The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-09-08
ART OF BEING SHABBY
WOMAN URGES IT ON THOSE WHO
HAVE SMALL MEANS.
How an Old Lady Made Everyone
y Think She Was Rich and A.
ways Had the Best Of
Everything.

Knocked about the world good deal.
according to writer In the New York
Times. You can be very smart or
you can be distinctly shabby For q
woman Of small means ! recommend
the second way, and ! can speak with
some authority, since have followed
my theory for long time.
Before adopted it myself !
watched 1t In operation. ! know an
old lady Of some means. but not rich.
who lived in a good hotel. Everybody
dressed rather extensively. and every
body received more or less considers
ton from the management, but this
old lady was the mogul OF the place.
"She paid no more for her rooms
than the others and she spent less In
the dining room, and was at loss
to account for the fact that she com
manded instant and implicit obedi'
ence, even in the most exacting re.
quests until one day when the hotel
clerk, having seen me in conversation
with her, said casually:
"'You know she's awfully RICH
els she? said l. I had no idea.
"'Oh, yes, indeed. She goes around
in those shabby clothes because she
doesn't care. but she has several mil
lion dollars
1T happened that after that be
came quite intimate with the old lady
and by reason of helping her with he1
affairs in one way or another got
pretty good idea of her income, which
was certainly not more than $4,000
year. Also, as our intimacy became
apparent, l found myself more and
more often questioned In the same
casual manner.
"'She il Tremendously rich. ISM
she?' people would say. And would
answer noncommittedly that she Ger
tainly had enough for one woman te
live on. To which the invariable reply
was laughing: I bet she has.
$50 one day I told her Of this and
asked how the rumor Of her great
wealth ever started. She laughed
cts my clothes, nay dear sht
said. As you know am interested
in 20 many things that have moi
much money left over for clothes
Two gowns at time are all can AZ
ford. and going out 30 little ! veal
them. for at least year or two.
They cannot imagine . woman
economizing in clothes. and they In
terpret my lack Of vanity as the care
lessness q woman known to be ricf
has for details. I'd love to have clothes
II l felt I could afford them, at least
would have liked them once. but nov
that find the consideration bestowed
on my eccentric shabbiness / am mo-
sure that the change would not be to-
the worse.
81 have the best table In the dining
room. The other day some people WHIT
must spend twice as much as do had
table near me and annoyed me b,
their talking and laughing. l com
planned, and their table was changed.
IF they should object they woult
have to leave, for the management II
not going to offend woman OF mil
lions like myself. was thinking O
getting a new bonnet this year. but al
1t might lower my social position
shall probably continue to wear tn
one bought eight years ago.
"This is a scheme that works In an,
number of directions. personally
cannot afford to dress as well as mos
of the women I know, 50 ! make
point Of dressing less well even thar
can afford. They all know coult
do a bit better than do. and the re
suit Is that all have a feeling that II
ever walked up would probably out
shine everybody.
"This Is such q world Of snobs tha'
you have only to get 1t thoroughly un
derstood that you don't care q snaI
about snobs to have them all on theil
knees about you. I wish women WHIT
try to keep up Appearances would ge'
this idea through their heads"