The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-13

Said a friend the other day why
don't you write about the awful habit
of having things charged at dry
goods stores? Half the trouble in the
world comes from bills. 1 know a
woman who actually put her husband
into bankruptcy through bills at dry
goods shops. She was told she could
run a bill and her husband made an
arrangement to pay it twice a year.
SO the woman bought and bought
she had daughters-not realizing how
it was growing. Statements were to
be sent every six months, and finally
the man told his wife that business
was poor and he would have to re-
trench. One day the statement came
in, and what do you suppose she owed
for dry goods?" 1 promptly gave it up.
Three thousand dollars, The woman
tainted and the man swore He could
not pay the bill and went through
bankruptcy. That woman has never
made a bill since"
Now that story, while it seems
dreadful, was probably a turning
point in that woman's life and taught
her caution. My friend is right; there
is nothing so tempting to a woman as
dry goods bill. If you pay cash you
VIII go without lots of things. and at
the end of the month you will know
exactly where You stand, whereas if
bills are coming in you never know
One thing is certain, if a woman has
q dry goods bill, or perhaps two and
three. as some ST. Paul women have,
she is certain to buy something if she
goes in the store. Once in she is lost.
Every day there are the most Won
derful bargains. 1t would be simply
i shame not to buy a $50 dress
for $40; equally absurd to let the
chance go by of purchasing So
curtains for 50, and so it goes. But
if you open your purse and see the ac-
1ual money melting away, you are
much less likely to buy things just be-
cause they are cheap without really
needing them. The dry goods firms
know the little tricks which catch
women and real bargain is one of
them. A woman feels SO businesslike
and clever when she has bought some
thlng-that she does not want-for
$40 that she would have had to pay
$50 for a week ago.
You can always catch a woman with
marked down ticket It is excel
lent bait. These things are always put
IN the windows to lure the feminine
population inside. But how the poor
women do suffer when the first of the
month comes! 1t is an awful moment
TO woman when her husband opens
her dry goods bill How is it possible
TO explain TO a man the uses of elnif-
fon, lace and ribbon Hold YOU head
high and refuse to explain: it is as
easy Tor him to understand that as it
is for you to comprehend how $40
would melt out of his pocket during
one evening at the club. Ny lord does
not think of that when he opens the
dry goods bill. Men are funny and
women are funny, so let it go at that.
The temptations to woman in the
dress line can never be appreciated
by the mere masculine mind. Dress
is TO women what drink is to some
men. To be well dressed is often a
solace when life has gone entirely
wrong. A we'll dressed, we'll groomed
woman has peace of mind that
sometimes religion does not give. 1t
would be impossible to make a man
understand this. and wise men realize
that it is difficult to get at a woman's
point of view in this and MANY mat
1erS.
If woman wants to know what
real peace of mind is. a peace of
mind which extends over the first of
the month, let her pay cash. 1t is
hard TO see the money 60 hard to
realize how much is required to keep
up good appearance, but one is am
ply repaid when the end of the month
comes.
Sometimes having no bills makes
all the difference between domestic dis
cord and peace. 1t is not pleas
romantic discussion with ones hus-
band whenever bill-paying time
comes round. But that is the result of
having things charged. Try the other
way for a time and see if [ am not
right.