Omaha daily bee., 1904-12-25
The Business of Mendine.

Wnle tneTe Two SOILS were DOIn " llltiii anu
one child died.
The Business of Mending.
The washerwoman has long been estab-
lished in business, but the work is so hard
and the pay so small that this occupation
does not hold out many inducements to
women who are looking about for employ
ment. The conditions surrounding the work
OF the dressmaker (save in the higher
branches of the art) and seamstress, are
similar. There is. however, a field of en-
deavor not yet exploited to any great eX-
tent that is open to those willing to work
with their hands as we'll as their heads, the
business of mending. Here Is what one
woman said concerning the possibilities in
this occupation:
Everything 1 have in the world, so 1t
seems this minute, needs repairing, and 1
can't find any one to do 1t.
Il began early this morning to hunt for
some one to help me out, asking the cham
bermaid at the hotel where live IL she did
not want to make a little extra money by
taking home a dress or two and putting on
a new braid for me. No. she couldn't;
neither could she tell me Of any one who
would come In and put hooks and eyes on
some shirtwaists, mend a great tear in the
lace of one, shorten a skirt and run sew
hid" blIiuBH III Wnlle 1neS6
are easy things to do IL / had time, but L
haven't, and would pay we'll for the service
of a professional mender.
Take them to a tailor you say. So 1
could, but don't, neither do hundreds of
other persons I could tell you of. The
articles are cast aside one after another
until great pile is to be found. practically
useless, because little mending is needed.
Many a woman who leads a busy life
and likes pretty things to wear would be
glad to have professional mender come to
her once week and attend to whatever
she may have laid out for her.
Il live in a hotel full Of women, and 1
know that mender is needed here just as
much as the washerwoman who comes
regularly every Monday morning 1 took
this washerwoman because she takes the
clothes Of the other occupants of this floor.
would hire mender in the same manner
and she would have more work than she
could attend to in this one hotel alone.
Other hotels would furnish employment in
like manner"
The few women who have taken up mend
ing as business are doing well. One
woman got the idea through being forced
to take in washing or send her children TO
a charitable institution. She ventured e,
mend the clothes she washed and added a
few cents to the bill. There was no objec-
tton; then she sent q note saying that ir
garments to be mended were put with the
wash she would attend to them. Later she
added cleaning gloves, mending laces, darn
ing ugly tears and cleaning and renovating
mems clothing. Finally she shifted the
general washing to a regular washerwoman,
got others to help her, opened shop in her
own house at first and afterward launched
out into regular emergency business
Another woman advertises herself as an
emergency maid. She is ready to 60 out on
short notice by the hour and serve in the
capacity of nursemaid, table waitress. shop
per or errand girl.
Leaves from Fashions Note Book.
As long as the motor craze lasts, and the
eno ls nowhere In sight. the long veil will
probably continue In fashion.
Copper and silver represents a combina-
tion of metals that finds many admirers,
ned With 81 cSPRer SPPS benS with silver and
1t Is becoming more and more the fashion
to wear the thinnest of fabrics for winter
house gowns. Many girls and young ma
irons affect muslin gowns in the coIdest
weather,
Silk has never been called winter fabric,
but there is a fad this season for light silk
shirtwaist suits utility gowns, as they
are now known These gowns are correct
for at-home wear
Although the long coat Is the smartest
form of the walking suit there are plenty of
women who prefer short Jackets. For them
three-piece suits of skirt blouse and short
fancy jacket are provided.
Three-p piece suits of fine yelling, almost
like crepe de chine, are favorites for visit
ing and matinee gowns. The blouses OF
these are elaborate affairs and are often of
white lace instead of crepe or silk of the
gown color
Stiff linen collars are to the fore again.
Moreover, ii is said, they will be accom-
panied by linen ties. Some of these
very pretty, made of cobweb linen, and