The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-23
THE GENTLE CRATER.

1t is announced that the fashionable
dressmakers of New York have formed
protective trust, and that henceforth
no credit will be given, and that the
woman who desires to disport herself
IN fine raiment will have to settle for
II in cold hard cash instead of
rosy promises. These purveyors of
fir or the frivolous claim that they
d.. scientifically robbed, year after
year, by women who order gowns that
they have neither the means nor the
intention of paying for, and who de-
pend on their high social position TO
protect them from the consequence. of
their dishonesty.
When Madame Modiste charges her
dead beat customers with what is vul-
carly known as running a confidence
game, it is pretty much a case of the
kettle accusing the pot of being black,
but the question thus raised is an in
teresting one. for honesty is the star
virtue upon which woman plumes her
self. She is never weary Of boasting
of her superior honorableness to man,
and of pointing out that it is the
stronger sex that furnishes the de-
faulting cashier. and produces the fes-
tive burglar, and keeps the path to
Canada and Mexico hot. while incor-
ruptible woman faithfully guards the
trust given her, and seldom plays
pranks with the cash register.
This is true A cynic might explain
II by saying that up till now Wolpans
opportunities of becoming an embez-
zler have been few, but 1T is a fact
that Wonlan's awe of money IS so
great that she seldom steals il, just
as she seldom commits any other sac
Tilege. Besides, her talents do not run
in that line. She is not by nature
highwaynan. Her gifts tend towards
petty larceny. You might leave
million dollars in a woman's keeping
and when you returned she would
hand over every penny OF it, but those
of us who have cut our wisdom teeth
in society lock up our silver trinkets
when we give reception to our dear
500 friends
In all the vagaries Of the feminine
character there is nothing so utterly
inconsistent and inexpicable as wom-
ems attitude towards honesty, for
every day of our lives we see women
who pride themselves upon their pro-
bity. yet who not only commit thefIs
openly and shamelessly, but actually
boast of their pilfering
A woman, for instance, counts il
unto herself for righteousness to snug
gle goods in through the custom
house, and she viii calmly and with a
serene countenance stand up and per-
Jure herself to save the duty on a half |
dozen pairs of gloves. Nor does she !
feel the slightest obligation to pay her |
fare on the street car unless the con-
ductor forces her to do it,
A still more pertinent Illustration of
the oblique way in which women look |
at honesty is found in the wholesale |
theving that goes on under the euphon- |
istic name of collecting souvenirs. That |
woman of elementary principle and !
morality should steal at all is strange; |
it is stranger still that women who |
have no need to steal should do il, !
but il is strangest of all that these
Christian rich women should steal and
brag about it, Women who are so
we'll off that they patronize the most
fashionable restaurants, and the best
hotels and who are invited to fashion,
able functions, make habit of bring
ing home with them silver tableware,
glass, china, and even towels and pill
low slips that they have stolen from
their hosts and so far from conceal
ing these things they brazenly parade
them as souvenirs of places they have
visited
Last summer, a wealthy young wom-
an who was a globe trotter calmly
told me that she had a marvellous col
lection of towels, that represented every
railroad and hotel of consequence in
this country and Europe, and it was
a matter of comment in the public press
that not long ago, after a swell mems
club gave a ladies' day they did not
have single coffee spoon left.
Another common and fragrant in
stance of feminine dishonesty is shown
in the way that women cheat at cards.
The ugliest word men have for an
other man is the epithet they apply to
him who plays a dishonest game of
chance, but all of us have seen wom-
en- who, for the sake Of a 81 so imita-
ton cut glass prize would do things
SO badly dishonest that they deserved
to have the doors of society shut i'm
their faces as it would have been in
a mans under similar circumstances.
That 1t is not-that women who are
known to cheat at cards, who have
been actually caught punching holes
in their score card and surreptiously
helping themselves to cards TO which
they We're not entitled-that such wom-
en- are not ostracised. but are invited
everywhere, is a scathing commentary
OH woman's ideal of honor and honesty
in their sex. A man caught cheating
al cards is kicked out Of his club. A
woman caught cheating at cards is