Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-08-07
OF RICH
Only They May Show Signs Of
Poverty.
The Man Comparatively Poor Must
maintain Fronr to Keep his
Credit Good, and So increasss
His Burden.

One Of the greatest hardships OF
comparative poverty is that 1t must
not be admitted, says London Times,
writer In the course Of most inter-
esting article. For the poor man to
say that he Is poor Is fatal. To hide
his miserable condition he must spend.
and spend layishly He must feed at
the best restaurants, be clothed by
good tailors. scorn the cheap and con-
venient omnibus adopt the worries OF
TN income he does not possess, and
talk loudly Of the iniquities Of the Bu-'
pertax. BY doing all this he may boz
able to give to the rich. az well as to-
the other poor an impression OF
wealth that at least keeps his credit
good. Only to the really rich and tho
really poor 1t Is permitted to practice
economy openly. The really poor do
1t because they have no credit; the
really rich because they do not need 1t.
Before we may indulge ourselves tn
that luxury Of the rich talking poor.
we must be very sure OF our banking
account. It must be able to support
US adequately In our protestations OF
poverty, 50 that we may never be be-
lieved. We must be beyond temptation,
able to talk poverty, but never forced
to act It. We must have so much
money that we can really believe our
selves poor, or at least capable Of be-
ing made poor.
AS rule when poverty hobnobs
with wealth, wealth talks poor all the
time and acts rich: poverty talks rich
and acts poor: that is the difference.
Millionaire seems to take special de-
light in seeking the sympathy OF
6 500 year. He tells him Of the stu
pendous expenses of his palatial es-
Establishments, draws vivid wordpic-
| lures Of the straits in which he tinds
himself in order to meet the ceaseless
demands for money that beset him on
every side, and generally manages to
assure his companion in the most con-
vincing tones that much wealth has
been denied him. He does this partly
because he likes to believe 1t, partly,
to head Off any attempt on the part
Of 500-a-year to get anything out Of
him.
But 600-a-year is flattered by It. Hex
is pleased that the great man should
come down to his level and seek his
sympathy. He feels that he is seeing
tho human side Of this magnate that 1s
hidden from the rest of the world; and
he almost believes the story of the
SORROWS OF the rich And then, per-
haps, diffidently he will ask the great
man to lunch with him. 1t seems pre-
sumption, but then-before he has
time to wonder whether he has over
stepped the bounds OF consideration
the poor should by right accord to the
rich, the great man has accepted,
hailed cab, and given the driver the
name Of the most expensive restaurant
in town.
observation-disclosures pays for the cab
and the lunch, and at the end OF the
meal millionaire shakes him warmly
by the hand and leaves him and takes
an omnibus to Pail Mall to buy an
other steam yacht. Five-hundrefa
year takes a taxiCab to the bank tF
arrange another small overdraft. But
they are mutually satisfied-milllon
aire because he has had good free
lunch, 5O0-a-year because he has been
seen In public place with q most fnau
entail person.