Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01
THE MONEY QUESTION
Domestic Finance Problem
Discussed.
MASCULINE EGOTISM
WHY SHOULD A WIFE ACT LIKE
A SNEAK THIEF.
Men Like Directness and Method, and
So Do Many Wo-
MASCULINE EG0TISM

Written for The Evening Star.
Hurt Books is the sign over counter
in one of the great stores in Broadway
where the books of the summer are huddied
to one side to make way for the November
productions. Early in the season they held
their own jauntily in their covers of blue
and gold. But now they are deposed to
make way for others, and may be pur-
chased for a song. For they are dingy and
shopworn, and the life and sweetness that
is within them does not count except to
the rare readers who really understand.
Hurt Books" The phrase stays with
me curiously. For books seem living things
I wonder IL the soul of one of the ill-dress-
ed songs quivers with the pain woman
feels when she is conscious of being poorly
garmented? If it does 1t will edge to the
shadows of the counter and hide Of it's own
free will from the newness and the bright
ness of the fall publications. Even as the
woman in last seasons coat instinctively
keeps on the "other side of the street
when fashion f1utters down in the conf
dence that beauty and suitability engen-
ders
The philosophy Of clothes is a serious
study; and instead of being frowned on by
men who believe it must be associated with
wild extravaganza 1t should be Incorporate
ed as first among the bylaws of home. AS
clothes grow is largely responsible for do
meStic difficulties. And this Is a belief
brought about by a cowardly and nonsen-
steal practice adopted by women on the
home trip from the altar.
For when her husband admires the trim
and stylish appearance of her travelling
gown she Is sure to be prompted by the ir-
responsible imp of future mischief to tell
him that II cost but little; that In fact she
never spent very much money on her
clothes. This small and wholly unneces-
sary fiction may win her a burst of praise
likely to betray her brideship to the porter.
PItt q r hnr Ino1 80 10
ward. and she keeps up the deceit that she
started to the end. She never dares to tell
the truth about the price of the things she
buys, when truth telling would be the way
out or all the annoyance and humiliation.
A Matter Of Pride.
There are very few men who do not want
their wives to look we'll. 1t is a matter of
pride to them to keep their own on a par
with their neighbours; but no man can help
asking. How much do you want?' when
his home partner suggests that a new win
ter gown Is both desirable and necessary
She may have dreamed of $1OO-and she
knows that he is able to let her have that
amount, able and willing. too, could she
but guess the truth-but for the life Of her
she cannot frame her lips to say more
than s25 and it is $25 that she receives and
he goes away feeling like good fellow be-
cause he has granted her request, and she
watches him go with bitter eyes and calls
him skinfint in her heart because he has
not given what she wanted instead Of what
she asked for.
1t Is curious thing that the most honest
and frank and truthful women will crnge
and lie when they ask their husbands for
money, and the most generous good fellows
In the world who love to spend dollars as
the farmer sows wheat, will hesitate and
look concerned when the women they love
ask them for what they must have. The
wife of a millionaire, who never made any
thing herself but her complexion. once told
CHI ha1 tn %a11 H.
made and designed all her own bonnets and
gowns because she had begun that way
with him and had not now the courage to
meet his disapproval
or course. the system is all wrong. Wo-
men are the beggars and men the bank
ers. philanthropIc or otherwise, Of the
home and incline to think that therein Is
the whole difficulty.
A Beggar's Standpoint.
A beggar gets what he can and has no