The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-25
FOR FEMININE READERS
SOME UNUSUAL OCCUPATIONS IN
WHICH WOMEN ARE ENGAGED.
Gossips Who Find Their Nimble
Tongues Profitable-Womcn I'm
Politfcs-vnrious Hints.

Genteel poverty is one of the tragedies Of
modern society, says writer in the New
York Post. Yet out OF the evil comes good
and from absolute necessity clever women
devise new modes OF earning a livelihood
Most of those who find themselves IN re-
duced circumstances take up ordinary call
ings. but few plunge out CT the beaten
path and make some idle accomplishment
the basis of paying vocation One young
woman up town, who in the past learned to
make lace as fad, now puts 1t to practical
use by repairing old and priceless laces.
She carries what may be called kit of
tools, including lacemaker's pillow. full
set of threads and various kinds of needles,
and restores an injured collar or an ancient
ffchu in the presence of the owner. The
work is exceedingly difficult, and the re-
ward correspondingly high.
Several women have taken up indexing.
Their patrons are people who keep scrap
books, and who are too busy, or, as is more
often the case. too negligent to index for
themselves. The work is slow and labori-
ous 1t demands wide literary knowledge
and often a knowledge of French and Ger
man. The pay is moderate, being usually
Sc a day.
Artistic and fancy bookbinding is prac-
ticed by eight or ten women in New York
city. This is skilled trade. of the high
est class, demanding both technical skill
and artistic ability. Two Of the binders
have done such good work as to make them
moderately famous. A vassar girl with a
penchant for chemistry found herself
= hor re
ago, and adopted for her daily work the
giving Of instruction to members Of her sex
upon the subject of cold cream. To the
uninitiated this seems very simple mat
ter, but in truth it is very complex. 1t in
wolves a knowledge of the various fats and
oils, including spermaceti, cocoa butter,
wax, Japan wax, almond cream, lanoline.
and such medicinal ingredients as bezoin.
camphor, myrrh. carbolic acid, sulphur,
| arsenic, zinc and white lead.
Women who contemplate a foreign tour,
or who are to receive distinguished foreign
ers, are often at a loss respecting the ETH
quette of European countries. They can
get out of their trouble by taking a course
of lessons from teachers who have lived
abroad In days of wealth. At least ten
bright young women have taken up derma-
| tology with special reference to the hair
and scalp. They visit their patrons the
same as PHYSICIANS, anu earn d ndiosoihe
| living. At least two in this city clear more
| than 5000 a year. Restoring old photo
| graphs gives profitable employment to a
number of women who have become experts
| in the use of the camera. 1t does not pay
very well in general, but now and then
| when there is strong family love involved
| it gives very handsome returns. One sue
| cessful woman inlays books The work is
exceedingly hard and consists in scraping
away film from the surface of a blank
| sheet of paper so as to fit a printed piece
| which is to be set into ii, and also re-
| moving a corresponding film from the back
| of the latter. The two pieces are glued
| and subjected TO great pressure. The result
| is page which looks exactly as IL ii had
| been printed as an entirety. Entertaining
| children is another new occupation. 1t de-
| mands much tact and infinite patience
Writing sentiments, letters and club adj
| dresses for indolent women of leisure Is
| followed by many ex-school teachers and
/ college alumnae. HI.