il have friend who is expecting
! her husband to depart any hour. What ar
rangement have you for fixing her out in
| mourning?"
ooh, we send right to the house and
| fit, and we can get an order out as quick
as anybody, though the more time you
| can let us have the better"
And what do you suggest for the
| widow"
"Well, of course she'll want complete
street suit-drap d'etat, or something like
| that-with a handsome cape or coat. Then
| she will need house dress of. say. ere
| gown. Yes, we supply the bonnet and
| Veil also That will be s15. young wo-
| man? Then she can put on the widows
| ruche at once If she cares to- 1t is very
| becoming 1 think she would like it.
Everything, including the bonnet, would
| amount to $3.50. Do you care to take sam
pies along now? IL
Replying that I guessed I'd wait till he
| was dead went on, and as l went reck-
! ored the combined cost of a funeral and
widows weeds. In all, it amounts to $31O
| AS against this Is a divorce obtainable
| on the ground of wanting one at $780,
which goes to show that divorce, besides
| being more certain than death, is less ex-
| pensive.
Still there are people who harp about
the evils of the American divorce!
PAULINE PRY.
Love and Life.
To the Editor of The Evening STAR
Perhaps to many who seem to admire,
hut ara rnyStified as to the meaning of