The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-03

u
ed to have but $3.50 u week left; so
| cents of this lay away rcligiously for
(; probable doctors bill, my half-yearly
{. visits to the dentist and my presents
Tor the home folks. This leaves me 81
with which to clothc myself, and that
isn't exactly an easy feat to perform.
Still you have no idea how much can
be bought with 81 until YOU try, and L
have made 4 study of this kind of
thing. The firm for which work re-
quircs us all to wear black in the
store, and, although some of the girls
consider this an outrage, they are
mainly the ones who live at home and
work for pocket money. Those of us
who are paying our own way are glad
enough of this rule, for the company
allows us two dresses year, and wo
can have them made in the BRIDESMAIDS
ing department. This is nineteenth
century illustration of the Bible saying
that TO him that hath shall DC given
for the girls who work in the poorer
stores and have smaller salaries do not
have this advantage, and yet they
must always look neat and tidy. I do
not know how 1 should manage if 1
had to buy my gowns.
entire year, for Sundays and all, with
the addition of pretty waist for win
ter, and three shirt waists in the sum-
NOR. Late in the autumn, when sum
1ucr goods are very cheap, I buy n
pretty, cool lawn or challc, and I make
1T up the following spring. EIy land
lady is very kind to us girls, and we
make our clothes on her sowing ma
chino we, ~ Il Il. T
have to pay for the making, and that
clsc-cithcr one of my classes, or cloth.
ing that was really necessary. As I've
got Il little common sense, know that
l must dress warmly in the winter
and, besides, I've got Il horrible dread
OF being i'll and losing my position, SO
look after my shoes and underclothing
first, and my fincry afterward.
ut takes me three weeks to save
enough for pair of boots, for very
cheap shoes don't do when you stand
most of the time, and l wear out two
pairs year besides pair of Oxfords
III the summer. These cost me alto
gcther s., and another 81 goes for re-
soling them. Being down town so
much, know when real, bona-fide
sale is in progress, and if I can do so
always take advantage of anything
of this sort, in the way of footwear
especially. With the money l save
in this manner l purchase pair
of slippers for house wear Zone
pair lasts me two years. and pair of
light rabbers, and any surplus money
remaining | add to my emergency
fund. A dollar or so extra is very
handy when Il tooth must be filed, or
at Christmas time.
Il never wear wooden hose, and good
| tlcecc-lincd stockings can be bought
for - cents in the spring. so [ buy nv
! winter stockings then, and in the fall l
! get my summer hose for the same price.
Two pairs of each kind supply me, al
though often give them away ut the
end of the season, with a good deal of
wear still in them, and thus my feet
cost me sl1 Il year"
My undcrclothing comes next, and,
as one supply will last Inc two seasons,
buy my winter things one year and
my summer underwear and corscts the
| next. In the cold Wcat hcr wooden I'M
der garments are necessary, coming
as do straight from the steam-heated
store to the cold outer air, and l usual
~ pay So for two sets. a pair of wooden
tights cost me Sl.25 and flannel skirt
swclls the sum to So making Il total
cost of So for heavy underwear. Sum-
ncr clothing is not SO expensive, es-
pecially as sales of muslin underwear
arc frequent. But / need three pairs
of corsets in two years, and, as find
1T cheaper i'll the end to buy good ones,
the total for the summer is about the
same as for winter, and 1 spend So
every year for Undertaking, includ-
ing night garments and the extra tow
els l find it necessary to provide myself
with if | wish to battle frequently, or
use something little softer than a
hucllabaclz for my face. Eleven dollars
added to IS makes total of $40. as
you will easily see, and hairpins,
shoe laccs, pins. buttons, needles and
thread, writing paper ink and the nu-
mcrous other sundrics necessary to n
woman raise the sum to $50, leaving G5o
for my outer garments"
''Of this usually spend s. for two
hats-a winter hat and summer hat
there are no such things as spring and
fall millinery for the girl who lives on
g. wcclI), and another dollar provides
me with q cheap sailor hat for the very
warm weather, dotted net veil for
Sundays, and q gauzc veil for the cold
weather, as being so much in n warm
atmosphere makes my skin tender and
obligcs me to wear a veil when the
wind is strong or keen. SO my MILL
merry costs me sc year.
"Thrcc dollars is my yearly allow
ancc for gloves, and need q pair of
warm kid mittcns for the winter, n
pair of dark gloves for spring and au-