The idea of "suitability," on which I am inclined to
dwell very strongly, exists not only in regard to the times
and places for which you dress yourselves, but also has a very
direct connection with the amount of money which you are
able to spend. You understand, no doubt, that it is unsuit-
able to dress conspicuously in the street, to dress gaudily while
at work, to overdress anywhere or at any time ; but do you
also understand how very unsuitable it is to spend a penny
more than you can honestly afford upon your clothes ? To
most of you this matter of economy is doubtless a very im-
portant one, and I shall (taking it for granted that you mean
to be houest and careful in personal expenditure) try to give
you a few hints which may be of assistance to you.
In selecting any garment, from a pair of shoes to a hat,
you may be sure that it is better to have one really good
thing than two or three poor ones. Many girls would spend
the money which one good gown or cloak would cost, upon
two or three cheap ones, but it is not in this way that you
will dress well upon a little money. Let your materials,
your gloves, your shoes, or whatever the articles may be, be
always as good and as well made as you can afford, and then
take care of them. Be satisfied to do without a variety in
order that you may have better things, which, in the end,
are always more economical, especially when you take into
ON HABITS AND MANNERS.
29
account the extra labor entailed upon you by the multipli-
cation ot cheap articles in your wardrobe.
Again, do not spend your money upon trinkets ; the
habit of buying useless ornaments is most extravagant and
unsatisfactory, for a ring here, a necklace there, a string of
beads or a brooch now and then, however cheap they may
seem at the time, will run away with the price of a complete
stock of underclothing before you think of it. In this con-
nection, too, 1 must warn you against the vulgarity of all
imitations, false jewelry in particular being always in bad
taste. You will find that among ladies and gentlemen a
very plain reality is better than a very fine sham, and that
it is good to be true in dress as well as in other things.
In laying out your limited allowance of money always
take the most substantial things first, for you will find that
to sacrifice comfort to show is very poor economy ; as, for
example, the girl who goes without overshoes in order to buy
a feather, is very likely to discover her mistake wheu she gets
her feet wet and pays the penalty of illness and suffering.
Never fret yourself and waste your time in the attempt
to dress as people do who are richer than you are, or whose
position enables them to make more show upon a similar
outlay. You can be a lady in calico as well as in silk, and
you can make no greater error than to fancy that economy
30 ON HABITS AND MANNERS.
is a disgrace or extravagance a virtue. The refinement (to
use a general term) of your dress and appearance will depend
largely upon your own industry and neatness, for a careful
eye and ready hand can do much toward making and keep-
ing jTour dress, what a lady's should be, whole and clean,
and to that end you should mend rips, tears and holes in your
garments as soon as they appear, remembering that most
useful little proverb, "A stitch in time saves nine."
Page 11
Presented as published in 1888. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The idea of "suitability," on which I am inclined to dwell very strongly, exists not only in regard to the times and places for which you dress yourselves, but also has a very direct connection with the amount of money which you are able to spend. You understand, no doubt, that it is unsuitable to dress conspicuously in the street, to dress gaudily while at work, to overdress anywhere or at any time ; but do you also understand how very unsuitable it is to spend a penny more than you can honestly afford upon your clothes ? To most of you this matter of economy is doubtless a very important one, and I shall (taking it for granted that you mean to be houest and careful in personal expenditure) try to give you a few hints which may be of assistance to you.
In selecting any garment, from a pair of shoes to a hat, you may be sure that it is better to have one really good thing than two or three poor ones. Many girls would spend the money which one good gown or cloak would cost, upon two or three cheap ones, but it is not in this way that you will dress well upon a little money. Let your materials, your gloves, your shoes, or whatever the articles may be, be always as good and as well made as you can afford, and then take care of them. Be satisfied to do without a variety in order that you may have better things, which, in the end, are always more economical, especially when you take into
account the extra labor entailed upon you by the multiplication of cheap articles in your wardrobe.
Again, do not spend your money upon trinkets ; the habit of buying useless ornaments is most extravagant and unsatisfactory, for a ring here, a necklace there, a string of beads or a brooch now and then, however cheap they may seem at the time, will run away with the price of a complete stock of underclothing before you think of it. In this connection, too, 1 must warn you against the vulgarity of all imitations, false jewelry in particular being always in bad taste. You will find that among ladies and gentlemen a very plain reality is better than a very fine sham, and that it is good to be true in dress as well as in other things.
In laying out your limited allowance of money always take the most substantial things first, for you will find that to sacrifice comfort to show is very poor economy ; as, for example, the girl who goes without overshoes in order to buy a feather, is very likely to discover her mistake wheu she gets her feet wet and pays the penalty of illness and suffering.
Never fret yourself and waste your time in the attempt to dress as people do who are richer than you are, or whose position enables them to make more show upon a similar outlay. You can be a lady in calico as well as in silk, and you can make no greater error than to fancy that economy
is a disgrace or extravagance a virtue. The refinement (to use a general term) of your dress and appearance will depend largely upon your own industry and neatness, for a careful eye and ready hand can do much toward making and keeping jTour dress, what a lady's should be, whole and clean, and to that end you should mend rips, tears and holes in your garments as soon as they appear, remembering that most useful little proverb, "A stitch in time saves nine."