Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23

upon her. She added to this cleaning, re-
pairing and pressing clothes, and cleaning
and renovating neckties. Her oldest daugh-
ter is now in mid-western college and her
boy is studying civil engineering. The 5000
legacy is still drawing interest.
The parents of three children were living
in a comfortable Chicago apartment house
when misfortune overlook them. The man,
who was successful clerk in a depart
meut store, lost his hearing through la
grippe. and his affiction seemed to close
every avenue of livelihood to him. His
wife, in common with other occupants of
the apartment house, had endured much
annoyance from incompetent ianitors, and
when one such individual left owner and
tenants in the lurch she timidly suggested
to her husband that they apply for the
post. The man from whom they had rented
for several years was amazed at the prop
osition. but gladly gave the anxious father
the opening. The family moved to the
first floor rooms, the man who had been
good clerk became a satisfactory janitor,
and was soon offered the general supervision
of the apartment house next door. He
hired a man to do the heavy work, run
errauds, etc, while he trained his hand to
the use of carpenterlng tools in order to in
crease his value to his employers In the
meantime, his wife had notified the other
tenants that she was prepared to do darn
ing, mending and plain sewing of all sorts.
Work came in slowly at first, but in time
she had enough to keep her busy. Then
she dropped her duties as first assistant to
ner nuSDanQ, HtleO up hef front room as a
neat sewing parlor and placed a stout COL
ored girl In the kitchen to answer the de-
mands of the tenants and do the house
work for her own family. In speaking
of her success this little woman said My
husband and l started out with one IRON
clad rule. We would allow gosSiping in
our apartments. When tenants had COM
plants to make I went upstairs to receive
them. Our rooms were never a lounging
place. AT first it was a little hard to think
we We're serving the people among whom
we had lived, but my mending gradually
relieved me of the more mental duties and
now have a better income and more
assured position than when my husband was
clerking.'
A Mothers Help.
The mother of bright young business
woman felt that she would like to lift some
of the burden of money-making from her
daughters shoulders. The younger woman
realized that while they had sufficient to
meet their daily needs, the mother probably
longed for money which she could call her
very own, so she asked other women work
ing In the great publishing house with her
whether they would send to her wee fiat
any mending they had time to do for
themselves. Stockings, five cents per pair;
lace sewed on petticoats twenty-five cents;
skirts rebound, fifty cents: other charges
in proportion. Most of the girls she knew
earned good salaries. but lived in boarding
houses studio apartments. The first
carrying small grip filed with odd bits of
raiment that needed a stitch here or there.
Then came a girl who walled over the con-
dition of her pretty linen turnover collars
and cuffs. The laundress running
everything she had in this line. The mother
hesitated looked at her daughter-and then
boldly plunged
IF you will bring me your turnovers and
lingerie stocks | will do them up for you"
Has Plenty Customers.
The daughter was furious but her mother
convinced her that it was really very dam
ty work, washing the bits of handwork out
in fine suds, rinsing them thoroughly and
ironing them while they were yet damp.
She picked all the laces dry and roned the
heavy, padded embroidery wrong side out
on board thickly covered with blankets
and covered with immaculate white mus
lin Today she IS earning nearly as much
as her daughter, and best of ALL she says
she enjoys the coming and going of her
young girl customers, who always stop
long enough to chat with her about their
small successes and big ambitions.
There is nothing more pitiful than the
position of a woman who feels that she is
laid on the shelf because of her years; and,
while some thoughtless daughters make
drudges of their mothers, there are few
girls who help mothers to a feeling OF
independence in finances and sense of
companionship in their respective methods
of making money.
The woman who wants to do this prac-
teal sort of handwork should begin among
persons she knows. If she will put her
pride in her pocket she may learn that the
woman next door, or across the hall, is the
prefers to go far afield, a small advertise
ment in the daily or Sunday papers will
bring work to her deft fingers There is al
ways room for the practical worker.