The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-01-04
ARE WOMEN sT1NGYl

ISL ISGlluS vi superiority Will PAOOo7
bly, give answer in the affirmative,
and they will point gleefully to the
condemning facts that only women
go wild over bargain counters and
that there are more women misers
| than men misers.
But are there not extenuating cir
cumstances? A woman writer de-
clares that there are. She contends
that first of these extenuating cir
cumstances" is the acknowledged fact
that women, from childhood up, have
to do on smaller allowances than their
brothers, and the necessity for "mak-
ing both ends meet" leads them to
watch the pennies with penurious
care.
cit is only very small minority
of women who can afford to be care
less over even little items of expendi-
ture," she contends. "Girls especi-
ally are forced to practice economy
from the days when they get rs cents
week pocket money and no big tips,
while their younger brothers are re-
ceiving 81 a week pocket money and
big tips, to the days when the grown
up girl living at home has an allow
ance of 81 a month, while the grown
up boy living at home has an allow
ance of $50 a month.
Later on as wife she receives her
housekeeping money, which, even
with the best of management, is sell
dom elastic enough to cover the entire
expenses. Not being the bread win
ner, wife, if she is sensitive, con-
scientious woman, hesitates to spend
in trihes or waste in extravagances
the money she feels herself but stew
ard of, and she is called mean by the
outside circle. The husband, on the
other hand, who earns the money,
needs 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
we'll educated, her bigger boy must
be literally allowed with pocket
money, her biggest boy must be start
ed in the world. So she has no money
to give away, no pennies to squander.
The penuriousness of necessity broods
over her, and she is bracketed mean.
Gas widow, if she marries again,
her possessions often pass into other
hands. On the other hand, if wo-
man never marries she is, as rule,
subject first to her father for money,
and then to her brother, guardian or
a trustee, and even if she gets undis-
puted control of money it is not gen
orally till late in life, by which time
the economy of youth becomes settled
into the penuriousness of old age.
Having to account to others is at
the root of the apparent greater mean
matters. [ have noticed that womeehy, /
for instance, who are earning their
livelihood are more generous in their
gifts than those who have to ask a
husband, father or brother for more
money.
"Of course there are some society
women who have about as much re-
gard for their husbands income as
they have for their conscience, treat
ing both as if they were of illimitable
elasticity. Such people are, however,
fortunately exceptions, though unfor-
tunately they often get good name
for generosity which they do not de-
serve, for vicarious generosity is fire.
quently in reality but deceptive form
of meanness, but mean form OF de-
ception for it gives away what is not
its own possession and takes credit
which is not deserved.
"The average conscientious wo-
man, on the other hand, is called
stingy because she gives little that is
her own instead of the much that is
somebody else's. Surface observers
often consider women stingy when
really they are quietly unselfsh. The
girl or woman who takes roll and
butter and glass of milk for her
lunch at some public tearoom, who
only gives her friends small prsaest
is often the honorahging in lux
pays her de'
-ssOf course there are woman VINO
are onlv careful from sheer meanness
of character, but this disease is more
generally found among the rlcn'
know one wealthy woman who con-
tinually tries to get a young relatlVe
who is very badly off to pay Tor all
her cabs and luncheons when ne IS es-
corting her about. Another woman
whose husband is both rich and gen,
erous to her, complains sadly OF small
EXPENSES. A third woman, who mas
several thousands year, seldom mas
enough of any dish to allow OF even a
moderate helping all around.
Certainly there are cases when
rich women are mean from force OF
habit developed by the stern neces-
sitv of former years, and they are
stinqv almost unconsciously, but sucn
cases are rare. One, however, was
that of the great actress Rachel whose
childhood was passed in such pltltul
novertv that in the after days OF her
wealth money became of exaggerated
Importance, while with jennie i:oa'. Llne
poverty's experience had a dlfferenI i
and ennobling influence, Tor tn.s
sn1endid singer, great actress ana
above all, good woman, gave away way
;; thousands of dollars during her NE
time to charities, in addition to tn'
!: many man concerts she got up for the ben, ben
5 eft of various institutions. It's yer.
unusual for an actress to be CLOS
listed like Rachel was, for, like mos
!, women who earn their own none :,
d and have to account to no one lol !
thev are as a rule generous 10 IN
6 brink-aye, and over the brltik an an
u u into the abyss-of folly, for they Sc
= : dom provide for a rainy gay. oor
:, fact the theatrical profession repI
g sents the most generous class IN u =
u - ord thic annlieS Quite as muC