The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-21
"ALL IS MOI GOLD

For a while Edith did fairly well
with her sales OF fancywork. But
the profits in money were as nothing
compared to what she had learned OF
human nature, human problems and
human tragedy as she journeyeo
round among the wealthy homes.
Many a story OF external glitter and
hidden poverty was poured into her
sympathetic ear. Many starved
heart found satisfaction in unburden.
ing itself to the woman who somehow
seemed to attract condolences as a
fiirt does men--by the mere look In
her eye.
AS she sewed and did her house
work she companioned herself with
thoughts OF women into whose lives
she had revealing glimpses. There
was the little old lady. for instance,
who, widowed at eighty, was enjoy
ing for the first time in her life the
delirious JOY of spending actual cash.
"All through my young wifehood,'
she had confided to Edith, I'VE were
poor. Reuben toiled heartbreakingly
for his first thousand dollars. ] saved
and pinched, doing my own work and
| bringing up my babies-who were all
by the time my husband had made
| his money he had acquired the habit
| of thrift. He didn't enjoy spending
because the things money could buy
| meant nothing to him. Travel, beauti-
| full possessions, music, society all
| found him Indifferent. All he knew
was the making of money. The desire
| to economic obsessed him.
! M
have not known until now what II
; was to have money enough in actual
cash to buy a bunch of flowers for
sick friend! l couldn't go to some
shop near the hospital and buy ar
armful of simple flowers and take
them myself | had to go to florist
! them sent in the usual stereotypeC
, way, all because / had not money to
pay with! l have never been able to
| give penny to charity-my own char
tiles, the particular things l sympa
| thized with-for / had to render strict
account of every cent so bestowed
and only certain things were approved
! Of. Yet we had millions, millions!"
And there was the gay, overdressed
overfed, idle. l,ind-hearted Mrs. Ross
lin. who had told Edith debonairly
+, "Oh, we rich women are always broke
Amy Lewis owes me s400 right thi
minute, and l owe my chauffeur $125
My dear, we all borrow from ou
chauffeurs! The men have to pa.
their wages, you know, though tae'
often don't give us women our allow
ance. They--the chauffeurs, l mean
don't dare to refuse to lend us. o
we'd complain to our husbands tina
they were reckless drivers or some
thing. I'm not eXaggerating, dearie
it's the solemn truth We wome
have a regular slogan nowadays: 'Yo
can always borrow from your chau
feurs!"
But the most appealing of all tn
stories Edith Ferrol in her money
making rounds of the rich homes ha
heard was of the famous pianis
Nine. Odrea Liskowa, whom Edith ha
not recognized under the simple It'll
of Mrs. Peter Floyd. She had give
generous order for Edith's hand
work, and the acquaintance thus cas-
ually made had warmed and fiowere
into a real friendship. Edith ofte
j spent delightful tea hour on tn
Floyds' shady terrace, or drove GU
through the country in their bi
French car.
I'm in one of my restless mood
today" Mrs. Floyd would sometime
tell Edith, when she invited her b
telephone. Il must fly through tn
woods and over the hills! You are tn