The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-08-29
4 VIEW OF WALL STREET
Financial Mart Like an Insane
Asylum, Says Mrs. Sage.
WANTS HER HUSBAND TO QUIT

wife Of Noted Finaneier Gives Her
In,pressions of New York stock LIZ
ehnnge-snys Money 20 Her Il Only
n ,f,rn. 10 nm End-BeIieves Wives
should Have IA Regular Allowance
III an that one hears about wall
street Is true It seems 10 me that II 10
more like an insane asylum than a
place where men congregatc to carry
on business IN peaceful, lawaDidlhg
manner. Some years ago curiosity LED
me 10 visit the Stock Exchange TO see
whether IL really was menagerle OF
bulls and bears. Ny curiosity was sat
isncd. When | heard OF the excitement
down there the other day tried to
persuade my husband to stay away.
but he would mix IN the fray, as he
calls r. have been trying TO persuade
him that he has worked long and hard
enough to spend the remainder OF bis
years in peace. But be- has been at II
so constantly that business has become
a necessity with him. lie seems 10 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 I'm New York. while she was CIV
irrg her Impressions and opinions or the
recent Wall street furry. says the New
York American. She denies that he
suffered from an attack OF vertigo due
10 worry over the resent crash In
stocks aud 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, l sup
pose I am a tyro Money Is to me only
a means 10 an end. and | believe that
when a person has accumulated enough
10 be comfortable on he should cease
pillng up more. OF course money max
Ing becomes a passion IL permitted TO
engross the Whole attention OF a per
son. and that IS what should be guard
ed against.
"soclety 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 It 10 their families and 10
charity. Why. it takes as much
strength and brains and nerve force for
a woman to preside over a handsome
home or manage family>of children
as II does for a man 70 wear himself
out on the Stock Exchange.
AS for women being ext>avagant,
most OF the 50 called ruinous exraya-
gance of women IS practIced by those
who are trying 10 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 we'll 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
hunting foreigners. Some men OF title
make good husbands. The majority do
not according TO record
Mrs. Sage paused and searched
among a number Of memoranda for
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 II
because she thought she could trust
her husband with her fortune IL 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.
lie IS not squandering her money. No;
he has put It to excellent use and Is
adding to it all the time. But his wife
IS a pauper in the vital sense OF the
word.
"a wife should have an allowance
not a carte blanche order on her grocer
and milllner for what the household
needs-but a 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 It put on their Oiiis-
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 discontent She Is a
wonderful creature who can live on
nittance and behold such temptations
with equanimity.
"This display OF luxury on the part
bf the rich before the eyes OF the poor
,s n 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 I'm a cottage is quite romantic,
but human nature is alike the world
over and will not be denied. Some wo-
men will always be enyious Of their
more fortunate sisters. A man should
be pretty well fixed financially before
he is married II he would live happily
in New York"