The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-13

If you had to make your own living what could you do2"
 This question was sprung in a crowS of women the other day by a certain serious thought and consequently the question raised perfect kub-bub."
 One of the little coterie-one of the most frivolous of them all answered quickly;
 "T couldn't even remove a white rab- bit from out of silk hat"
 Then everybody laughed for a mo ment when another of the little group spoke up and said:
 seriously, girls. this is question every last one of us should think about. You never know in these par lous times what moment you may wake up and find your fortune has taken wings and flown away and then what would happeh?''
 'I'd get up and fly with it,s said the frivolous one, frivolously.
 How foolishly you talk" said se- date member of the party. "Eeally. it behooves every woman to have some vocation in life. so that if the wolf ever does poke his nose round the corner, she'd know how to dismiss him grace fully. Tn other words, if the worst comes to the worst, she'd know how to handle the situation by making per- fectly good living for herself"
 What a cheerful pessimist you areH exclaimed one
 Not that.'' came the swift reply, "but really, now, honest Injun, if ths worst came to the worst. is there any thing any one of the women in this lit- tie bunch could do to make living?'
 q couldn't balance walking cane or my chin, or walk tight rope.'' declared one of the liveliest among them T don't know which side of a button to sew on. nor which end of the needle to thread. I tried cake making once, but I always forgot to put, the flour in and the consequence was failure
 You'd better make an inventory of your accomplishments one of the number advised, flor. some day you may be like those who have to make their own living and how will you do it? That's the question"
 Since we have got down to brass tacks on the subject" said another of the women, q can nearly do a lot of things. I can nearly play the piano; if there hadn't been so many scales and exercises would have accomplished it. I can paint-some. I can trim hats-a little. Tn fact. I believe that's what I'd do if had to work-go in the millinery business
 Provided you were an expert said some one else. This is an age of spe- cialties Whatever you do, you must do well or you can't command enough sal ary to live on. You can nearly play the piano. You couldn't make living by playing to save your life. I've heard you and you don't do it well enough. Musicland is flooded by clever artists, and as for your painting-it's surely amateurish. As for your millinery work, you do well enough for yourself, but fancy a customer accepting frame that you'd cover or make. The main point about making living is that you must specialize in one thing; do it su- perlatWely we'll and there you are"
 This conversation is the reason why you can see Arabe1la going every morn ing to her music lesson, learning to ex- eel in one particular line so that if she is ever called upon to make her living she can do it creditably to herself and her friends.
 Women all over the country are con- sidering this topic of self-support and lat a dinner party recently one of the -Four Hundred" in New York remark ed that if she had to make her own living she could teach music. although it has been 24 years since she graduated from a college of music. She specialized in