The St Louis Republic from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 52

-v, -ryi -w lf THE REPUBLIC: SUNDAY. NOVEMBEE 22, 1903. BeKelorJidcrBorcT B. dMt 3 I 1 Ife IB i HE is self-supporting, or sne is a student tucked away some-viiere in the bis: city, studying with might and main that she may become self-supporting. Her field of occupation is limitless, and always there is in her that strongest cf feminine traits cr instincts lecturers and writers upon the bachelor maid subject to the contrarythe home-making instinct or the home-loving instinct, when even the making Is not possible always a patient daily enduring of home-lacking surroundings, with the hope that some day it will be different.

She must have a roof, a fire in winter, three meals a day and other ordinary comforts, but even when she is willing and amply able to pay for these they are grudgingly given, declares the college girl. "7 1 1 mjmf GQJMJr I D-X MV iBfiBBHMHHHIHVrT-; ,1 I IBIy I III tCORm.OFA&XCflZLOR- vrsxtrcES for the republic The bachelor maid Is a creature Infinitely better off and more deliriously happy than even the bachelor man. 6he has rooms, an apartment fitted up In the most comfortable fashion, -nhere he chiefly lounges In kimonas and entertains her friends at delightful little teas and "things." She carries a latchkey, wears smart tailored gowns, enjoys no end of Independence, which she would not give up for tho world, eschewing; matrimony to a degree that alarms This Is the way she Is pictured, chiefly. This the way she Is held up before the world by the lecturer, the writer (at so much per lecture or column) as an awful axample of what femininity Is eora-lng to, and that because of her there are fewer and fewer old-fashioned homes and old-fashioned mothers, and yen model and domesticated husbands. That the bachelor girl exists In great numbers Is not to bo denied.

That she Is a product of the times Is I50 Irrefutable. But that she, taking the majority as an example, can seldom afford to wear smart tailored gowns, can seldom afford "apartments" worthy tho name; Is frightened almost out of her wits If sbe must be out late In the evening, and works very hard to win her way, her very circumscribed little way. In the world. Is all rather more true of her than the tale more commonly told. THB BACHEIiOR GIRL IS 8ELF-SUITORTrKO.

The real, genuine bachelor girl Is self-supporting, CT she Is a student tucked away somewhere In the big city, studying with might and main that she may become self-supporting. Once a young woman without an Income settled down upon her nearest of kin, took care of the children, patched and darned and grew old. But why hark back? There Is enough of the bachelor maid of to-day to tell. Since the genuine bachelor maid Is the one who. like the bachelor man, must depend upon herself for an Income, solio for herself the 'living problem," It Is the salary earning young woman who must be studied If the ways of the bachelor girl, which are not past finding out, be best and truest known.

It Is a generally admitted fact that the average young woman Is paid at a lower salary rate than the average young man. The employer of many men and women will tell you this himself. So It behooves the bachelor maid to live less extravagantly than the bachelor roan. It she would live within her income. And the "inx problem" becomes the Aht 111 knottiest one.

then, that the bachelor girl has to solve! In the big department of St. Louis there are 1 650 Joung women. This count coers only the blcgest stores. In the leaser stores there ate 37 girls. A total of 3.W7.

What a little army! IN THE LIST OF HIGHER SALARIED WOMEN. Then there are the stenographers, bookkeepers, private secretaries and teachers, all of whom come In the list of higher-salaried women. And there are a number ef tiny shops here and there, with their women clerks, which al3o were not included in the count. Taking, then. Just the 3,047, you have a army of wage earners or salary earners, if one likes the term better whose Incomes are Email so small.

In fact, that one wonders how this little army of bachelor maids can appear so neat, so bright of face and altogether so good to look upon. That many salary-earning girls with their families, and so haven't the "living problem" staring at them blankly and grlmlv every day. or from time to time. Is true, but that many more are entirely alone In tho city, dependent upon boarding-houses for the comforts of life. Is also true.

When a bachelor girl has only a very, very small Income, the "living problem" weighs heavily. And even the bachelor girl with a liberal Income finds It. too. a ghost that will not down, or but seldom. Sometimes she downs It But this Is anticipating.

MAJORITY RECEIVE! SMALL SALARIES. I found the really and truly bachelor girl In greatest numbers clerking. Again the bachelor girl Is studying art, music, medicine, law, or she may be the visiting governess of small children, teaching music, following a literary bent, or doing beautiful fancy work for a livelihood, or fashioning beautiful gowns for well-to-do patrons. Her field of occupation Is limitless, and ever and always there Is In her that strongest of feminine traits or Instincts lecturers and writers upon the bachelor maid subject to the contrary the Home-making Instinct, or the home-loving instinct, when even the making Is not possible always a patient dally enduring of home-lacking surroundings, with the hope thlt some day It will be different, There Is alwavs the hope. The1 bachelor girl must have a roof, a fire In winter, three meals a day and other ordinary and commonplace creature com forts.

Kai Even -when she is wllllngVand amply HI rBP1s V''" ilV's "Ay "V' "SvT-n 3 mb Vta jbbbbbM 1 sBR 1 5t nYoi BfetaLBiPB so -i- able to pay for these thev are grudg'ngly given her. I know this, because I "hunted" board. SOME OF THE HARDSHIPS TO BE ENCOUNTERED That I voluntarily Joined the ranks of bachelor maids upon a small, very small. Income, to be worked hard for every day so hard tint when the end of the day came and I crowded on the street Unr, with hundreds of other bachelor girls, n. strap to cling to was not such a bad thing, a seat being Impossible did not In the least debar me from all the hardships that come within the way of the most genuine of bachelor mild, nor make It Impossible for mo to encounter the "living Problem" In all of Its aspects One Is fortunate If one Ins friends who can send one to Just the proper sort of a boarding-place, for then one knows that one Is safe In engaging a room and establishing oneself within the portals of tho strange domicile.

And so I went to the doctor's wife, knowing her to be a womin of lirgo -perlenco and a friend of tho girl who earns her own way. The doctor's wife knew of a number of desirable places. I sought them far out, in desirable neighborhoods, with three-quarters of an hour's ride between mo and tho business district of tho town. Tho doctor's wife was right. All of tho rooms were bright and furnished Just as a woman of good taste and refinement would like to have her But the prices well, my salary was Just iS a week "to begin on." SHE DID NOT ENGAGE A ROOM.

As I was In the "beginning" stage, I did not engage a room. Besides that, though my remark that the doctor's wife had sent me Insured me a nice welcome by the "reduced gentlewoman" who would accommodate "a few select boarders," there was no regret that I did not take a room. In fact, none would have been let me. "Gentlemen" only were wanted. To come up to expectations of what a minister's wife must bo (and these expectations are many and varied) the minister's wife must keep a motherly sort of eye upon all girls who are alone In the city, who happen to come within range of that watchful eve.

And so I was sure that the minister's wlfo could direct me to a "neat, clean place," neat, clean places being. In the minds of the philanthropic, all that Is desired for the bachelor girl. They may be cold and cheerless but never mind that. Arraignments are always disagreeable. Bellevlnp- thnt tho nrldp fnrhlddinir the I bachelor girl to aUXm lbs real meager- I SLEEPING? aPADTMFn 1 ss of her Income might be a bar to finding, urder the direction of Interested friends, a real nice boarding place, I told the minister's wife that I must live mo it economlcallv, stating.

In fact, the eiact sum of Income I was dlreited to a place, "not too far out to walk If the weather Is good," a heme where a small number of boarders were accommodated and "good Christian" lrfluence abounded And there, at the direction of the minister's wife, I went. As the busy girl, the really, truly busj girl, only has after working hours to "hunt" hoard, mine was an evening call The Influence may have abounded, but the bareness ANNOYANCES OF THE LADY BOARDER Well, at nnv- rate, the most undesirable thing that could be thought of In that houe' would be "a lady boarder." "Lidles," I was Informed, wanted so much waiting on, and the neat housekeep er assured me that they were alwavs wanting to wash out handkerchiefs and hos'erj In the bathroom and -rv them over the backs of chairs and on the window pines In their own rooms, to siy nothing of running down to the kitchen to "press" Of course, I had at once to admit th it these llt'le things are what all girls, even society girls, are prone to do, nnd that I vjould not dare for a moment to assume that I was not often guilty mjself. "Now- men," continued my guide through the house she was escorting me from room to room Just for politeness' sake and the sake of the friendship of the minister's wife "get out early In the morning, arc not home all. day, and don't need any fire when they come home In the evening, as they go out somewhere right after supper, and go to bed as soon as they return home." Poor bachelor men. those ambitious and hard-working youths far from home, mls-irg the mother and the comforts of the parental roof-tree, tiring of "quick lunches" and cheerless rooms, I was wondering at the moment If they, tco, as well ns tl.e bachelor maid, may not often sigh for a real home with real comforts! But he force of the argument of the undeslrabillty of the "lady boarder" as against the desirability of the "gcntlcmin boirder" I was bound.

In all honesty, to admit. SHE ANSWERS A NUMBER Or ADVERTISEMENTS. If one's friends cannot successfully direct one to boarding places, then wh may not a bichelor maid look up advertisements nnd answer them? I found that this was what the bachelor rraid seeking a living place usually did, any way. Sundny Is a long day, and the bachelor maid may employ It just as she pleases So when all the world, or that part of It that Is not a bachelor girl with tho "living problem" staring her In the face, was happily dressed In Its best clothes and "shining morning faces," and going to church, I scanned the columns of all the daily papers announcing places where one might hope to find shelter nnd food for a certain weekly consideration, "paid In advance." This latter clause, though, was not Included in tho "ads." Over the columns of one paper with great pride In the number of "rooms and board" "ads" that It printed, my eve trav eled. There were hundreds, be it said to the enterprise of the paper and Joy of Its swelling coffers, but of the hundreds there were but few that did not openly and aboveboard state that "gents onlj" were wanted.

A sense of gratitude stole over me toward these advertisers, as they did not lure mo with attractive rooms, "southern exposure," causing mo to spend car faro and time only to learn at the end of my Journey that It was entirely out of the question to turn over those sunny rooms to any woman. Out of four morning papers I made up a collection of the advertisements that mentioned house numbers not too far removed from downtown and which did not stipulate that men only were wanted as patrons. Over some of these I lingered In doubt, but I cheered myself with the thought that as "gents only" had been omitted there might be a possibility that the advertiser, fearing that she might fall to get the number of men boarders wanted, could bo coaxed into harboring a bachelor maid. And forth I went. I neglected to arm mjsolf with my birth and baptismal certificates, which was an oversight, as I might have used them, be ing closely questioned as to my birth and antecedents as well as to my hours fJTjrifof Af JVJsVfjMt! of work, hours of breakfasting and dining luncheon being an unthought-of proposition and hearing the tale, that was fast becoming a familiar one, of how much more men boarders were wanted than women NEXT TO SINGLE MEN.

"COUPLES" WERE DESIRABLE. Even In reminiscence it grieves me full sore to think of the large, sunny rooms that were for "gents" or "couples" and might remain unoccupied If neither of these come to claim them, for no bachelor maid may hope to attain possession of them! Ever where the affirmative answer to the question "Are you emplojed?" was greeted with favor. No room In the up-to-date boarding-house for Idlers! Whether this fine sentiment prevailed so much as a fine sentiment or as a de3lre to have "no women around" during the day maj be left to the wise to ponder upon and answer. "Are jou married?" came next on the Hot. In most cases the neuatlve answer did not bring signs of exciting pleasure.

In most Instances It was frowned upon at once, and I was assured that the delightful "second-story front" was for "couples" only. And, be It here set down to the credit of those who keep boarder, the state of single blessedness Is not encouraged those with nice, large, desirable rooms to let. Finding, as I went upon my quest, that splnsterhood was frowned upon In the moln. I bethought me to awaken some mpathy for my lonely and homeless condition bj demurely casting my eves down and assuring my questioner that I was a Idow. Immediately there wn an inventory made of my costume of many colors, and, evidently.

It was concluded that my mourning period must be a thing well of the past, and widows without weeds are often frivolous creatures at best. If there was-little sv mpathy for the spinster, there was Ies for the widow. WELCOMED BY PATHETIC-APPEARING LITTLE WOMAN. Finally I found It a living place! I was welcomed to It gleefullv. warmly, though It Is metaphorically put as regards warmth.

The was very, very chilly, there being no visible signs of fire or occasional bursts of beat as we passed over radiators In the hallways, my prospective landlady and mvself. She was a worn, weary-looking little woman, who did not proudly state that she would only let her "newly furnished rooms" to "gents" or "couples." There was no proud and haughty air about her and fine scorn of bachelor maids, but a rather pathetic attitude. which suggested that any sort of a board er would be looked upon as a d'rect gift from Providence, provided the boirder paid ltsjto my prospective landlady the boarder might hav been neuter gender) board. Neither was the age, occupation, birthplace or antecedents of the applicant for board taken under consideration. And do I moved In.

"In" represented by a small room directly over the kitchen. As this was tho servant's room or so the builder of the house designed It I wondered for some days whero the ono maid was stored away, as every blessed room In tho house was filled to overflowing with boarders until, with my usual curiosity, I put two and two together and made four, tho four being the revelation that a bed was fixed up for the maid in the laundry In the basement I could walk to my work every day. This was a saving of car fare. No one know or cared whether I washed out handkerchiefs and hosiery In the bathroom and hunr them up to dry In my own room or not. This liberty of action, I figured, would assist me In saving on laundry blll3.

I could have my luncheon wrapped up In a piece of paper and take it downtown with me. If I wanted to. for an additional r. sw?" 3 i77. yyzu'ii' sum each week, or I could buy It downtown.

Under no circumstances was It regarded as a possibility that I would be at home any day for luncheon. (I am still speculating upon the consternation that would surelv have prevailed had I reached home any day, unexpectedly, before 6.20 p. HER ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER BOARDERS. It was easy from my room topping the kitchen to guess Just what the breakfast and the supper bills of fare were going to be- In this I had an advantage over the other boarders. AH went well, or as well as could be expected In the phraseology of the phjsl-cian who knows that he his on his hands a patient with a chrorlc case of misery and I lived as hundreds of bachelor girls a'e living, until one d.iy I was obliged to this note to My Beloved: "You cannot call Thursday evening, ns I "-aid jou m'ght.

"Mrs. Blank has rented the parlor. "She has put two folding beds down there, as she tells me th's will increase her income $35 a month." But My Beloved, pajing no heed to the note, rang the bell promptly at 8 o'clock Thursday evening. He scowled disapprovingly nnd inisteJ upon remaining a few mmients, so I stood In the doorway for a chat. But my landlady coming through the hall, gentle soul, and casting an anxious look at the open door and the cold air It was letting In.

I closed It and my Beloved stepped within. "Gel on jour hat and Jacket," he commanded, "And we will tajte a walk." ONLY PARLOR IS OFTEN RENTED. I expect a lot of bachelor girls must receive their callers In just some such fashion. In fact, inquiry reveals that the sudden and unexpected letting of the parlor is not at all uncommon. But after the letting of the parlor discontent seized me.

As a matter of fact, though a girl may have not a single friend among men and women to call upon her In the evening. It nevertheless, depressing to think that should wmo one at some time chance to cross her path that It wou'd be p'easant to have drop In. that there is no reception-room in which to receive them. jAlthough I hid made the acquaintance of a number of bachelor ma'ds, I found tho majority of them as weighed down by the "living problem" as myself. There was ono bright and thrifty one, however, who appealed to me as a woman capab'e of solvlrg the knottiest question that might present themselves to her In a way that would beat the methods of any ordlr.ary woman, and I won her confidence and an offer of assistance.

"It is Jut H'ce this," she said one day at noon time; "If several girls can be fast and good friends, to keep house together l.n a few rooms, is one of the nicest ways In tie world, though thera Is always bound to be a lazy girl or two In the bunch, and these girls will shirk all their housekeeping duties, leaving the work to the more Industrious ones. And, another thing, many girls are debarred from starting up a little home of their own because the furnishings require a little ready money. But my advice would be to girls to live cheaply and save every cent tbey can toward a combination housekeeping plan. If one girl gets tired then or gets marriedyou know bachelor girls will sometimes do that why. she can sell out to the others or find a new partner to buy her out, and take her place.

"As to my own plan of living? Well, jou are welcome to fathom Its mysteries If you want to." And I did. PAYS TEN DOLLARS A MONTH FOR TWO ROOMS. This bachelor girl has a salary of $8 a week. J. Two small back room? sh ratts aft each a month.

One is her sleeping apartment fittings of white and blue. A white matting cavers the floor, jUia muslin curtains are at the windorrs. The other room is ansltllns-room, wtth stained floor, to save the expensa of a carpet. The morning sunshine comas In at the windows, so that the rooms are bright and cheerful. The breakfast coffee Is prepared la On little sitting-room with a studio kottle.

Rolls are bought the evening before at the baker's, and eggs arc boiled Jn the kettle after the water for the coffee Is boiled, and a pot of chocolate Is often made with boiling milk for the Sunday breakfast. A dinner Is bought In the middlo of Vn day downtown, ard this Is the main meal o' the da. Supper Js prepared In the litt'e frfttni room tea nnd a nice I'ttlo menu tint not at all lmno'slble with so many rho'js 1" tte c'tv. where ready-prepared cdlb'cs can be bsuzht. With hr Hvlrs arrangements It Is possible for this bichelor gl'I to occislonallv entertain a little party of her friends.

'As her roons are not In a fashionable neighborhood, there Is not a rent out of proportion to her inccme to be paid, sp 1 tMs thriftv joung- woman hi something each month to put by for her wardrobe and as she does the greater part of her own sewing, even upon her small snlary the "living problem" has been stripped of much of its orrisomene-s. AVERAGE SALARY THAN JS A WEEK. The average salary of the girl clerk, though. less than a week; It Is about $3 or a week. Four girls combining upon a housekeep- Ing plan, with wags $5 a week eaprrfl would have an average Income, taking theV wages of a month, of a little more than S24 a week, a sum upon which many large families, through good management, contrive to get through the world quite r.Icely.

The combination housekeeping plan cer tainly recommends Itself. And It Is ono that the bachelor girl Icoks upon with great favor. Of course, the difficulty always arises of location, and the real estate man. Just philanthropic enough to be satisfied with small though sure profits, has a good work before him In erecting a department house where bachelor maids may rent housekeeping suites of two or three rooms, and even one room, for a woman with a knack for housekeeping can work wonders In even one little room In the way of developing comforts. Among the 3,017 bachelor girls of my count I did not find one swlnglng.a latc'tf?" key as a signal of her independence" Neither did I find one without the home Instinct The bachelor girl in her own home was' glad to be theie.

The one away from her own home was busy dally figuring how she could esta'b-1'sh herself in some wee and comfortable place with at least a semblance of home, or she was "hunting board" with a longing In her heart that luck would guide her to some place that, through shutting her eyes, she could sometimes fancy herself In a real, real home, and not merely a boarding place, or dreaming of the day when Prince Charming would come to her and assure her that his castle was all prepared for her occupancy, the castle being of very model sort a flat, maybe, steam-heated. And yet there are those who say that the bachelor girl Is not domestic. And there are those who do not know that thj "living problem" Is even a greater slp for the bachelor girl than for the woraJj who hunts, and hunts In vain, for a house owned by some human-hearted landlord who does not debar children from premises. p-- i.