Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-10
ON A. SMALL INCOME
A Social Fund Project for
Family Circles.
S0LVINGA "a PROBLEM
HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY TO
BEST ADVANTAGE.
Five Young People Bunched Financial
Resources and Did Wonders
at Entertaining
S0LVINGA "A PROBLEM

a. entertaining
Written for The Evening Star.
so you see, by the time John has put a
dollar In the savings bank and half a dol
lar In the social fund, his salary is about
gone" said Aunt Bess
THE social fund, What's that?' inquired
an eager voice on her right.
Aunt Bessie Merrill had come up from
Chicago to visit her country nieces and
nephews. and she was giving them all the
news about their city cousins, two boys
and three girls. who were self-supporting or
| nearly so. One of the girls was teacher
In the public schools, another held clerk
ship, and a third was stenographer. The
boys were employed in big wholesale es-
Establishments
Haven't you heard about our social
fund? 1t has been a family institution for
four years. and we couldn't keep house
without it. Each of the children con-
tributes to 1t in proportion to his or her
salary, and / add weekly amount from
my housekeeping allowance. Then, when
we entertain, we draw on this fund for the
refreshments, the added expense. if it
is dinner, and you would not believe until
you have tried the plan how it reduces
friction in the household
y,
in une- Dectedly, and in informal fash
ion entertaining is not such bug
bear as it becomes in the city where
small flats and high prices for food present
many difficulties And where families work
on salaries, they must figure carefully, for
once your expenses get beyond the salary
limit there is no catching up.
In many families of small incomes the
question of entertaining is always under
discussion, and pretty sharp discussion.
too. If there is a big dinner one night for
guests, all the rest of the week the family
must live on scraps or the cheapest OF
fare. When | was a young girl l lived
with an aunt who was very kind to me
dressed me beautifully sent me to hear
good music and fine lectures. and gave me
lovely birthday presents, but Whenever l
wanted to bring home a young friend Tor
a meal there was trouble.
ALI Look Ahead.
'The memory of those wrangles over en-
tertaining so strong that as soon as
was married 1 started a little social fund
of my own and as fast as the boys and
girls began to earn salaries I had them
contribute. This was not entirely because
your Uncle John and felt that they ought
to help, but because it gave them all
sense of responsibility and placed them in
the position of actual hosts and hostesses.
Each of the three older children con-
tributes dollar a week to the fund, and
so do |. while the two younger each give
half dollar. On So a week we do con-
siderable entertaining in the course of
year. Last year we had little over when
summer came and the children divided it
between them for spending money on their
vacations.
"Twice a year we give what we call par
ties: that is, we have a number of young
people in for dancing and games, and
serve formal refreshments. The three
older children entertain their friends at
Younger
second. but all five are present at each
party. This brings about community OF
social interests that is good to see in any
family. Particularly in big cities, boys
and girls make friends outside the family.
Sisters and brothers do not mingle in the
same set, and even mothers do not always
know the young people with whom their
children mingle in a social life away from
home.
Clothes Essential.
"At these large parties. the girls come In
pretty low-necked frocks and the young
men In their evening clothes Both of my
boys had evening clothes as soon as they
began to go out, for every man who ex-
poets to succeed in life should know how
to dress well and to carry good clothes with
ease.
I'VE average a dinner a week. but these
are simple affairs. with only a slight elabo-
ration of our regular dinner menu, and the
children take turns in issuing the invita-
tions.
LAS the girls are working and like to
keep early hours, we do not give many late
evening affairs, but one Sunday night in
each month we are at home That means
that any of our friends, young old. will
find us home If they choose to drop in for
a chat. We have simple refreshments. hot
chocolate and small cakes, or tiny sand
witches and tea In cold weather. and punch
and waters when the weather turns warm
er. The girls take turns pouring and the
boys expected to make themselves
agreeable to guests, whether young or Old
1T must be very jolly, sighed one of
the country cousins.
Talked in Earnest.
Aunt Bess nodded her head. She was
riding her hobby now in earnest.
Half the world of mothers do not
know the Importance of giving children a
social start. They think that because the
family income is not large. or the home
palatiaI, the task is hopeless. Society is
only for the rich. they argue. They sit up
nights to make fancy frocks for the girls,
they scrimp and save to pay for piano les
sons they sacrifice themselves to give the
children a week at some summer resort
but they go right up In the air If child
asks to have a friend over night, or a few
girls to lunch.
"'Oh, can't you take them to a matinee
instead?' Is the wall. And so the children
find their social life at the theater or on the
street corner or in the public parks. And,
by the by, the pretty daughter may marry
a Well-to-do man and find that she knows
nothing of her social duties as his wife. or
the boys may become successful business
men and find themselves face to face with
the problem of taking a course in social
training when they reach middle age.
Enjoy Home Life.
I'VE mothers wouldn't neglect sending
the children to Sunday school or to the
dentist, but we let them work out their
own salvation, and 1t is not fair to the
child A few less frills on the best frock
a few less theater tickets and little more
around the family table will
balance matters better.
There is nothing more pathetic than
the child who has grown up without any
social training and who works her way up
to a position where she is forced to minele
with people who have had such ADVANTAGES
1 buy my daughters calling cards and sta
tionery Just astI watch for bargains in
clothes. l see to 1t that every member of
the family circle is prompt to acknowledges
fayors and invitations and to make dinner
and party calls.t want my boys to know
how to escort lady to the dinner table. as