The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-10
IN W70MAN'S REALM.
Matter Of Women Earning a Living.
st. Louis Republic.
Women are no longer willing, when

Nt0ouSSlVeS W4GdlOut du s1uCUmS VI dny
means Of support, to play the role OF
poor relation and live. with their kin
folks sini a state Of dependence, wear
ing the plainest if not the ugliest sort
of; clothes and growing old and really
tired Of life long before it's time.
This is exactly why, or the main rea-
son why, there are so many women
wage-earners to-day. But of the rea-
sons more may e,said anon. The
ways Of wage-earning form a more In
.teresting and, indeed, necessary topic
ser discussion and consideration.
What a good thing it's that every
blessed one Of us is ambitious-wants
to do and be that which will make our
fellows look upon US if not with envy
with admiration for what we have ac-
complished and the high place we
occupy. Yes, this is fortunate, it is
one Of nature best endowments. It
keeps us a long way from going as low
as tits possible to go even if it does
not always take us as high as it is pos
sible TO go. But what very wrong
idea one sometimes entertains of that
wanting to be somebody.
Let me tell you Of. a little woman
o:wanted to be somebody. Bless
her heart, she was already that, always
had been, if one accepts the some
body as meaning a person Of bright
wits, gentle manners and upright liv-
ing.
There came a day when it was no
longer possible for her to keep her
pretty and comfortable home, with; all
Its refined surroundings. Little by
little, in the effort TO keep up appear
.ances and to fool the big, unheeding
and uncsring world as to her real situ-
alton, her little all melted away.
Then camesthe offer from relatives to
give her q corner in their homes
there was little said about hearts
but she preferred to make an effort to
earn her support.
TO the woman Of practical turn OF
miRa she went, There was Just $50
'betweea the little gentleWoman and
want, so she must decide quickly what
she had best do. The practical woman
.connted over with her her accomplish
ments and found them more ornanen-
tai than useful, and plainly told her
so. Her education had been thor
.ougkly conducted, so far as it had
gone, but The need Of being at the
head of her. father $ household had
called her away from the convent
school before she was graduated. At
school she had been taught to sew
beautifully, and her exquisite needle
work was vel: known to her friends.
Ah'' at length said the practical
woman, you can earn an excellent
BY doing 6ne sewing for
z ou are so artistic that you
can fashion the daintiest Of infants
robes, aud there is always demand for
suchSwork S
Tie practical woman stopped for
breath, for she had grown quite en-
thuusiastic over the bright outlook she
had suddenly stumbled upon. The
little gentlewoman looked at her in
amazement and finally gasped: Ill
"a seamstress! Why, Jennie, what are
you thinking OFF,
It was now Jennies turn to be sur
prised.
But, my dear, you have asked me
to tell you what to do, aud have told
you. I cannot see how sewing dainty
little garments for other women is in
the least degrading. tits work that
you know SO we'll how to do that it
will not weary you like new and un-
- y - q -
familiar efforts would.
But the little gentlewoman went
away without word Of thanks, and
nearly cried herself i'll when she
reached home, thinking over. and over
how unkind and unsympathetic her
old friend Jennie had been. how cru
ELY unkind to expect her to do any
thing so commonplace when she knew
how ambitious she was and how ten
derly she had been reared. But the
little gentlewoman was not without a
grain Of common sense, and finally
that prevailed She went to work
fashioning the dainty little garments
with their strips Of lace aud fne eln-
broideries. and long ago she and Jen-
ME kissed and made up, aud she told
the practical Jennie that she was the
best friend in the world because she
had not Aattered her and told her she
was clever enough to do anything