The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-03
ASHAMED OF WORK.
Earned Her Living CreditabIy, bu-
Did Not Wish 1t known

New York Evening Sun.
The woman who is ashamed of work ana
OF being known as a workingwoman is not
yet extinct. Even in these sensibIy progress
sive times she is stil TO be met with now
and then. AS curiosity she is interesting;
as a survival of the unfittest she is una
countable and unworthy of contempt A
young woman in this city recently provided
an unparalleled example of this sort
Poor and alone in the world so far as the
nearest ties of blood are concerned. so that
there is really no relative upon whom she
can sponge with impunity the young
woman is obliged to earn her living. She
does this in the way falling to the lot OF
nine out of every twenty women-she
teaches. The position is a fortunate one
the school is large and fashionable, the
young Womans associates congenial, and
her labors neither arduous nor unremunera-
tive Her New \ ork friends who know her
as successful teacher had no suspicious
that she could be anything but proud OF 1t.
One day last winter. however, the young
woman called upon one of those friends
and announced that for the next six weeks
her cousin would be staying in the city.
He was. said the young woman. middle
aged Widower of some means, and he had
not been in this part of the world for-oh,
ever so long! "Iie isn't a very near cousin,
you know" she went on. Just my second
or third, or something of the sort, and he
doesn't know much about me nor my cir
cumstances. But he is a thorough man Of
the world and it would shock him terri
bly, to find out that | teach. Born and
brought up in the South he has all those
horribly strict, OlQ-1dSnlOneQ nOuOiS dpOut
women, and his having lived so long
abroad hasn't changed these by any means.
He would think it a positive disgrace that
his cousin, one of his kinSwomen, should
work Therefore he must be kept from
knowing it. By no chance shall he find it
out. He will, as ] say, stay IN New York
for at least six weeks; he will stay at one
of the fashionable hotels and he will see
great deal of me, but he mustn't dream
that l. earning my living. Now | want
to bring him to call upon YOU want that
oh 81 & dine prob
ably invite you and Mr.. Blank TO go to the
theater with us: but, mind you, not hint
New York" But" gasped the woman to
whom all this was addressed, now are you
going to explain things? In what way yin
you account for living at the schooi!
s.Oh. that's all right" said the girl. I've
written him that I'm taking special
course of study there. He'll never suspect
unless some Of my fTiends Retray yo me b an
ter not" said the woman. 80 Tar as a
desire to help you goes I'm willing enough,
but you know how perverse l am. WITH
ont meaning to. / shall be sure to blurt it
right out, just because l Know ouBntH1;
You'd better not risk it." But the girl SAID
she was willing to run any fisk sooner Jllai
have her cousin know that she worked
The woman mentioned the moral aspect or
the case pointing out that 1t would amount
to deliberate lie Doesn't Worry men me IN
every penny of the cost and the game
worth the candle Why, my cousin would
never speak to me II he dreamed were d
workingwoman and I count on you to help
me keep it secret" The cousin came, spent
bis six weeks in New York and gave his
Young VOC cousin a gIoriously good time. He
saw much of her friends. and, thanks vd to
tact diplomacy or lying, just as you
choose, and q real regard for the girl, no
hint was dropped which would make him
suspect the truth. 1t was extraordlnafy
how well the farce was Kept up. but not
b9lf % extraordinary say these same
friends, "as the existence in this enlight-
ened age of a woman who works Tor ner
living and is ashamed of it.