The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-26
tcopyright. loos. by Joseph 3. Bowisa' !.

3WhNAte Ne@@
 tcOpyrisht, 1908. by Joseph B Bowissl-
 xvbsn in the time of the great Elizabeth. the young wife of Lord Compton requested in her allowance the sum or h4.oao TOT string of pearls. she asked Tor less than ls .ne grand dame of today thinks of spenoans for the same ornament. The httle ciseaet af nearla that the young girl wears about her throat may have cost. say only sS.yov. but the somewhat larger ones, dFoppins tust to the waist. which her nnotheF Ws@tss cost no less than s40.ooV
 To the poiitical economist this means crofI,rata waste of money that would sup nort many families. But the wearer OK inc pearIs claims that their price IS sup porting many families already. Tnsrs h inc diver and his family. she VIII ten sou' inc maker of his boat. his ropes and all ms nsranhernalia: the cleanser of the shells inc polishers--all to be paid, and all With avenues behind them through wnicn tne money passess. Then there ls sh" ~ytN of the jewellers to be satisfied. of the arenl- teets and builders of the snops n -S.a wn.sn they find themselves. of the men ana cierks who buy and sell; and after that one must rackon with the thousand and one industries pertaining to the ships which prihs .he finished article over seas, ramifytng into countless families: to say nothing, finally, ~ tha customs duties which the pearls yield ana which assist in carrying on the work of a great government.
 Of course one string of pearls is but an infinitesimal matter in the oroader Msw hui it is the many strings that come into inc cofnercial value of the fashionaDle W0- man: for she is by herself but fragment of society and Is of momsnt oniy oS reason of her numbers. Thus she claims that theso nanv strings and ropes of pearls are the .,,sars of sending righteous employment Into wide and far paths of industryi and that while she might lock their price into oona and shut 1t into sale conscious uAat H represents money in active use. yet that string of pearls represents no less money in active use And # the affair stops short with the pearls which are no longer earning while the bond will still be at work giving her yearly revenue, to DC agaln put into active use, then she claims m re- snonse to such suggestion. that there are otber wants than the purely material ones. and the increment of beauty in the pearls. inc tlnts and lusters and environment are of as much use and value in pleasuring the world as the equivalent in blankets and hA''f might be, .,.... . all her sweet bravery. a picture in sort eoIors and lovely raiment, whether she herself be beautiful not. her Jewels, her lace, her flowers, her shining silks. making her a vision of that beauty which is It's own excuse for being, you hesitate to show her that there is any faiiacy in her argument
 Favt fl ia not alone In the matter of her Jewels that the woman of society claims commercial value; they are trifle in the ann total for there is not an article of her annarel or surroundings that does not mere Iv create but stimulate trade She knows that as she sweeps by in her grace and her s,,iendor the onlooker is apt to think of tar as an idle moth fIuttering in the sun heam and of no use in the world Rut ','tth,,ut her she asks. where would the null titude of miliiners and modistes with all their dependency of designers and couturiers ana seamstresses. the weavers of delicate bns,arv and underwear. the makers Of fine hoots fine gloves, fine every thing. the ,yholssale people. the middlemen. the retail ars7 The silk worm spins for her. she thinks. for her the gem Is delved from the mine; for her the trapper sets his snares in the snow: for her the lacemaker swings her bobbtna and sets her wizard needle; for her China sends her crepss and India her mus Iins and rFance her velvets; for her ships cross the sea and caravans the deserts and railways the continents the whole world tributary to her desires: and if Tennyson's dream of airships were to come true. 'pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales" the costly bales would he for har
 In her home she further claims. the deco rator finds his affairs. after builders and their people have had their percentage; the painter hangs his pictures on her walls the sculptor brings her his marbles and his br6nzes. Europe gives her tapestries and silken draperies the orient gives her rugs. flax fields are sown and open their hlue flowers for her nRpery, silver and gold arc wrought for her table, tho workmsn in ths