Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-28
GENTEEL POVERTY,

asks my opinion as TO the adVisabih's Vi
her going into business, .,
She saws that she hesitates to go 10
work because it will mean practica'iy
giving up all the frieads and acquaintance
Of her whole life; not that they cspeciaiiy
look down upon working woman, pu'
that they are tho idlcrs and spenders VINO
pass their days 90 goit links and ~ briuec
tables iostead Of in offices. They merely
live IN q different world, and there are not
ma3v bridges that cross over from ehe
habitat Of the industrious poor To that oi
the idle rich.
Also. the girl says she is pretty ana
attractive. and she is afraid that she VIII
icopardizc her chances of marrying II she
becomes n business grub instead OF |
society butterfly.
say TO the girl that if she desires TO DC
really happy, and to experience tho p"lss'
;ov ON earth. which is self-respect, she
ought TO go to work
OF all miserable lots on earth, none rs 50
full of heart burning, and envy, ana o'i-
satisfied desire, as that OF the SHABBY gen
tcel nor is there any other occupation
ON Garth so agonizing as thht oil hanging
on to society by your eyeiashes
Real honest poverty, that doesn pre-
tend to be anything but what " Is; las
few terrors in il, and many coml'enss''lons'
An humble house can be periecuy oo'ii-
Portable; nlplain mcaisnay be more 'aS,s
and no,Irishing than things cooN'u 20
this and Ia that. homesiu, ouas sa'i, n
be .s warm as n broadcloth one NO TRENDS
oro so tr,,e as the warm-hearted neighbors
of the poor. who come IN 10 heip !" o'e''
timr of trouble and rejoicing
T'hosc who accept poverty frankly, hnd
tbat il turns kindly face upon them. IL
;s only n bitter enemy to those VINO tiy
10 camouflnge it; who pretend that the
reoso1 that they live IN shabhy Pat' oi
the town is because of the romantic a'ihos-
phcre. who starve at home that they may
give a pink tea once n season, VINO Pu. ''o
money that should 90 into rcd iianne, uh-
derwrar into a hall dress, and wh" nav
~ friends because they spend their hves
trying 20 get TO know the people VINO
don't want TO know them. ,.,.s
lis the prctcnses the lies, the d'cel's,
the aruulzinp effort 30 make oac do'iti
90 rs far as five. the straminR W Secp w
with those whose pace Is too swl., 'o' ''',
that makes gentecl poverty uf i'''''
horrible fate on earth -
It'sthc having 60 t,atter, ana cal'it' ~
fawn on those with money anu t9'''i,'s.' f..,
rncnts the having 10 accept sluils from
tbn ill-hrcI and arrogant rich, that makes
any hut the most craven spiri"u h'A-
/ spittlc writhc III -
i ao,5 far,ilv who tries TO plavthe society
/ 80 nn . shoc-string. She has 10 whccde
/ MI Matter cranky old ladies on The
I chanc, of them giving her ten spo' Nhe
i ,,,,ted Ia country houses, where she =
! rvpnctnd ia pay her way by entertaining
/ liz hores. and keeping m eve Oh tac chii-
! drrn Shc II asked to fill IN at the last
no,non, al partics whore she was never
a,,ong tbc original guess. She is.aiwayS
e,olcIt of half-pityinEly and haii-con-
ttf,,,,,,,,,,sl, as ''Poor Jane" or Poor
| NaIy and the traditional shirt OF ncttles
| ,,n,,ij NOT chafe her back more than 90
| ,hc rast-oH clothes Of other women tha'
she wears. .o
| Can there he any comparison m peace.
! Il bannincss in dignity, between the glri
who Is a hanger-on Of rich iamliy' ahu
! thc Girl who stands on her own ieet ana
| cams her own living The one IS deTeadeh'
Tho other IS an independent iree hu'ha.'
| being The one is bcggar, svcophan' /;
boot-lickcr Tho other can look 'he "oi'o
!, ~ e,-o and tell Il 70 60 where II plcaSes
!, ! ,,nr, tr,,e that the aear-societv gIrl
bas N give up her real society friends
,vbcn she goes 10 work, but she will tnd
thu, she has achieved the peace that
nassoth understanding when she drops
INTO Inc class for which she has the price
Tnr the uoor can no more run the race
ro,nfortabIv with the rich, than the tor
toise can with the hare,
To live upon the bounty OF others. !
eat tbeir food. and ride IN tslelr motor
whom Won can make 10 return, 70 ie'
someone else paw your way, weakers th'
moral fibre. ard tllrrs the recipient mt
e,ther p parasite or ar anarchist
The girl who clirgs t. her social poSitloi
- tbo hone that she will thereby make !
big marriage. Is turing matFimoHI ron
tbe rnblest career woman can iolloW
IN the most desuicablc profession She D
offering herself for sale as much as IL sh
yerp a slave in the bazaars. and she SCI
don, makes a good bargain. For men ar
leerv Of the petty, poor glrl whose laGf .,,
her fortune and whose family are vi o
the l1I- for SOMEBODY t. take her on tael
hands -
q CHARGE 10 marry we'll As the Duslne'
! girl She n at the very source oi supEil'
! c. ,po+rinonv. for she Is in the office
+ where mep congregate ne "OrAlus e.i
meets a hundred men. where the Societ
, g;rl meets one She had the chance [
tnow them intimately that the soclet
girI ,,ir rever has, and in this close, dali
cnrtqct II she has any graces of person, {
! heart. OF mind men nouce ~;
Moreover. the very fact that the q
is working shows that she is not on the
' husband hunt and that she has enoug
character ard intelligence to support he
4 self urtil the right man comes along an
a 80 a mau Is rot afraid that ne IS beir
.rot,baJ I'm as a meal ticket when he IN a
L rios business girl -, :.
!. So say to the business glrl with oh
S blood and an empty pocketbooN' go
- work if YOU want TO be happy. = le
c society friends are too nign pTlce 70 pa pa
G for parasiteism After al Ine oiIy prs
/. whose approval IS at'soiuUely NECESSARY
g us. is our own.