The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-12

at is a great mistake to mix gentility
up with business" commented a young
woman who, says the New York Tribune,
having had her own living to get, went
about it in a practical matter of fact way
that insured her success. Despite her
own apparent conviction to the contrary,
the reduced gentlewoman is very unat-
ttractive. In fact, she is a great bore to
every one with whom she comes in con-
tact. 1t is of no possible interest to any
one. So many women when they start to
do anything for themselves are afraid of
losing caste. That is so foolish. If wo-
man becomes very poor and cannot pay
her bills and looks shabby, then she does
lose caste, but If she succeeds in any
honest, legitimate way, and has money
enough to do things and look nice and be
independent, then 1t is easy enough TO
keep her friends.
when l found that unless did some
thing at once for the support of my moth
er and myself we would be left penni-
less, i did not walt for patronage from
my friends or try to start any amateur
business l went straight to the owner
of one of the great establishments where
we had always dealt, explained to him
my position, and asked If he would give
me any position that was vacant in any
department. 1t happened that one of the
trimmers in the dressmaking room was
i'll, and he gave me her place temporarily.
l never said a word to mother until had
been there a week and brought her the
money, and then to my surprise she made
no objection whatever; on the contrary,
she praised me greatly for taking the
bull by the horns so decidedly, and said
that she felt sure that l would succeed
Well, l did. have now good salary and
support my mother and myself in great
comfort. Mr.. a., the head of the concern,
seemed greatly pleased that I was willing
to begin at the foot of the ladder, asking
no preference over his other employees,
and he threw every chance for advance
ment in my way that he conscientiously
could, and L am now one of his four buy
ers. go to Paris every year at the firms
expense, and have salary large enough
to give us luxury. Besides all this one
of the greatest interests of my life has
arisen out of my becoming a shop girl
Long before we lost our money was in.
terested in questions of sociology and how
the other half lived. and now 1 have
found out by practical experience l at
once set to work to make friends with
my fellow breadwinners, and became a
member of all their various clubs and or
ganizations, not as philanthropist, but
as fellow worker. In that way l have
obtained an insight and influence which 1
never could have done IL l had not been
actually one of them. trust have been
able to do some good, particularly among
the half-grown cash girls who appealed
to me. But, of course, that Is neither here
nor there, so l come back to my mutton
to say that II a woman Is obliged to earn
her living she should do IL in a business
like way and leave, her social position.
with its attendant advantages and disad-
vantages, entirely out OF the question.
The dining room in Mrs. Ella Wheeler
Wilcox's home, on Long Island Sound.
says Good Housekeeping. IL all windows.
which face the water. Before the largest
OF them, a spacious bay window, stands
the dining table. The room is filled with
memories of people who have dlned there.
Their pictures gaze at one from every
side. There are half a dozen portraits OF
the statuesquc Julie Opp, there is the
droll. mirthful face OF Marshall Wilder;
the fair Ellen Terry, Mrs. Brown Potter
William Gillette's inscrutable counten-
arce. that placid old lady, Mrs. jefferson
Davis Isabel Irving, Kathryn Kdder, ].
Il. Dodson and his pretty wife, Annie
Irish.
Some OF Mrs. Wileoxs guests have left
autographs on the oream-painted walls.
one comes from Edwin Markham. II IS
printed In fine, large characters. with
sfs,Fa