The San Francisco call. [volume], December 06, 1903, Image 10

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
Is it not better so? Does it not: pay
to see that th* skirt Is not bedraggled;
that the hat has some excuse j for ex
istence; that the boots do , not j squeak
and grate on the nerves of alUwithln
hearing ? When It means friends and
amusements and even a livelihood.
The business man argues 'that <{ the
girl' who gives her apparel considera
tion will give his interests . her full at
tention, and nine times out of ten he is
right, for generally there is method. In
her madness, and method is exactly
what he is looking for.- :
The newspaper girl, for 'instance,
would never make a success of her pro
fession if sh* went about looking: I de-_
jected and miserable. Not one person
In a hundred would thaw sufficiently to
give her a story, and she couldn't
worm it out of them, try aa hard as
she might, if she were togged out in a
picturesque fashion I or represented" the
ultra fashionable worldly woman.
Quicker than a flash the thought "gay"
would be put down against her, , and
while It might make a decided hit with
a questionable few, It doesn't pay by
any manner of means.
;0n the other hand the natty, short
*ult; and the chic hat nor, only look
well, but they always win respect and
admiration, v The man- with every min
ute of a long day scheduled will say:
"Ah. let her. in if 'she looks as though
she' had a grain; of sense." . It may be
that his judgment is of the most su
perficial sort, but - It •'¦ is :: man-fashion,
she was penny wise and not pound fool
ish/ - ,
r This lassie has learned another little
trick about herself and her employer.
If she goes lritban office cheaply'gown
ed she la instantly sized up ' and given
. "That waiter would be bacx soon.
But there would be rather a Ions wait
between this last and the next act. I
must get away where I could think.
My guests were chattering about the
show and I broke In on them.
"Do you know what I've doa»T" Z
other end of th« row with ray flnaa^ij
stability. -r . •*"*«*«
"He looked vastly relieved, mamma
smiled again benignly, the girls gab- 4
bled, and I— well, you can bet X never^
tried again to 'do the elegant' on t» per
weeit ¦. -. ¦ .¦ '
puff, adds a bow In a coquettish fash
ion here and a rose that he has sent
just there, and down she sallies with
sails full set to conquer or die. With
the rose and the bow as war paint she
declares that battle is on and those
who know hor best smile when they
cee her flaunt her signals.
With the business lassie it's quite
the same. Her war paint is of another
nature and meant to withstand the
glare of cold office scrutiny, but never
theless It is there and where one wins
out by a rose the other makes a touch
down with a bit of immaculate neck
wear, j
Glrsl will be girls the world over, and
each and every one of them realizes
full . well the , power- of being well and
becomingly gowned. Think well • of
yourself and the world follows suit; '
hang your head and the finger of scorn
is ever ready to be pointed at you.
This working girl took herself off
Into a convenient corner and had, a
long- heart to heart with ' herself.
"There's absolutely no sense in not be
ing dressed correctly," she argued with
herself. "Plain, substantial clothes al
ways wear far better than cheap fluffs
and I owe it to myself to keep up an
appearance."
And that Is the situation in a nut
shell. It need not necessarily follow
that Just because a girl works she has
no other interests or claims on life.
It is perfectly true that her time is not
her own to do with as she pleases, but
that only makes it the more imperative
that she keep well groomed and fresh,
else the time will not be far distant
when she will be a drab, forlorn -old
maid, thoroughly sour-balled on the
world and giving neither satisfaction
nor cheer.
It's bo terribly easy to fall into this
rut. Days pass, one exactly like an
other, with nothing but work, work,
and It soon comes to pass that Jack Is
an awfully dull boy, not caring what
happens nor looking ahead into the
future. And at that rate there isn't
any future. Even the most philan
thropic grow weary of sighs and long
gray faces and seek the sunny girl with
the merry laugh and the ready an
swer.
She may not have so very much to
make merry over, but ' she -laughs and
the world laughs with her; she makes
the best of things and her followers
vote her a jolly good fellow and rise
op aad call her blessed.
of golden shekels the wrong way should
Fhe sulk and make it known to all that
to-morrow's bread is an uncertain
quantity?
All, no; not this girl. Perhaps that
would have been considered quite the
proper caiier a few years back, but in
this use a.nd generation the essentially
imixjrtant thing is to remember to keep
your troubles to yourself. And as to
look at her, no one would ever so much
as dream that she and Mr. Worry were
or ever had been intimate friends, and
that Mr. Want had called several times
« h»n the weather was cold and pride
high. ;
And one reason for this change is
ihat so man; r women are standing
fchoulder to shoulder with men. and the
time has long since passed when it was
considered a burning disgrace to earn'
thread end butter and perhaps a bit of
jam honorably rather than to drain the
family coffers to the dregs and nightly
lall on your knees and devoutly pray
that the expenses may be lessened by
some kind chap coming along in the
very nick of time. 4
That may be all very well and good,
but somehow the attic with* a cheerless
hearth and an empty cupboard looks
good beside it. And here is where Miss
Business Lady makes her strong point.
An attic, be it ever so mean, does not.
tell 6tories, and these days it has come
lu be a recognized fact that good
clothes are often worn to cover up
poverty.
The girl who works is Just like any
other girl end she dearly loves all the
pretty furbelows and the dainty noth
ings that women wear, but she simply
can't afford them, and even if she
could, she is generally supplied with
enough plain, ordinary, common sense
to understand the eternal fitness of
things.
Eut mark you. she knows as -well
as you or the next one that shabby
garments no longer stand for anything
but plain inability, or worse yet, ill
health. They don't even stand for
¦womanly virtue or native talent as
they did in the good old days gon*j
by. and 6trange as it may seem to
those blessed with good old fashioned
ideas, the poorly clad girl is Invariably
the one who goes wearily on her way
answering this, that and the other ad
vertisement and finding no emloy
ment.
N'ow Mr. Skeptic, even though you
Ehake your head ar.d mutter, it's an
absolute fact. And you. Mrs. Wife-of
the-Business-Man, you may smile and
Bay "foolish," but use your eyes a bit
the very next time you visit your
husband in his sanctum-sanctorum
and take one long look at his secretary.
For it is now a part of the business
girl's code to dress well. Not in grand
spurts, but always. When she is look-
Ing for a position; when she has it, and
more especially, when she has lost it.
In other words, it is a part of her
business training.
But it most certainly isn't part of her
training and she most assuredly^
doesn't display* good common sense if
the rigs herself out regardlessly in
silks and satins and reserves the
calicos and rags for the privacy of her
two-by-four hall bedroom. Dangling
do-dads and flying- ends don't make
favorable impressions on sensible busi
ness men and the girl hunting fora po
sition is Quicker than any one else to
notice that, but she knows In her heart
of hearts that a well-cut tailor suit,
fresh linen and smart boots will do
more for her than a packet of recom
mendations and letters.
And does she take advantage of his
weakness? Well, rather. She Isn't the
least bit gullible and she knows for an
absolute fact that Mr. Map takes ber
In from the top of her head to the soles
of her shoes, even though he might
ewear the next instant thai be couldn't
ten a single, solitary thing that aha
said to them with an air of caador. 'I've
forgotten my keys, and my' landlady
locks uj> at 11 o'clock sharp.' j
" "While this wait is on I'll run over
to the house and get them— It's luckily
only -a few blocks away. She's a pep
pery tempered old lady, and If I should
ring her up late she might put me out
in the morning.'
"I grabbed my hat. I dared not take
my overcoat. TU be back before the
¦next turn,' I declared, and rushed up
the aisle.
"As I left my seat the stage manager
came from behind the scenes and sig^
nalcd the orchestra leader to stop. 1^
i Dr. Harrity is in the audience,* I heard
, him say, 'there is a telegram at the box
office for him.'
"When I reached the sidewalk there
was the man In the tall hat. with a
policeman, both shouting for a cab.
There was one standing across ths
I street, but the driver was missing. 'He's
in some saloon along here.' I heard ths
policeman say, 'I'll look foT him. doc
' tor.'
" 'Find him. or I'll take the cab my
self. I've got to get to Forty-third
street Instantly!' the physician cried.
'I'd give $5 to get there la ten minutes.'
"The cop disappeared and the doc
tor ran across the street to be near tha
cab when the driver appeared. And I
was richt by his side.
"Five dollars! Why. at the minute.
Jack. I'd have committed highway rob
bery for that sum!
" 'You Jump in,' said I to the doctor.
I'll get you there. What's the num
ber?'
"He cave me a look which assured
me he knew I was not the driver of
the. cab: but he told me the number.
'I'll give you $5 If you're there in ten
minutes.' he said.
"I expected to hear the officer or the
driver of the turnout yelling at me to
stop. But the doctor wasn't in the cab
any quicker than I was up on ths high
seat. And I woke that cab horse up.
"Inside of the ten minutes we stoppc^
before the number Dr. Harrity gave
me. He was out and up the steps ring
ing the bell in a flash. For a second
I thought the promised $5 was getting
away from me. and I had made a crlm-j
inal of myself for nothing.
"I leaDed down just as the door of
the house opened. A man let the doctor
in. but I seized his coat tails before he
could disappear.
"The doctor tried to Jerk away, but
I hung on. 'Johnson!' he shouted to
the serving man, 'give this- fool $5 and
kick him out!' But I didn't wait to be
kicked after getting my grip on tfle
fiver.
"You can bet that I wasn't to b»
hired to drive that cab back to the
theater. I took a car down the ave
nue and walked calmly into the lobby
Just as the orchestra began to play the
introduction for the first number after
the intermission.
"As I passed In there was the officer
and an excited cabman Jawing each
other, with a curious crowd about them.
Evidently cabby blamed the policeman
for the disappearance of his rig.
"I slid into- my seat. Jack. Just as tha
curtain went up. There were the
glasses on the shelf In front of my
guests, and I^saw the waiter, rather
anxious by now, hovering about.
" 'Oh, I fonrot to pay for these
drinks.' I remarked, and passed over
the fiver with an air which evidently
impressed the old gentleman at the
"Ah and it Is a tale— a tale of won,"
Binning began. "It happened a good bit
ago, too: not long after I came down
here to the city, believing, in my green
ness, that I could cut a swath In law
that would lay over anything I could
do In the plow-making line.
"Dad zot me a chance wltn a cood
firm and then paid no further attention
V. me — financial attention, J mean. I
was as lonely as a strange cat sit first,
but after a few months one of the boys
In the office introduced me to a rather
nice family uptown.
"There were three girls In the family,
and as I bad hardly spoken to a girl
since leaving home, this introduction
seemed a godspeed to me. But I'va
wondered since if my fellow clerk did
not introduce me simply to make his
own escape from matrimonial toils the
easier. As my visits increased, his de
creased.
"So it was up to me to treat every
body alike. And I wag. determined to
do the elegant. I invited the bunch,
daughters and mamma and papa, to go
to the theater, bought six scats right in
this very row.
"It pretty nearly cleaned me out- Six
dollars was two-thirds of a week's sal
ary, and after mentally figuring It up
I decided that I would excuse myself
after the thaw and let my guests go
home alone. I could not afford even
another round of carfares ! ¦¦:
"Well, we rustled into our seats like
a nock of pigeons — papa, at one end and
myself here on the aisle. After the first
two or three numbers on the pro
gramme, the waiters got . extremely
busy. To tell you the troth. I had not
taken into consideration the fact that
liquid refreshments were served, but I
figured that I could stand one round for
the crowd, even If I had to walk from
the office to my lodsings several even
ings to pay for Jt.
"So I suggested a drink to the girl
next to me. She took me up with posi
tively frightful alacrity, and passed on
the proposition to the others. I turned
to beckon the waiter, intending to order
six of those foaming glasses in an off
hand manner, bound to impress the ob
server with the fact that I was the
Real Thing. ..
" 'Oh, Mr. Binning," said the daughter
next to me, 'I think I'll take a lemon
ade.'
'• 'And so will I-. Mr. Binning.' said the
second sister. The .third and mamma 1
followed suit. Whew! In those few sec
onds mv collar wilted, i .
"Evan the old man, evidently consid
ering that I would be; offended If • he
ordered beer, asked for something In
the line of mixed poison that I knew
plaguey well he'd never tasted. Then
the waiter, with increasing affability,'
looked at me.
"It's a terrible thing to be a coward.
Jack. I wanted to blurt out: 'Not with
my money!' But I didn't dare, so I or
dered the same, mysterious drink that
the old man had spoken for and saw
the waiter hurry away with a feeling
that he might as well bring the house
officer back with him when he returned
with the refreshments. -
"Those six drinks would amount to
SI SO, and I had just 75 cents in my
pocket!
"All the Impossible means of getting
out of the entanglement raced through
my mind. I couldn't even see what was
going on upon the stage. The falling
of the curtain ar.d a burst of applause
roused me
and any. girl who nas her own living tc
make would do well to humor his fan
cies, no matter how foolish she may
think them. What if she has to rus
raadly to her nearest accommodating
friend and lay the situation before her.
And let me tell you right here that
true friendship Is to be found among
those who toll early and late for their
daily bread, and; there Isn't one girl
In a hundred who would not gladly
loan a gown or a hat toward the
cause.
To be sure It Isn't always the most
I pleasant thing in the world to start off
* to work clad in the best suit your chum
has and to be constantly reminded if a
sudden shower should come up that
Mary's pet hat would probably be much
the worse for year. It isn't pleasant,
but it is profitable, and that is Infinitely
more to the point when It comes down
to a matter of hard, cold facts. Even
the most capable office girl may have a
long streak c-f bad luck and when the
mere ' borrowlts of a friend's pretty
¦frock would put her upon her feet
again wouldn't she be the silliest thing
that ever happened not to take advan
tage of her opportunities?
v The girl who sings at concerts has
her stock In trade and she don't depend
entirely . upon her voice, either. She
knows that she must make a good ap
pearance and that her manner must be
gracious and charming. And how could
she be thoroughly at ease if her gown
was r.ot smartly cut and she had to
remember to keep her skirt lust so in
order not to reveal her shabby boots? .
That isn't the way to secure another
engagement and after one or two pitiful
blunders she comes to the edifying con
clusion that It is an actual business in
vestment to dress well, even If she eats
crackers and cheese tor a solid week.
\ The fastidious hostess wishes to .make
; as brave a front to her guests as possi
ble and when she pays for their enter
tainment she demands that they be
amused and pleased and in her eyes
slopplness and poverty have no excuse
for existing.
Scr what is this girl worker to do?
Nothing more or less than dress as well
as she honestly can— no more or no less.
If she gives up seeing a play that she
has set her heart upon for the sake of a
. new hat it may not prove as attract
ive, but from a business standpoint it
'is a good investment, and she at least
has the satisfaction of kne-wing that
WHEN BINNING DID THE ELEGANT
a salary that seems to. fit her needs,
but on the other hand, if she looks as
though she had been used to a good
salary, she will get it and Just as easily,
too.; For, unfortunately the time has
not yet come when girls' salaries are
uniform, and they are subject to violent
ups and downs according to the appear-
ance of the applicant.
But from aonther standpoint buying
cheap fabrics is even worse economy
for her than for other women because
of the wear and tear that they ar«
called upon to withstand. The really
good thing may seem terribly expensive
at first, but gowns that'keep their
shape and color through months of
active all-weather service, that don't
wrinkle and look forlorn after a sudden
Ehower, are found by miladi sensible
to be a rattling good Investment at th^
end of the year. If she be wise she re
mcmbera when buying that this gown
Is worn almost ten hours out of the
twelve and that she is seen in it by the
largest number of people.
If for that reason alojie ?he should
not think it beneath her dignity to pay
the strictest attention to bein» neat and
stylish and never fur a single Instant
should she begrudge the time expanded
upon the minute details or consider it
idly wasted.
Life is too short to worry over trifles
and the glr! who can push aoide care
is one that is truly blessed, but it be
hooves her not to push aside the im
portance of teins the smartest, neatest
office girl in town, for, forsooth, it may
mean more than she wist of.
(""pfHE independent, business girl has
I issued a new proclamation, and
I right nobly have her thousand
JL and one sisters responded to the
call. So well, in fact, that there
irn't even the faintest similarity be
twefn the girl of to-day and the one
of h~lf a score of years ago. \
Ar.d ber proclamation? Ah. nothing
more ncr less than to change her man
ner of dress with her code of business
ethics. And it wasn't eo terribly diffi
cult, either, once she tried.' Instead of
fct-lir.s it her bounder^duty to travel
the Length and breadthof the city with
a general air of hard luck written all
over her and hanging her head with a
sort of excuse-me-for-being-on-the
oarth sort of air, you are very much
more art to find her traveling leisurely
along with her head well up and giv
ing the impression that her pockets
are silver-lised, and. for that matter,
always have been.
And pray tell, why on earth shouldn't
she? Just because' fate played her a
shabby tiick and emptied the barrel
had on to save his very life. WelL
Probably not. His eye has not been
trained to note colors and. textures,
but he knows a •well-groomed, trim
woman and he appreciates to a T what
It means.
Men are queer creatures. They
swear and tear their hair over ex
pense and cry aloud from the house
tops that women's clothes are a lot of
foolish trash; yet, even the sagacious,
stern man of affairs Is decidedly sus
ceptible, and many a victory is won
without half trying, all on account of
a bow of crisp ribbon or a spick and
Epan linen collar.
To.be frank, the girls aren't slow to
seize upon this advantage and use it
for all it Is worth. And when it comes
right down to it, can you blame them?
There isn't so terribly much differ
ence between the methods of the soci
ety girl and the business girL Both
have their tricks In their trades and
both are remarkably alike.
The society girl receives a card and
she straightway rushes to her mirror,
¦dabs her nose with a sweet scented.
THE SUNDAY CALL.
THE BUSINESS
WOMAN AND
HER CLOTHES