The Holmes County times., 1906-09-28
BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER.


Copyright, 1906 by Joseph B. Bowles)
The woman's exchange was original
~ happy thoNght, and is now fact
happily accomplished in all our larger
towns and cities. There is no village
that might not with propriety have a
woman's exchange if women, married
and single, found it convenient to or
ganize and carry one on with, OF
course, a cooperative basis.
The exchange needs only pleasant
room located on business street or
uear business center. Here may be
brought for sale articles of beauty,
costly wearing apparel with which the
owners would like to part for con-
sideration, and various domestic prod
Icts. If there is woman in the COM
munity who has special gift for deli
cate cookery, she may save her neigh
bors trouble and add something regu-
Iarly to her own exchequer by selling
her cakes or pastry, her homemade
1Oaves, her pickles and preserves at
the woman's exchange.
Sometimes a woman's exchange es-
tablishes reputation for particular
dainty, and people send from far and
near to obtain it for their parties or
social teas. 1t is desirable that or
ders should be definitely taken for
perishable goods or else there will be
loss either to the consignee or to the
exchange.
Women who wish to consign articles
of value to an exchange, must plainly
state the amount they are worth and
&he lowest selling price the owners are
willing to accept. They will probably
be asked to pay small entrance fee
and commission will be exacted on
the sale of the articles. A pathetic
interest sometimes attaches to the
beautiful objects seen at a woman's
exchange. Here is lace flounce, evil
IDENTIFY an heirloom. Looking at its
filmy tissues, priceless in the eyes of
any woman who loves real lace, and
observing that it will be sold at sac
Tifice, one reads between the lines
the lack of ready money, the story Of
waning fortunes, the decay Of an old
family, in brief, the mutations of for
tune that In due time come to those
who have long been prosperous. Few
houses there are that do not sooner or
later feel chill breath from the biting
winds of adversely. This length Of
lace adorned the gown Of fair lady
who danced at a ball with Marquis
de Lafayette. 1t has been worn by
other women Of the household, at gay
assemblies and bright weddings since
that proud day, and now it is to pass
into the hands of strangers and its
price will procure comforts for an in
valid or pay the tuition Of a struggling
student.
Near the lace is an exquisite shawl
of creamy crepe, wonderfully embroid-
cred and deeply fringed. Half cen
tury ago it crossed the water and was
the gift of traveller to his sweet
heart. She wore it for years with the
sort of pride that women take in raj
ment that cannot be bought in every
shop. To-day you may have it, or I, If
we have the price in our pocketbooks.
A fan, an ivory carving, picture,
what is there not here that tells its
story to those who pause, reflect and
sympathize?
There is not woman's exchange in
the land that does not hint at times
of altered fortunes borne with noble
self-respect and of womanly devotion
not reluctant to give its best if it may
add some brightness to the shadowed
lot of a loved one.