Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-02

across the land arise at her order. a
leagues of greenhouses that stretch
the palace arose at tho word OF the
afrite, and those who find work there
find II because Of her.
She Is sure tina; the shopkeepe0.
the girls behind the counters. the man
icures. the hairdressers know her tor
their best friend. And 1t is still fur
Their her contention. that when she
goes abroad the carriage maker. the har-
ness maker, the breeder and breaker OF
horses and all those who serve IN her
stables, or in any way upon her equip
age and equipment. find their account
in her existence. and exist, indeed.
with all their own households, because
she does: and that the more dwellings
she has in town or country the more
people are the better on by means Of
It
She will tell you. too. that she is the
support Of the finishing schools, TO:
her children, with their teachers Of
science and art and languages and
manners, and that even the toys OF
these curled darlings Of fortune give
food and clothing to whole companies
of folk in Swiss valleys, In French
workshops and In the hidden places
of our own cities. And whether
enough is paid for any Of these pos.
sessions Of hers, whether wages should
be higher and costs lower is oues-
ton she demurs as something alto
.gether on one side Of the value to So
ciety Of the society woman.
And not only to the toilers. to hard
labor, does she insist that she Is
chief source Of income, but that she Is
of financial importance from another
point of view. She contends that the
great opera. the symphony. In which
the musician has scaled the strains OF
heaven, is heard by those Of lesser
means only by reason OF her and
her numbers: that she affords theme
to the novelist and buys his book; to
the playwright, and is his patron. and
that the newspaper which has the best
record of her daily doings has the
best circulation and in consequence IS
able, through its larger receipts, to
give the latest intelligence and the
fullest reading-for to most other
ssomen this successful one. SO called.
Is an object Of interest. and they fol-
low her movements as they do those
of a heroine of romance.
-.
That the fashionable woman carries
on and endOWs various great benevo-
lences she does not mention as show
ing her value, since she does not do
such th6hgs because she is a fashion
able woman, but because she has the
purse of one; but, nevertheless. she
holds that the entertainments which
she organizes In sweet charity's"
name, require services which spread
money broadcast, and il she does not
spend her days among the poor md
her income in gifts to them. she has
learned from the political economist
himself that the wages which are paid
for her comforts and pleasures are
more beneficial in the receipt than any
charity. Whether or not she leads the
life that is best for herself. in so far
as it has no other aim than enjoyment
of the passing hour or the obtaining
of social supremacy, it is a life that
she believes good for myriad others,
and If she loses her soul in social friv-
olity. losing It, others find their ad-
vantage 1t may be, it doubtless is.
a Door and vicious state Of society that
MAKES her life possible, but society be-
ing as it is the fashionable woman
k,oks upon herself as an unmistak-
able benefactress.
The bonnet rouge at work upon the
streets, who sees the carriage or auto
mobile Of the fine lady roll by and
hurts a curse after it. does not realize
anything of this claim Of hers or be-
thinks himself that the wear and tear
of her, wheels gives him work to do
and bread to eat. The tired pedestrian
who looks after her with envy. the
Door woman who draws her skirts
closer from the dust of her move
ncnt. do not consider that the fash
ionable woman has nothing on. or
about her which ooes not represent
work done and wages paid and their
share of comfort 10 those receivins
them. But the fashionable woman her
self, feeling all she claims in her jus
tification to be true, declares that be
she even 80 much butterfly fitting
from pleasure to plessefe, she is none
the less a factor in the business Of the
world and q distinct addition to its
wealth. and, with her financial impor-
lance hardly second to that OF the
wheat farmer or the ironmonger, she
drass commeroe in her train.
..
II Is not to be expected that she
should take the political economists
view Of herself and her expenditure.