The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-06
WOMANS WORLD.
Lay Sermon for Rich Women who
Practice Economics.
SOME PHASES OF POVERTY
That are Dlshenorabls ami of Eeonon,y
That are Positive AIsannsAs The Right
SORT of Extravaganza Cardinal vlrnr,
Glass Hats, u .Mlninsrs Inrsa,lou,
When Girls Use Slang FashlOa4 Faa.
Slss.
oh. mother. IN homes thaI are happy

Where Christmas comes laden with
x cheer,
Where the children arg d Gaming already
OF the merriest day IN Iha year
Az you gather youl lnss around you
And tell them the'''stOry oil old
Remember the homes that are dreoly!
Remember the hearts that are cold!
And thanking the love that has lowered
you
With aft that is dearest and best,
Give freely, that from your abundance
Some bare little life may be blessed!
Oh, 20 where the stockings hang empty,
Where Christmas Is naught but name,
And give-for the love OF the Chrlst-chlldl
Twas 10 seek such rs these that He
Ellen Manly in Christmas Ladies' Home
Journal,
Letter in New York Times; Poverty
Is q thing OF Iahnite variety, and a hui
man beings way of being poor Is 4
very good index to his or her character,
There is the poverty that gets new
dress every season aud cannot afford 10
pay che dressmakers bill; the poverty
that buys lace curtains and velvet car
pets. and borrows It's books from the
circulating library; the poverty that
puts $40 worth OF millinery on its head,
but Is too poor TO buy a tickle, to a con-
cert or lecture; the poverty that
wears diamonds, but cannot send a
child kindergarten; thepovecty that
says to society; Take all have buti
cannot give anything to che church;
the poverty that buys cut-glass dish
bnt cannot afford TO take magazine
the poverty that wears silks and satlns
over ragged undeIclothes; the poverty
that rides In It's carriage and pays star
walton wages TO the washerwoman; the
poverty that gloats over It's bank ac-
count and cannot afford TO take va.
cation: the poverty that nives a dinner
party. and cuts down the family prnvis-
ion bill In, order to nay for It,
The old saving. Poverty Is no dis
grace, hut II is very announcement" Is
only about halt true, and most OF the
truth Hes tn the latter half OF H. Il Is
always very Ineonvenient." and II mag
be very disgraceful There Is an hon
orabte poverty and dishonorabie one;
a well-bred poverty and an lll-bred
poverty; a noble poverty and mean
poverty; a stingV poverty and gener-
Gus poverty; Christian poverty and an
un.Christian poverty: an aristocratic
poverty and vulgar poverty; wise
poverty and stupid poverty; a pov-
erty tina: commands our admiration and
respect, and poverty that tempts US
to scorn and derision.
We may not he able 10 escape wholly
from the thralls of poverty, but II Is en-
tirely in our power TO say what form OF
Il we shall manifest. The metaphyst-
clans tell US that poverty Is a disease,
See that yours Is not that disease of the
.oul which clothes the body and the
outward life with the appearances Of
wealth, While the spiritual nature Is
slowly starved; but choose rather men,
tai and spiritual opulence, even though
this be associated with the externals OF
poverty. In ceaslng to be "disgracefu"
poverty loses most OF Its "inconvenl-
ence."
It~sounds paradoxlcal but II is very
true that economy Is the cause OF n
great deal OF poverty The economy Of
the rich Is at the bottom OF much OF
the poverty of the poor.
/ do not known how economy ever
got into the list OF virtues Probably
Poor Richards Almanac, with It's stln-
kv, poor-hOusc maKins, helped to put
II there. II Is very dubious sort of
virtue indeed and cuts sorry figure
alongside the real virtues, such as gen
eroslty. Justice and charity. II Is about
as much OF virtue as Is resignation.
Most of the resignation rnat parades IT,
self before the world as Christian viz
tue Is nothing but pure iaElHess and
much OF our boosted economy is moth
ing but meanness--just plain, common
meanness. Economy is virtue only
when practiced by people OF limited
means. or those in financial straits and
even such people must watch them
selves closely lest the virtue degener-
ale into vice. for from economy to nv
arlce 1t is but step, and q short one
The extravaganza Of the rich are the
frequent themes OF the morallst and the
preacher but II Is the economies OF the
rich that really deserve our condcmna-
ton Preachers are forever echoing the
duerulous complaint or the Disciples
over the waste" OF the precious ONT
ment that the loving woman poured on
HIS head. forgetfuI that Christ defend
ed her extravaganza,
What foods OF pulpit efoquence were
wasted on Mrs Bradley Martin and her
famous ball one would have thought
that this woman was n sinner above all
others Yet It is highly probable that
Mrs. Bradley Martin and some Of the
motley crew who danced at her function
viii walk into the Kingdom OF Heaven
some distance ahead Of the plous Bap
fist or Methodist or Presbyterlan who
gives Literally 10 the pastors salary
and the missionary cause with one hand
and cuts down the wages OF her sewing
woman and her laundress with the 9th.
or
II Is said that Miss Grace Dodge once
asked In one OF her Working Girls
Clubs "what message shall carry
from you to your wealthy Blstcrs?" and
the reply was. Tell them not to deny
Themselves any Inquiries" Sho spoke OF
one rich woman who the previous win.
ter had ordered 1--WE hundred dollar
wardrobe for baby and the order had
nlven employment FOR many weeks to
q lnrGe number Of grls who would oth-
erwlse have been idle No doubt there
were ploua economists who held MP thelr'
haHda over such sinful extravaganza
and inquired why that money was not
given 10 the poor" II WAS given to the
Door. and given In The best possible
wng II the cxtrnVnRaut woman had
sent q check for $500 30 a benevolent