The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-30
THE GENTLE CRATE
BY DOROTHY DIX

d., mans under similar circumstances.
nat IL is nOt-that women who are
hloWn To cheat at cards. who have
oeen actually caught punching holes
III tnelf score card, and surreptiOusiy
nelplng themselves TO cards to which
lley We're not entitled-that such wo-
men are not oStraciSei, but are invf-
tea everywhere, is ascatching common
tafy ON Woman'S ideal of honor and
honesty III their sex A man caught
cheauhg at cards is kicked out of mis-
cup. a woman caught cheating AT
CARDS IS elected president. as like as
not, of hers.
III IS however, when it comes to the
gentle art of grafting-of getting
thlnSs by ones Wits-that women
loom UP great and unreproachable at
the mead OF the confidence profession.
Strangely enough, this vice, like tina;
of the souvenir collector, belongs al
most exclusively to the rich, and those
who attempt to live like the rich. In
one Of Henry James novels he tells Of
q man who rolled in luxury and style
on an incom of nothing year. When
people first him they always ex.
claimed: How he does dress!" Bur
after they had known him for a while
! they would ask: How does he dress ?''
The feminine CRATER could answer
| that question. so also could the fash.
| ionable dress makers of every city In
| the land.
The gentle CRATER has only two ar
| ticles in her philosophy The first is
that it is her business in life 10 ger
everything she wants. The second is
that it is other peoples business to
get paid if they can. She begins by
running up hills at the shops, paying
little on account now and then This
puts the merchants who trust her at
l.,
more credit to her in order not to lose
what she already owes them, and so
she goes her triumphant way. adorned
like Solomon in all his glory While
the enVious cry out How she does
dress" and the knowing ones ask
How does she dress ?"
This system applies equally as well
to her servants and the smaller trades
people with whom she deals. and by
dint of continually changing sewing
women and cheap dressmakers she
avoids many of the expenses of the
honest But she treads on hearts.
Poor dreSSmakers have told me OF
having walked for miles. lacking even
car fare. to the houses of rich Women
who owed them bills, merely to be
turned away without a cent, and with
a vague call some other time"
The gentle CRATER does not confine
herself, however. to imposing on
tradespeople. In the language of the
profession, she works both sides of
the street, and holds up her friends
and acquaintance with equal assiduity.
Indeed. one never realizes what the
cash value of friendship is until one
observes her methods. She never pays
hotel bills. On, dear, no. Wherever
she goes she knows somebody on
whom she foists herself as an uninvi-
ted guest. Neither does she spend
any money on her lunches. Instead,
she has playful habit of dropping in
on family just as they are sitting
down to the table when. of course, she
must be invited to eat no matter
whether it is convenient or incOnven-
lent.
Nor does she waste her substance on
carriages. although like the Irishmau
in the song, she always rides in
Chaise The way she manages this is
triumph OF artful simplicity.
Are you going to Mrs. AS BALI
she asks guilelessIy and effusively Of
Mrs. Il. Mrs. B. replies that she is
whereupon the gentle CRATER says:
Lets take carriage together then.
cabs are so frightfuliy dear. You or
der it and just drop by for me- Mrs
b. agrees and orders the carriage. She
also paws for it, for never, never does
she see the color of the gentle graft
ers money. for that astute lady has
never contemplated contributing her
share of the expense.
Still another vile from which most
of us have suffered is the practice the
gentle CRATER has of getting us to buy
something for her when we go down
town and which she invariably for
gets TO pay us for. Still more fatal
is it to go shopping with her. for she
is sure to see some article for when
she never has quite enough money 20
pay MY dear. lend me two dollars;
or five or ten" she cooes. Il Simply
must have this, and | will hand the
change back to you when | see you