The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-29
Women's Extravaganza
Owe Womdn's Extravaganza
<~1 BY Dorothy 0ix-"~nz~

land, where everything comes with tie
wishing. Perhaps she desires Il swell
wedding. He groans at the thought III
what it Will cost. and that he Taust &c
in debt for carriages and souvenirs Tor
bridesmaids and a thousand incidental
expenses, but he lacks the courage
to say TO her frankly that he can't ar
ford 1t, and that he will not do H. T!i's
does the girl the greatest injustice.
Suppose that instead of starting Ike
with splendor beyond their means.
and that is bound. sooner or later, TO
end in bankruptcy the man should .clt
the girl honestly just how matters
were-that she was marrying q poor
man and would have to economlZe, 10
wear made-over frocks, perhaps, ana
do with a maid of-all until ne
had time to carve out fortune ZOE
them? Don't you know she would re-
spect him more and love him better ?
IT is possible she would not nave the
courage or the love to make such
sacrifice. Then surely, a man MISSING
such a wife might be like Beatrice at
| heaven, daily on his knees, thanking u
| for his escape. But the true-hearted,
plucky. loyal American girl would not
! refuse such partnership. She ism
built that way. She may be relied on
| to do her part if she is given a chance.
No man has q right to complain
| that he cannot help his wife's eX-
| travagance, or that it tempted him, TO
steal. 1t is a contemplate confession
| of weakness. The vainest. the most
| frivolous the shallowest woman who
| ever lived. will respect the man more
and love him better for refusing to let
| her ruin his prospects in life. Deep
down in every Woman'S heart Is de-
mand that the man she loves shall be
stronger than she is, and have Some
| sort of principle that he VIII not sac
| rifice to her Whims and capriceS--nO,
not even for love of her. could
not love thee. dear. so much. loved
thou not noncT more" is her uncon-
scious motto. and the man who fails
TO check the recklessness of an ex-
! travagant wife, has the poor satisfac-
ton for his comfort that she deSp1SeS
f, him for his weakness.
For every life that is wrecked by the
| extravaganza of a wife. and for every
man who goes to the penitentiary be-
cause of millinery bills. there are thou
sands who owe their success to some
woman whose prudence and conser-
vatSm is the balance wheel that Keeps
| the domestic machine in working or
| der. Men VINO set up no false pre-
| lenses with their wives, who tell then.
| fairly and honestly what they can at
ford seldom have cause to complain
| of their extravaganza. The path OF
Tertiary, and the way of the defaultcr
| is not paved with millinery bills. or
embellished with Easter bonnets. T'he
leverage business man saves more
| money after marriage than before, and
| he spends less on his wife'S hat bills
| With women extravaganza is gem
orally sin committed through ignor-
ance. The woman who has money OF
| her own is far more apt to live within
| her income than man. The average
| business man is pretty safe TO have a
| little nest egg laid by in the savings
| bank against Il rainy day and she
will do this on a salary on which a
man would think it impossible to save
Iup penny. A woman who would
spend as much on a purely personal
! Indulgence as a man does on cigars IN
d year. would be regarded as a mon,
Ito her sex.
| No one would set I'D the absurd
| claim that women are invariably judi
cious in their expenditures. or always
administer their household affairs
wisely and economically, but it is
| claimed they do not Willfully ruin
| their husbands by their greed or love
| OF luxury. The American wife has
| her faults. but she is courageous. low
| ing. loyal and willing TO do her part
| in bearing the burden of life. and when
she is accused Of sending 81 per cent.
or any other appreciate per cent. OF
| felonS TO the penitentiary because OF
| her millinery bills. she Indignantly de-
MES the accuse ton,