Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-08-07

Wife of Noted Financfer Gives Her
Impressions of New York stock Ex-
chanxe-ssys Money to Her Is Only
Means 10 an End-Believes Wives
should Have n Regular Allowance.
"If all that one hears about Wall
street is true II seems TO me that II is
more like an insane asylum than
place where men congregate TO carry
on business In peaceful, lawabiding
manner Some ySSrs ag.' curiosity led
me TO visit the Stock Exchange TO see
whether II really was a menagerie of
bulls and bears. My curiosity was sat
isfied. When heard of the excitement
down there the other day | tried to
persuade my husband 10 stay away,
but he would mix In the fray, as he
calls 1t. have been trying to persuade
him that he has worked long and hard
enough to spend the remainder of his
years in peace. But he has been at 1t
80 constantly that business has become
a necessity with him. He seems TO care
for no other sort of recreation. We
have enough TO live on comfortably for
the balance of our lives, and nobody
should need any more than that
This statement was made recently by
Mrs. Russell Sage at the old Sage
home In New York. while she was CIV
ing her impressions and opinions of the
recent Wall street furry, says the New
York American. She denies that he
suffered from an attack of vertigo due
to worry over the recent crash In
stocks and says that he is enjoying the
best of health.
Stocks and bonds once interested me
very much" said Mrs. Sage with
smile, but now, beyond keeping con-
versationally posted on finance, sup
pose l am tyro. Money is to me only
means to an end, and believe that
when a person has accumulated enough
to be comfortable on he should cease
piling up more. OF course money max
ing becomes a passion If permitted to
engross the whole attention of a per
son, and that Is what should be guard
ed against.
"Society women and women In gen.
eral," resumed Mrs. Sage, have been
criticised for wasting their time on
frivolous things when they should de-
vote more of II to their families and to
charity. Why, 1t takes as much
strength and brains and nerve force for
woman to preside over handsome
home or manage family of children
as 1t does for man to wear himself
out on the Stock Exchange.
"As for women being extravagant,
most Of the so called ruinous eXtrava-
gance Of women is practiced by those
who are trying to buy their way into
society. They are very foolish women
and should be blushed for. This Is al
ways an expensive undertaking and
one that no well bred womanly woman
would ever be guilty of. The latter
makes her own place In her own
sphere.
zone of the greatest banes Of our
American women is this falling under
the Establishments of titled, fortune
make good husbands. The majority do
not, according to record"
Mrs. Sage paused and searched
among number Of memoranda for a
notice that had come to her attention
recently of young New York woman
who had made the mistake of turning
over all her wealth to her husband.
This young matron," she continued,
told me the other day that she did it
because she thought she could trust
her husband with her fortune If she
could with her life and happiness.
What Is the result? She has to skimp
along on a mere pittance of an allow
ance which she has to beg from him.
He is not squandering her money. No;
he has put it to excellent use and Is
adding to 1t all the time. But his wife
Is a pauper In the vital sense of the
word.
"A wife should have an allowance
not carte blanche order on her grocer
and milliner for what the household
needs-but regular cash allowance or
salary Several women In this city
whose husbands are worth millions are
driven to borrow money from trades
people and have 1t put on their bills.
That is an outrage.
Here in New York young wives see
nothing but wealth and its display.
Gorgeous dresses, expensive equipages,
lives of luxury and ease are before
them as daily examples. This arouses
in the average woman of moderate
means a spirit of discomfort. She Is
wonderful creature who can live on
pittance and behold such temptations
with equanimity.
"This display Of luxury on the part
Of the rich before the eyes Of the poor
is a sin and should be punishable by
social law. 1t is the cause Of more
unhappiness and more divorces than
any other thing in modern civilization.
"Love in cottage is quite romantic,
but human nature is alike the world
over and will not be denied. Some wo-
men will always be envious Of their
more fortunate sisters A man should
be pretty well fixed financially before
he is married If he would live happily
IN New York"
The New Joint COmmissiOn,