The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-12-24

preacher, but it is the economies of the
rich that really deserve our cOndemna-
ton. Preachers are forever echoing the
querulous complain int of the disciples over
the "waste' Of the precious ointment that
the loving woman poured on his bead,
forgetful that Christ defended her ex-
trayagance.
What foods Of pulpit eloquence were
wasted Oh Mrs. Bradley Martin and her
famous ball. One would have thought
that this woman was a sinner above all
others. Yet it is highly probable that
Mrs. Bradley Martin and some of the
motley crew who danced at her function
will walk into the kingdom of heaven
some distance ahead Of the pious Bap-
fist or Methodist or Presbyterian who
gives literally to the pastors salary and
the missionary cause with one hand and
| all and her laundress with the other.
1t is said that Miss Grace Dodge once
asked in one of her working girls clubs:
what message shall | carry for you to
your wealthy sistcrsT' and the reply was:
Tell them not to deny themselves any
| luxuries.' She spoke Of one rich woman
who the previous winter had ordered a
$500 wardrobe for baby. and the order
had given employment for many weeks
/ TO- large number of girls who would
| otherwise have been idle. No doubt there
were plous economists who held up their
| hands over such sinful cxtravagance. and
| inquired why that money was not ''given
| to the poor 1t was given to the poor,
and given i'll tn" best possible way. If
the eXtravagant WOMAN had sent check
! for $500 to benevolent fund she would
! have been Landed as Il benefactress and
model Christian.
| We are apt to forget that there are
two classics Of the poor; one class asks
| aims, the other asks merely work and
! # ma NJ for tb(.
! work.
The woman whose tXtravag Noes fur
niSh work for this latter class of poor
may not be able to get herself into the
ranks of public brnefa rtnrs. hut she has
her place i'll the economy of things and.
| consciously or unrOnSciouSiy. she does
benefit society by tn" extravaganza which
puts money into the purse Of the working
| girl or the working man. The rich wom-
an hears many lectures On the RESPONSE
bility that wealth brings. and the duty of
giving her money i'll charity is constantly
held up before her. But spending is DO
less duty than giving. The woman
who considers the need Of all those who
serve her in an Industrial capacity and
| who pay generous wages for her work is
doing her share in the solution of the in
dustrial problem. There is 10 scarcity
of money in this country. every one ac-
knowledges that. All that is needed is Il
| StuSIdl ioOSSulUS VI pun anu d
thoroughly Christian extrava gance on the
part of those who pay wages toward
those who are the wage-earnerS
| A wealthy woman was complaining re-
Gently of the price cha rged by her laun-
dress. ut makes me- furious" she said,
''to think how cheap she will wash for
other people and how much she charges
me. just because ] am abb" to pay it.
well. said Il plain-spoken friend. in
| stead of grumhling at the price she
charges. you ought to ba rejoicing that
you are able to pay it. You ought to
consider it one Of the privileges and bless
ings of being rich that you can pay
princely wages to all who work for you.
Every woman of generous impulses will
tell you that one of the hardest features
of poverty is that it forces one to be mig
gardly toward those who are poorer than
ones self. Laundry work is very hard
You are not paying one cent more than
the work is worth. and. instead of grum-
bling you ought to be consratulatinS
yourself on your opportunities for DONG
the right and just thing" New York
Times.