The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-02-16
Shopping Is Weman's Duty
Otherwise Who Would spenl tAs
Meaey Man Harns7

nVoU here!" exclaimed the sweet.
faced old lady, seating herself
by a blooming young matron at the
lunch counter. The two were Mrs.
Golden Wedding and Mrs. June Bride.
Of Staten island. "Why, didnt know
you were coming into town to-day, my
dear" she continued. ''else we should
have arranged to take that tedious ride
together. / thought you'd finished
your shopping"
"Does a woman ever, finish shop
ping?" asked the young woman. queru-
iously. "Mr. June Bride hurts my feel
ings about this shopping business.
Will you tell me why men ridicule WON.
en- SO eterually about shopping? We
are subjects Of all sorts of newspaper
foxes because we shop, and we are con-
stantly tauuted for It by those who
pretend to care for US. One would think
that the chief end and aim Of every liv-
ing woman's existence was to 60 into
the stores and buy things that she
doesn't need, just because they are ad-
vertised al q bargain"
Az Of the women at the counter in
hearing distance gave the author Of
this outburst an encouraging sympa-
thetic look.
"rm downright glad you brought
the subject up. dearie," answered Mrs.
Golden Wedding, soothingly. "It's one
I've often wanted to speak to you about.
We poor women are all very much mis-
understood about this shopping busi-
ness." s.
There, I always said so." exclaimed
| q little woman across the counter, who
made no bones about Listening to the
conversation.
'The average man thinks the aver
age woman enjoys shopping" cdntin-
ued the old lady. "She does not, but 1t
is the business, the duty. may say, Of
the average woman, and If she neglects
| 1t her household will soon 60 to rack
and ruin"
"What's that?" asked Mrs. June
Bride. eagerly.
'.Simply this: It is mans business
! to make money and woman's business
to spend 1t. II she spends it reckless
ly and foolishly and wastefully then
she is failure. but she does not do her
full duty as wife and mother unless she
knows ehow to spend her husbands
money judiciously. wisely and well.
Man twits woman about her propen-
sity for shopping. II she didn't shop,
who would buy things? Who has the
more spare time, the man or the wom-
an? The woman. of course, and it's her
| 20 - IN ha he uo IA
for her money"
~ just hate to shop" interrupted the
Hsung woman. II always have head
Aahs After . morning IN tho stores Sna
nothing fags me msfe completely"
'Nine women out Of ten feel the
same way about IT," answered Mrs.
Golden Wedding, "but we might say so
until doomsday and no man would be-
lieve us. except my husband. gave
him a lesson years ago that he won't
forget"
"Do tell me about it," urged the
younger one. and all the other women
deliberately listened.
"Well, it was this way. He twitted
me every morning and every afternoon
about my shopping and seemed to be
under the impression that I didn't
know how to do anything else, didn't
want TO know how, and that was all ]
did. was crazy to master French and
German at the time and 1t fretted me
because had to do 20 much shopping.
but we were very poor then and I con-
sidered 1t just as much part of my
business to spend our income to the
best of my ability as II was his to make
1t. l spent q great deal of time max
ing that money go long way. At last
! got tired of having fun poked at me,
and determined to quit shopping alto
gether. l did. and pretty soon chaos
reigned in our little home. ordered
my meat and groceries from the boys
who came to the door, never counting
the oost or auvthfn9 and when auy ar.