Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-27
By DOROTHY DIX.


" HERE is nothing more snobbish
and un-American than the sneer
that we hear continually direct
81 At the new rich.
Every new fortune. honestly won' is
a new vindication of our democracy
thai gives opportunity to everyone IN.
stead OF privileges TO the few. 1t should
ill us with JOY that in this country
o. ours no man needs stay humble or
moor if he has intelligence and energy
and IS willing to work, and we shouIu
have nothing but admiration for the
man who has had in himself the pluck
and ability to achieve success.
For while any fool or weakling may
inherit a fortune. Il takes a man who
has sense and grit and courage to
make one.
Perhaps the dollar mark may not be
the romantic symbol of achievement
but ii is the trademark Of practical
success. Money talks when it comes
70 estimating the value Of a mans work
Il must needs be good work when the
world is willing TO pay out big sums OF
money for It
The new rich man at whom fools
and PARASITES smile contemporary
may lack polish and drawing-room man
ners. but he has proven that he has In
him the brains and the Drawn, and the
backbone that raised man up on ms
hind feet and has made him the doeT
Of things since the world began. His
money may be so new 1t is shiny, bW
il shines with the blood and sweat Of
it's getting: and as for romance-why
there are no stories Of adventure. or
tragedy. OF love, of luck, so thrilling
and interesting as those that the self
made man could tell If he would.
All of which brings me to the relat-
ing OF this little incident which really
happened the other night.
AT q dinner table some one mention
ed Blank whose recently organized
chain of cheap stores have turned him
from a petty shop keeper into a mill
liOnaire.
Someone pointed out his wife TO me
at the opera the other night" said a
beautiful and ardstocratic woman scorn-
fully. "She is the most blatant exam
pie you ever saw Of the new rich. Makes
a display OF her wealth that is vulgar.
You should have seen her-fat and
pudgy and middle aged, but swathed in
lace that had been the treasure of a
queen. and plastered over with dia-
monds and pearls until she looked like
a jewelers. display window. | amused
myself by trying to compute the value
of her costumes and l estimated that
she was worth about a million dollars
as she sat there-which, 1 suppose Is
about the way her husband would
figue her up" added the woman with
a sneering little laugh.
man who had been listening to the
bitter speech turned to the woman with
an apologize little bow.
81 suppose he said, that Mrs.
Blank does overdress. 1 suppose the
sight of a fat old woman, with her
wOrk-knotted hands covered with a
kings ransom in jewels, is grotesque,
but when see Mrs Blank reveling in
all her finery with joy as artless as
a child at a party. I don't feel like
laughing I feel like taking of my hat
before the spectacle OF something that
is sacred and holy.
" For 1 have known the Blanks for
many years. know their story.
Il know that her imported gowns.
her five hundred dollar hats, her
pigeon blood rubies. and cabochen
emeralds. ner historic pearls and
diamonds are the realization of a mans
dream come true and his efforts 10 pay
back to a woman the sacrifices she
has made for him.
when Blank and his wife were mar
ried they were as poor as poverty it
self He was a ten dollar a week
clerk in a little East Side store, and
they lived in two rooms and Mrs. Blank
cooked his food and washed his clothes
and walked the soles off her shoes
hunting the places where she could buy
food cheapest
BY incredible economies they saved
until they got enough money for Blank
to buy a little interest in the store. He
saw how the business could be built
up and made more profitable, but it
needed more money. He worked hard
er than ever and Mrs. Blank saved more
penuriously than ever. and they got the
money and enlarged the store.
And so il went on year after year,
unremitting toll. amending sacrifices
Of the desire of the moment for the
good of the end. and always Mrs.
Blank doing her part and more, cheer
fully and gladly and uncomplainingly.
Always she stood at Blanks back
boosting him up the ladder. giving him
fresh strength and fresh courage when
he wavered.
During all these long. hard years
their only amusement was to leave the
dingy part OF the town in which they
lived and go shopping along the streets
where the most fashionable and costly
stores are. They never went into the
stores. They stood on the outside and
looked at the things in the windows.
Some day" Blank would say, 81 am
going to buy you a sable coat like this
one" or some day you shall have finer
diamonds than any in this window"
maker. and tell her to make you every
thing that you even think you want,
because nothing in the world is going
Some day you shall go to this dress
10 be good enough for you"