The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-05-10
ARE WOMEN STINGY?
IF THEY ARE, THERE ARE MANY
"EXTENUATlNG CIRCUMSTANCES"


With Girls rs with Boys-IIn1ing
to Account to Others Has IA Bad In
fiuence.
"Are women stingier than men"
Queer sort of question, isn't it? But are
they?
The lords of creation in their selfish
feeling of superiority will probably give
answer in the affirmative, and they will
point gleefuly 10 the condemning facts
that only women 20 wild over bargain
counters and that there are more women
miScrs than men misorS.
But are there not eXtenuatinG circum-
stances: \ woman writer declares that
there are She contends that first of
these "eNtcnuating circumstances" is the
acknowledged fact that women. from
childhood up have 10 do on smaller al
lowanccs than their brothers. and the
necessity for making both ends meet
leads them to watch the pennies with
penurious care
1T is only Il very small minority Of
women who can afford to he careless over
even little items of expenditure she
contends. Girls especially are forced to
practice economy from the days when
they get - cents week pocket money
and no big tips. while their younger
brothers are receiving 81 a week pocket
money and big tips, to the days when
the grown up girl living at home has an
allowance of 81 a month. while the grown
up boy living at home has an allowance
of $50 a month.
Later on as wife she receives her
housekeeping money, which, even with
the best of management, is seldom elastic
enough to cover the entire expenses Not
being the breadwinner. a wife. if she is
a sensitive. conscientious woman, hest
tates to spend in triilos or waste in ex-
travagances the money she feels herself
but steward of, and she is called mean
by the outside circle. The husband, on
the other hand. who earns the money.
need account to no one and so often
spends recklessly and generously
AS mother her baby boy must be we'll
dressed, her big boy must be well cdu-
Gated her bigger boy must be literally
allowanced with pocket money, her big
gest boy must be started in the world. SO
she has no money to give away. no pen
MES to squander. The penuriousness of
necessity broods over her, and she is
bracketed mean
AS widow. if she marrcs again. her
possessions often pass into other hands.
On the other hand. if a woman never
marries she is, as a rule, subject first to
her father for money and then to her
brother, guardian or to 4 trustee. and
even if she gets undiSputcd control of
money it is not generally till late in life,
by which time the economy of youth be-
comes settled into the righteousness of
old age.
Having TO account to others is at the
root of the apparent greater mcanncss of
women than men in moaoy matters.
have noticed that women, for instance,
who are earning their own livelihood are
more lavish in their expenditure and more
generous in their gifts than those who
have to ask Il husband, father or brother
for more money.
"Of course there are some society wom-
en- who have about as much regard for
their husbands income as they have for
their conscience, treating both as if they
Were of illimitable elasticity Such peo-
pie are, however, fortunately exceptions.
though unfortunately they often get
good name for generosity which they do
not deserve, for vicarious generosity is
frequently in reality but a deceptive form
of meanness, but mean form of dcccp-
ton, for it gives away what is not its
own possession and takes credit which
is not deserved.
THE average conscientious woman. on
the other hand, is called stingy because
she gives the little that is her own instead
of the much that is somebody else's Sur
face observers often consider women Stin-
gy when really they are quietly unseliish.
The girl or woman who only takes a roll
and butter and glass of milk for her
lunch at some public tearoom. who only
gives her friends small presents. is often
the honorable woman who pays her debts
before giving gifts who buys her nearest
and dearest necessities before indulging in
Injuries.
"Of course there are women who are
only careful from sheer meanness of char
acter but this disease is more generally
found among the rich | know one
wealthy woman who continually tries to
get young relative who is very badly off
to pay for all her cabs and lunches when
he is escorting her about Another WON
an, whose husband is both rich and gen
erous to her, complains sadly of small ex-
pcuStS. ~ iHlIu woman, WHO mas several
thousands a year, seldom has enough of
any dish to allow of even a moderate
helping all round.
"Ccrtainly there are cases when rich
women are mean from force of habit. de-
veloped by the stern necessity of former
years, and they are stingy almost uncon-
sciOuSly, but such cases are rare. One,
however, was that of the great actress
Rachel, whose childhood was passed in
such pitiful poverty that in the after days
of her wealth money became of cxaggcr-
ated Importance. while with jennie Lind
poverty's experience had different and
enrolling influence. for this splendid sing
or, great actress and, above all. good wom-
an gave away thousands of dollars dur
ing her lifetime to charities, in addition
to the many concerts she got up for the
benefit of various institutions. 1t is very
unusual for an actress to be close listed
like Rachel was, for, like most women
who earn their own money and have to
account to no one for it, they are rs a rule
generous to the brink-aye, and over the
brink and into the abyss-of folly. for
they seldom provide for rainy day. In
fact, the theatrical profession represents
the most generous class in the world, and
this applies quite as much, if not more.
TO the actresses than to the actors. st.
Louis Republic
Lady Login.