The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-05-06
A SELF-MADE WOMAN.
A NlGHTGCNN MODEL TEE BEGIN
MING OF HER FORTUNE.


ure and Success as a Bread Winner in
New York City-sht Became Dressmaker
for Theatrical Felix
Here is true stary of young wo-
mans failure and success as a bread
winner in New YORK. She came to the
city from little country town intend
ing to go on the stage.
That was five years ago. She was
handsome, and had talent for dress,
and perhaps ta.,irt for acting, but OF
that no one can speak with much as
surance, for she las never had any
chance to act. She besieged managers
and agents only t. meet with plentiful
snubs from the responsible ones; her
only chances of engagements came
from the shakes. of travelling con-
Germs, and as she had no money to
spend in paying her own way home
from remote parts of the country, as
she disliked walking long distances and
had always a levej head, she would not
leave the city.
In the meanwhile as she was very
clever at sewing and demonstrated it
in her own clothes she managed among
the actresses she encountered TO get
some employment for her needle. She
worked eXtraordiI arily well for inferi-
or prices, and amgng dressmakers that
is method sure to furnish bread, il
not butter.
For year she IVES a most unsettled,
unhappy creature, and only making
enough to keep body and soul togeth-
er.
The only chance she got for appear
ing on the stage was in the chorus of
comic opera. Che did not find the
atmosphere very ccngenial, and when
she was requested to appear in tights
and very little csc, she gave up her
position, and her histrionic ambitions
at the same time. She settled down to
attend to her d. essmaking for all it
was worth.
At that time she was living in a
wretched little IOom, in which she
slept and sewed and cooked and ate.
She lived on the cheapest food, main
ly rice, for two Weeks, to save money
enough to carry out little scheme
she had in her head. This was to make
a night-dress after pretty, novel idea
of her own, and then try and sell it as
a model to one of the big shops.
She succeeded I'D got $40 for it. Now
she was enough ahead to try another
step she had conc sived as likely to ad-
vance her. She vent to young &C
tress who was to appear in a new COS
tune part" of thu: eighteenth century,
and offered to make one of her gowns
her the benefit of her influence in get
ting more work. The actress had none
too much money iSrself and our hero
inc managed by some arts and argu-
ment to get the jth.
Enough of the preliminary steps, and
let us look at the cressmaker as she is
now. She rents a beautiful house on
one of the good CT oss streets near Fifth
avenue. Part of sfe first floor she lets
to fashionable physician, and his is
the only sign that appears on the
dwelling; she is too swell for a sign.
She has two or th":e other dodgers, and
the rest of the house is used by herself
and the thirty stamstresses she en-
ploys.
Last summer il the dull season she
went to Newport and cleared $500 in
two months. She dresses very beauti-
fully herself, and gives her costumes
little touch of picturesqueness that
advertise her taltnt to the theatrical
folk, who are still her chief customers.
She says their patronage is the only
connectiCl she wants with the stage
now. She is stu young and hand
some, and certainly has fair prospect
of fortune at as early an age as the
successful self-made man generally
achieves it.