The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
HELPS UNLETTERED 0 M
AN EXPERT WHOSE Field OF WORK
IS WIDENING.

Women who study to Make Themselyes
Interesting to Certain Men-Odd Subjects
on Which Special Information IL Sought.
Conjecture as to the vocation OF the last new
woman boarder at the Lively Guessers' had
nearly worn itself out. She had been proved
IN turn to be neither n manicure nor a food
demonstration nor a fashion editor nor a patent
peddler; evidently she had no Inside office
work. and curiosity was bafled as TO her
means OF support. when all OF a sudden one day
she uubosomed herself to the least inuuisi-
tive OF the Lively Guessers' household.
I'm n neglected education expert" she
said. "a house-to-house secretary. you know.
An hour a day with Miss ". an hour and a
half with Miss H., three-ouartets OF an hour
between whites with Mrs. H.. but regularly
twice Il week with all, and especially now since
Lent is in. No, I'm nothing like the private
lesson-in Literature professor, nor the current
topics reader to ladies' morning classes. nor
anything of that sort. l have a aeld OF my
own. but l get the ground ready for these other
workers. l edge in whore they couldn' get a
ghost OF footing, and they and the parlor lee
turer really owe me n good deal II they did but
know it. My business is to supply confidence
and q knowledge OF those hundred and one lit
tie amenities essential in social Intercourse.
Visiting secretary to society ladies. Tact
and social experience uneXcslled. Neglected
education u specially. Entirely trustworthy
and CONFIDENTIAL l had inscribed on my an
nouncement cards, and l did not send them out
direct. but left them at the shops Of the smart
tailors. dressmakers and milliners and the
other shops freQuented by wealthy women. l
had correspondents and engagements from
.he start. The field is one that widens OF Itself
and leads to things not dreamed OF a. first. l
have abundant occupation and find the work
far more interesting than might be supposed.
"There are scores OF women unable to write
creditably their social notes and letters. Many
others are in like case as to the business let
ters that come first in importance to them.
1t surprises nobody that q woman with shop
ping and calling, supper parties and theatre.
dressmakers and milliners to attend to has no
time to spare for her correspondence. and it
sounds we'll to have q private secretary. SO
there I am. Mrs. Y. couldn't really afford to
employ me all the Time. Mrs, Y. couldn't keep
me occupied even If she could afford to add to
her DEFENDANTS. and Mrs. z. is not displeased.
but rather the reverse. to find that the same
mind and pen that does her neighbours CORE
spond snce (the high placed neighbor whom
she does not know. but would like to know
does hers. So there | am again.
Secrets? Well. l rake in a few az 1 go
along. Talk about the family doctors budget
in this regard and the things the family min
lister can't avoid guessing! Neither Of them
comes as near to the core of things as l do.
The lady's maid is a know-it-all. of course. but
then she has only a lady's maid intuition and
can only grasp the things in her world; but l
get all sorts OF condolences that win on my
sympathy mr., .o,tor+o5or ,,t0r vor,vo
been here one If my. %prettiest patrons con
tlded to me the other day. And, oh, you must
give me your telephone number. Miss Write
Ill a.. ,l,,t k-IA,, .EAf N n vptn n ms y Z / n II n - ~ ~ "a
to answer YOU can come to me. And after;
ward. when | had added up some household
| accounts for her and written q letter or two,
this lady looked at me SO wlstIulIy and said;
'Nou must have u terrible good education. l
wish | knew SO much,
at 10 as a little nurssmaid in n Canada town:
then she drifted TO a small hotel in a big city
ana went through subordinate stages Of SER
vice till she rose to the rank of a pastry cook.
eventually set M n boarding establishment for
hoarded with Eer. made money in her business
and is now u retired: rich widow. setting her
cap for a bachelor who seems to tlnd pleasure
in looking upon her comely face and figure.
I'm doing my best to null her through, for the
FOREIGNER husband did not treat her well and
10y in life. For all her illitcrateness she is an
attractive woman when dressed right. Pm
her right-hand adviser in s%artorial matters.
She'll tell me things that she wouldn't tell her
high living aud fond of enlivening drinks.
"YouM never be anybody II you do that. |
told her one day when she was laid UP on this
account. You haven't got position enough to
afford it. and. besides, it will ruin your looks.
After a woman, is 30 shell, get too stout with
high living This patron. ] believe. has got SC
TO DEPEND on me that she would gladly pay me
double my hours wages.
Pm brushing up the mental attainments
Of a lady up Madison avenue way; the mistress
OF "a well-to-do household and the mother OF
four children. who WINS frankly that she
and can't write IA decent letter to save her life
i can't even spell correctly. she says. and the
hate books .:and 1t wouldn't much matter only
my husband loves them, and the children
hang about him when he reads TO them ant
seem to enjoy what | consider rank stupidity
He reads legends and old-tlme poetry allC
fairy stories. classics, he calls them. to The
getting to be merely the housekeenar anC
frock designer Of the family, when | reall,
u gill, and my husband married one out Of
nrst-class broadway shop, where | was the
buyer for millinery and doing VEL WEI D,I ! f igeI s.
talk about art and literature. and the children
are getting big enough, to notice that have
had private lessons with NO different l%itera
ture teachers to see il | couldn't catch up
But the truth is that l have no foundation {
ike a thing when i don't. bothered those
professors out of their wits and l got you he
cause | thought YOU might point out to M
some practical way OF assistance and not bt
expecting me to enjoy and rave over what
don't understand. I'm a modern woman,
nate Ola innings, Olu l'uStS. tluItieS. cdtilt
drals and all that. ! like everything new ant
fresh painted and up TO date. and | don't thlnl
Mr.. ]. ever has liked me as well since he tool
me abroad and | didn't go on. over the castle
and the ruins as ever body does. AS for hi
family. / know they think I'm impossible. onl!
1T to be the houSekeeper. IL you can nut M
on to taking an interest in reading. and ar
and all that I'll share my monthly llowan
with you.
"A gentle little woman uptown is havinI
me come to read and talk with her in the hop
Of connuering her shyness and shrinking
from strangers. I'm well educated and in
terested in everything. and here at home | d.
very well. but ! don't show of she tells me
i can't entertain or make nearly as good an ap
gcarance aS women with half my brains.
get tangled and say tho very things | don
mean TO say when company is present, and !
disturbs my husband. who dearly loves com
pany and is willing to spend any amount o
money In entertaining II his. wife was only TN
right sort Of hostess. flush up like q Schoo
girl and get SO embarrassed that really
stupid woman who was sure of herself coul'
manage better I'm doing all ] can to brinl
this woman out. and really enjoy. my hour
with her very much more than those spen
with the blond beauty at an uptown hoteI
who Is going in for intellectual pursuits he
cause she has been told that study will add Il
her expressivenesS Of countenance. As yO'
may imagine. she is ignorant and so taken NJ
with herself that she has no interest to spar