New-York tribune., 1905-07-21
fFvmnsr ertNT ECONOMY.
Hoe Women Waste Valuable Time
and Strength IN Petty SaUing.

That women do not know how to spend money
is a Indictment but the case against the
sex Is stated with somewhat unusual vigor and
lucidity by Mrs John Lane in recent number OF
The Fortnightly Review"
In the first place, Mrs. Lane points out that II
is not the women themselves who are to blame
for this particular lack of capacity In order 10
learn to spend money 1t is necessary. drst to have
money. and women have never had II
Il don't for moment believe says Mrs. Lane
that the lovely Hebrew damsel. Rebecca, had a
penny Of her own. that the peerless Guinevere
had half crown Tor whatever the coinage wasl
to buy her Launcelot a love token And though
Scheherazade-that peerless. self contained. c1rcu-
lattng library Of a thousand and one volumes
could tell enough stories TO her Sultan TO have
made the fortune of a modern publisher. she
could hardly have made less even If she had had
the felicity write modern novel
Now we modern the descendants.
less remote, of Rebecca. Gulnevere and
Scheheraz4de. and greatest resemblance to
fair ancestresses is that most OF US have no
money to s-end and those Of US who have DO not
know how to spend 1t Heredity is excuse for
being what might be called the stingy sex
Among particular Instances Mrs. Lane tells Of
friend of her own. "a woman with massive
Intellect. who is. however. not above economy.
She has been search Of Ideal greengrocer,
and. after much tribuatiou of spirit and waste of
precious hours that mean literally pounds TO her,
she found him in Shepherds Bush. LuTed oy the
bucolic name, tempted by a vision OF sprouts at
luppeDce pound. instead VI luppSIlCe L1h PSi4iS'
she made pilgrimage there wasted a whole pre-
cious morning. and joined phalanx Of other mis-
taken female economists who stood on wet nags
in Indian dle. each whiting her turn to be served
My Intelligent friend waited twenty-five minutes.
until she finally rescue by a serving young
man. and mad the rapture Of saving sevenpence
She naturally. returned home IN triumph and in
bus. but she used up by her economy
that would have been dattery TO call her a
wreck. That night she had chill. the doctor
was summoned in not haste and he proceeded to
attend her with that ass1dutty which only adds
another terror TO illness
Another friend economized by getting double
service out Of her matches. But she found IT
awfuuy expensive one night she lighted the gas in
her nedroom and. her principles carried the
lighted match her dressing room. through the
dOppy curtain. The next instant 1t was all IN a
blaze. and she hanging out OF the window
shrieking 'FireF They broke down her front door.
trailed miles OF dirty oozing hose upstairs, and
finally left her gazing drearly at the black ceiling
the sodden furniture. the dirty water pouring down.
stairs and a hideOus burned wall where the fatal
! art curtain had been. Since then she has never
used match twice
Still another feminine disciple Of economy is a
nice girl who slums. She has reduced self-sacrhce
T. science, and heE life is an orgy of self-denia
/ keeps body and soul together on uVe shlIlings
1es 6efs nfo an IN aw MT m Of hg ne snd ha
! ID be taken back to Mayfair ana brought TO life
! and then the good ply sends humping big
bill 10 her parents who never get any credit for
! charity"
! " omen have been subject to much derision on
account Of the queer things they eat. Mrs. Lane
! discovers the reason for the habit in their eX-
/ trayaganI economy. A feels that ITO eat
/ well and substantially is sheer waste"
She also thinks II economical to have cheap ser
/ wants Il have seen sensible woman rejoice
says Mrs, Lane because she had captured a cheap
servant as II, what with aggravation OF spirit and
broken crockery. cheap servant does not take it
out Of in nervous pr0stl alton Not to mention
that the incompetent eat just as much The COM
! peteut!
! What women need most Of ALL" concludes Mrs
! Lane, 'is 10 be taught unextravagant economy.
which Includes the value both OF money and OF
4 time. for the day is coming when women time will
| really be worth something. So let women earn
/ money at all events. let 1t be given them
| right and not begrudged charity and think
; it Will be cheaper for men in the end