The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1898-01-28

A AightEown model was the negin-
ning Of mrr Fortune.


CWrlticn Tor tho Sunday Commercial Tribuno)
Here ia a true story Of a young womau'a
failure and success as a bread winner In
New York. She came to the city from q lit
tie country town, Intending to 90 on the
stage
That was ave years ago. She was hand
some. and had a talent for dress. and. per-
hapa. q talent for acting. but Of that no
ono can speak with much assurance, for
she has never had any chance TO act She
bealoged managers and agents only TO meet
with plentiful anuba from the responsible
ones. her only chances Of engagement
came from the ahakloat Of travelling com
panles. and. as she had no money to spend
IN paying her own way home from remote
parts OF the country. as she dlsllked walk
ing long distances aud had always a level
head. she would not leave the city.
In the meanwhile. as she was very clev-
er at sewing and demonstrated Il in her
own clothes she managed among the ae-
tresaea she encountered TO get some en-
ployment for her needle. She worked ex-
traordlnarlly well for inferior prices, aud
among dressmakers that ls a method sure
TO furnish bread. II not butter.
For a year she was a most unsettled,
unhappy creature. and only making enough
70 keep soul and body together.
Tho only chance she got for appearing
on the stage was IN the chorus Of comic
opera. She did not find the atmosphere
very congenlal. and when she was re-
quested to appear In tights and very little
else, she gave up her position and her his
trlonio ambitions at the same time. She
settled down to attend to her dressmak-
ing for all 1t was worth.
At that time she was living In a wretch
ed little room. IN which she slept and
sewed and cooked and ate. She lived on
the cheapest food. mainly rice, for two
weeks. to save money enough to carry Out
little scheme she had in her head. This
was to make a nightdress after a pretty
novel idea Of her own, and then try ant
sell 1t as a model to one Of the big shops
She succeeded and got $40 for It. Nov
she has enough ahead to try another steI
she had conceived as likely to advance
her She went to a young actress who wal
to appear in a new Costume part" Of thu
eighteenth century, and offered TO maxi
one Of the gowns for nothing If the actres
would give her the benefit Of her inhuenc
in getting more work The actress hat
none too much money herself, and our he
roine managed by some arts and argumen
to get the Job.
Enough Of the preliminary steps, and lie
US look at the dressmaker as she Is now
She rents a beautiful house on one Of tn
cross Streets near Fifth avenue. Part o
the first floor she let's to a fashlonabl
physician, and his is the only sign tina
appears on the dwelling, she is too swell
for a sign. She has two or three othe
dodgers, and the rest Of the house is use
by herself and the thirty seamtresses sd
employs.
Last summer, in the dull season, sh
went to Newport, and cleared 5000 In tw
months She dresses very beautifully her
self, and gives her costumes a little touc
of picturesqueness that advertlses her tai
ent to the theatrical folk, who are still he
chief customers. She says their patronag
Is the only connection with the stage sh
wants now. She is still young and hand
some, and certainly has a fair prospect {
a fortune at as early an age os the sue
cessful self-made man generally achieve
it.
arrrnnr1, ,nrrrr ~ In