The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13
Cnnvrirht. ISIS.

by if YOU or i or our dearest friend or
our bitterest enemy wore shabby gown,
didn't go to the opera, gave up the car
riage or was not seen on an ocean steamer
that year, the explanation-a very weak
one-always was that I'VE didn't care to-
AS if any woman would prefer wearing
shabby frocks, as if any woman, wheth-
err she liked music or not, would prefer
to give up the opera, or as if any woman
or any man, for that matter-preferred
to give up the good things Of life! But
we used 10 be such fools about it. Weak
as the explanation was, we pretended TO
believe that other people believed us. Ev-
erybody knew that we were liars, and
prtty poor ones. Nowadays We tell the
truth and shame that worldly gentleman
in black. and people call US noble. Madam
Aristocrat. who is as stingy as ever she
can be. goes visiting in a frock made in
the DAYS OF the Modes and Persians,
clasps her hands in a tragic way and SAYS:
81 know I am a sight. but l really cam
not AFFORD a new frock." 1t is fashion
able 10 BE poor. though there are great
many people who are in fashion who
would rather have more ducats and be
less stylish. Suu this truth telling fe-
yer is not as bad as it might be, for it
does give a reason. and a sensible one,
for a great many things. 1t makes it
possible for mere ordinary everyday peo-
pie to do as they should and keep out of
debt, and to be perfectly frank as to why
they are not foolishly extravagant.
1t is always the poor who are extrava-
CANT The rich woman utilities every
scrap of material, has every gown made
over and keeps rich because she Is eco
nomical. The poor woman is so desper-
ately afraid of being thought poor that
she goes into debt, does not give the
proper wear to her belongings and car
ries a burden on her shoulders that makes
her old and ugly before her time. once
had the pleasure of going into the ward
robe room Of, a very wealthy woman, and
that wardrobe room was an object lesson
to me. 1t was large, light room on the
top floor of the house, with wardrobes
built around il on all sides. drawers be-
ing under these wardrobes, and with high
shelves built above them to hold bonnet
boxes. Here all gowns were kept Those
that were to be worn were ready for as
sumption. Those that had been worn
came up to be brushed, looked over and
carefully put away Here all day long
sat two maids sewing. brushing and max
ing over, while the greatest care was
given to each portion of a frock when it
was put away. Sleeves were stuffed with
tissue paper to keep them in shape. Bits
of colored tissue paper went over white
lace to prevent its becoming yellow. Par
asols were softly wrapped in thin white
wool stuff. Boots, shoes and slippers
We're all on their trees and standing in
the drawers. Every hat box had written
upon It in big letters a terse description
of the hat in it, so that she did not lose
ones temper by going through innumer-
able boxes searching for one particular
chapeau. Most remarkable of all were
the boxes filled with gowns that had been
ripped apart. When a dress had done its
duty in life, the thrifty maid took it, rip
ped IL carefully apart, made it immacu-
lately clean and then sized it's possibili-
ties. The silk lining was folded, and
on the paper wrapping It was written,
Here is enough purple silk to make "a
petticoat." The brocade that formed
the dress was also carefully done up,
its measurement described, and there
was suggested in writing, This will
make handsome sofa pillow" or This
may be developed into party bags OF
chair covers" The finely cut steel but
tons were wrapped separately and box
ed. The laceS were cleaned and care
fully basted on sheets of colored paper
and laid in large fiat boxes. Absolute
ly nothing was wasted. The consequence
is when a new dress is to be made. after
some thought has been given, to its gen.
eral style, the maid will remind the mod
iste of the exquisite lace hounce already
possessed, of the finely cut rhinestone buc-
kle that was on the pink satin or of the
set of steel buttons that appeared on an
other gown, and any one of these is ready
TO go forward and do duty again. Feathers
from bonnets are in special boxes. Flow
ers are carefully Strengthened out and
thought given 10 their possible use. Moth
ing is counted worthless unless ii is so,
and the consequence is that this woman
can afford TO be generous. She does not
give away old dinery, but when she wants
TO help she can afford to put her hand in
her purse and offer money to whoever
needs it,
Apropos of giving. laughed in a half
hearted way the other night. My hair
dresser, who Is a widow with four small
children to support and an aged mother
10 care for. was Juggling an enormous
brown paper box as she entered the Bah
mansion. She spoke of her arm being
tired, but said one of her customers had
given her this box early in the day. and
told her it was full of some things THAI
WOulu De uSelul 10 ner. Now, "A good
many heads have 10 be dressed to SUM-
port whole family; consequently every
thing must be valued at its proper con.
sideration by this busy woman. I sup
pose she saw the curiosity in my ewes.
but she told me that If / would allow her
she would open the box, as she would like
10 see Der presents. / realized as looked
exactly how mean rich woman can be.
In that box were torn workbags, broken
SETS Of pigs in clover" shattered fans.
faded cotillon favors and a few miserable.
looking ribbons that could not have been
utilized even for a doll-just such a lot
OF rubbish as one gets when an old chesr
OF drawers is cleaned out-and this accum.
nlation of nonsense and trash was offered
with an air of pride 10 a hard worl,ini.
woman who would have appreciated some
thing sensible, but who had absolutely no
room for such rubbish. / often wonder
what the good God thinks Of such char
fly. And / often wonder what the peo-
pie who give such things expect the re-
cipients TO do with them. But they keen
on giving them, and the people selected
10 receive these doubtful blessings are
obliged 70 take them and to smile ana he
have exactly as If they had received some
thing worth having
We used TO think that London and Paris
were far ahead of us I'm their smart SHOW
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