| Show Extravagance E X t in Women y omen I By Ella Wheeler Wheler a Copyright lOtt isa by W R It Hearst have MYe been paid Md eId the wife ef of a distinguished 1 t alnee shier liar h avowal 1 that her dressing east cost tHe tUe modest sum of or ft it year reer A Men IlleR have shrieked shucked with joy jO through the tha th medium of the tbt th e Ial and the effect upon my own sex has been bean beneficial It has seemed seamed to te arrest arre t tor fer h r the time being at least the trend of extravagant thought which prevail prevails in America It is wise and d graceful g for a leading American woman since America Is Ic a democracy 1 exert eart this influence upon Spon other women rather than t te to flaunt her Jewels an and hex her expensive t gowns in their faces Nevertheless one cannot help elp this que w whether ether there would be more universal prosperity in the land if every woman of social position and comfortable means used only yearly for her costumes The condition c of of Ireland has been greatly benefited during the last sew few years by a revival of the industry A prominent woman Interested herself in making lace newly fash lash and aM creating a demand for the Irish rish point Every woman of wealth we J ll who bought b u ht a Moe shawl 1 or jacket or collar felt she was doing something bet ter tel for the pout poor of ot o the Emerald Isle than she could do by bestowing charity Not long ago fO an American lad lady y of refinement was suddenly thrown upon the world at middle age a e with two stricken dear ones dependent upon Mr her The lady had bad always possessed wonderful skill skin with her needle She sOt set s t about fashioning beautiful and expensive draperies fichus jackets shawls and en tire gowns and through the patronage of a few women of means who did diet not confine their drew dreM expenses to a year ear this widow and her two tw dear ones have been enabled to keep their heads beads above water and their names free from debt A worthy young woman of my acquaintance supports herself by doing ex ox embroidery Ladies who have the money to use feel they are re justified in employing and aad paying for tor her skill to make them beautiful gowns even though they 1 live in a democracy It does not to these women omen that their extravagance is anything but commendable What better use can cart be made of money than to help be people make an honest living and Independent liveli I vell hood If It Is right and proper to patronize art and literature and music to buy bV pictures and books and aDd to pay musicians to discourse sweet sounds for tor us us why is Ie it not n t equally commendable to patronize the people who support them themselves themselves themselves selves by making artistic and beautiful garments Why should worsen women who have money to buy becoming and tasteful cos ess costumes refuse their assistance asaf tance to seamstress sea modiste and designer and confine themselves to strict economies in dress I Should every woman in America follow the example of the first lady of the land In thid th respect we would soon need all aU the surplus wealth to establish establish establish lish charity homes for fer the unemployed manufacturers merchants milliners and It is ag Q I romanced remarked la In the outset highly commendable for tor this representative tire tive American woman to accent the tAe possibility of combining economy with Ith high i social position But thurl ao o necessity l e for t grany r any woman possessed of independent means to feel she is it obliged to keep within the limit of in lien her dress expense or merit the criticisms so is freely offered o by our American men upon our sex for our extravagance a fault which can ean be directly traced to mans door It is the th beat Hat dressed woman whom men invariably bestow their attest atten attentions upon nt ht all an public places place Put si a dozen samples of ot fabrics before l orea a man and ask him to select i his itla U favorite and he invariably chooses choos the most pensive In every p seible wanner save by direct dict advice men countenance and abet extravagance ettra ance in women I They Th yare are the tile tout Ut they are the cause of ot their own trouble in this |
