Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-05-24


Can "Afford" to Dress as Poor as
Poverty-Buy Clothes at End Of
Season-Willful Waste the Crying
Sin of American Housekeeping.
BY MARGARET f. SANGSTER.
A young fellow just out of college
met me one day and with disguised
expression inquired whether l knew
Mr.. Blank, poet whose verses were
household words. replied that had
that honor, adding that l appreciated
very much the privilege of Mr.. Blanks
friendship. Yesterday" said the lad,
with a gloomy look on his handsome
face, 81 should have said the same
thing, but l am disillusionized. Blank
called at our house last evening and
with a laugh told my father that he
felt very happy. He had settled his
coal bill with the price of a poem.
Think of that! Think of bringing
poetry down to the level of coal bills
and furnaces!"
"Mr. Blank is most fortunate"
said. 1T is not every poet who can
defray the cost of living by poetic
dreams, nor is poetry often so remu-
nerative that it can Offset tons Of
COAL"
We parted, the young fellow and l,
unable to agree with one another, but
fancy few years later when he
shall have become a sober, plodding,
professional man, with a family to
support, he will understand the situa-
ton better. By some honest means
coal and groceries must be paid for,
and the cost of living must be taken
into account whether people earn their
money by one form of day labor or an
other. From the president in the
White House to the Italian workman
digging a trench, we all live, if we are
decent and diligent. on the fruits of
our labor. A small contingent, not
to be envied, loaf about Europe and
America, existing in idleness on the
money Woodworking fathers and grand
fathers earned. But we do not take
them into account, as they belong dis
= tinctiy to the unproductive class. Most
of us are producers, and as producers
are directly interested in the cost OF
living.
| The proposition resolves itself into
8 several parts, the first of which is:
The Shelter of the Roof.
l We cannot be exposed to the ele-
ments. We must have a refuge from
winds, rain, cold, storm and sun
Whether we live in splendid brown.
stone edifice or a tumble-down, un-
D painted cottage, or anywhere between
e these extremes, we must equally have
protection from inclemency of the at
mosphere, and asylum from friends ant
= foes. The latter sentiment may neeC
explanation, because everyone com.
prehends that enemies are better OF
= the outside of the sheltering walls
' while everybody who is not disposed tt
hermit life has a welcome for his
i friends. Yet there are days and nights
4 when a home values seclusion, ant
= does not even desire for the moment
the presence of friends. Four wall!
Il and a roof are the shell of the home
r let 1t be very simple or very stately
q For this shelter we pay either il
cost of constant repairs, If we own thu
estate. At the basis of family Twin!
= lies the cost of the shelter, and thu
first duty of householder is to right.
y adjust this item of expense in its rela
S ton to other necessary items Thu
D nouse itself should not annually cos
;, FOR shelter more than a fifth Of the an
nual income.
D Often people pay an undue price 70
n shelter because they are determined +
live on a fashionable street, or in
neighborhood where houses are hel
u at a fancy valuation. They deny them
2 selves a great part of the Joy Of liv
!, ing and are defrauded of confoI
through a mistaken pride as to the eS
ternl appearance and internal arrange
ments of that which is after all tn
least important item in the bill. Wha
S we demand of a house is that it sha
S have excellent sanitary conditions an
perfect drainage, that it shall
y tight and compact, without a leakin
It roof, or a damp cellar, and that ther
e shall be in it sufficient room to az
" commodate the family.
= These are the essentials. Other ma
1t tiers may take care of themselves.
NJ
The Item of Clothing.
A man who goes daily to bushes
/ must be comfortably clothed for h
t. work, well shod and provided wit
H outer garments that enable him to al
pear thoroughly respectable among h
~ associates. A good deal of succe!
"a may depend on the appearance a ma
n makes when going to and from Il
a place of his work. A man who!
dress is obviously shabby and threa,
% bare is discounted unless being a mi
lionaire he can afford to look as POI
N as poverty.
In ordinary circumstances the me
d of the house must be we'll dressed br
ID ready-made clothing of good uuali