Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-29
coRNELIA's JEWELS.
BY DOROTHY DIX
The WerId's Highest Paid Woman
Writer,

- W0 women, sisters. we're looking
at some handsome furs in a shop
Both women were well dressed
but one had on suit, inconspicuous
and plain, the kind OF garment that
denotes that its wearer must get much
wear and service out of her clothes
While the other woman was gownec
in CONNECTION" that simply shrieked
Paris at the beholder.
You may send this sable scarf to
me-" said she of the glad raiment to
the shop keeper.
''Oh, you lucky woman" murmured
the woman of the blue serge, enyious
ly, you can buy anything you want
while have TO pinch and scrape and
economic to get the few things ! am
actually bound to have to present a
decent appearance"
Il have fine clothes, you have fine
children" the richly dressed woman
replied, looking her sister steadily in
the eye.
Yes" responded the other lightly,
Il am like Cornelia, my children are
my jewelry--and, believe me, they are
all the jewels I've got and most OF
the clothes"
'CorneIia's jewels" echoed the wo.
man in the CONNECTION, you've got
Cornelia's jewels and you are not will
ling to pay the price for them! You
mothers are welcners. You make me
tired, envying women who spend their
money dressing themselves up in silly
finery because they have no daughters
to buy pretties for, or no boys to spend
their money on.
"Oh, you are not the only one. Every
friend I've got who has children is a.
ways coveting my new hats and
wonderful husband I've got, and how
devoted he is to me because he gives
me a diamond ring or new pearl
on my birthday. They think that they
are poor, neglected, martyred Great
ures because they can't have all the
things that / have, and they feel that
they have been unlucky enough TO
marry men who haven't gotten on
very well because their husbands can't
make them as handsome gifts as l
have.
And they don't take into account
the fact that John and have no chill.
dren, and that John has nobody on
earth to spend money on. but me.
And they also forget that raising a
family is Just about the most expens-
i've luxury that anybody can indulge
in.
Take your own case, for instance.
Your husband is just as good bust.
ness man as mine is, and don't doubt
that he has made just as much money,
but you have always had to skimpI
and deny yourself, while / have had
plenty and have been able to indulge
myself. The reason for this differ.
ence is because you had children and
I had none Why, you spent none
money on sterilized milk and trained
nurse and baby specialists in the
years when your children were little
than | spent on trips to Europe.
And when your children got bigger
and were sent off to school and col
lege you could have bought string
of pearls any year with what their
schooi expenses cost you, and an i'm.
ported motor car with their allow
ances and clothes money.
And now that your girls are grown
up and have to have street clothes,
and dancing clothes. and sport clothes
and the miilions of little things that
girls require to set off their youth
and beauty and enable them 70 go
with the kind Of people they want TO
go with, why. the wonder to me is
that any family pocket book, short
of a millionaire's, can stand 1t. No
wonder your husband, after paying
the family bills, can't present you
with diamond tiaras.
keeping yacht or running a rae
Ing stable isn't a bit more expensive
than raising a house full of children,
and the man who successfully nego-l
tiates that financial undertaking puts
the man who merely dikes out his
wife like milliner's and jewelers.
show windows in the piker class"
II guess that is true" said the wo-
man in the bl1e serge, thoughtfully. |
"Of course it's true" replied the
other woman, look about you and
when you see middle aged woman
Soued up like the queen of Sheba,
nine times out of ten you will find
cut that she. is childless woman, and
that she's driven to dressing herself
I'D because she hasn't got any daugh-
tiers to dress up. and instead of envy
ing her you ought to pity her.
do you suppose that any woman
gets as much fun out of sitting aud
embroidering cobwebby lingerie for
herself as she would out OF WORKING
little frocks for baby? Do you sup
pose that any normal, middle aged
women gets the thrills out OF buying
a pink satin evening gown for her.
self that she would get out of buying
enc for rosebud young daughter?
Do you suppose that there's any wo.
man with a real heart and soul in
her who wouldn't rather spend her
money on giving fine, intelligent son
a college education than putting II
in a new limousine or diamond stom
acher?
(which would you rather have, my
memory of pleasant trips in foreigl
lands or your own memc.y of you.
chfldren's babyhood? Would YOU trade
off any one of your children for M
level box? Would you rather be abls
to order a set of furs sent home from