Not only have women conquered all the established callings, but they have
invented some of their own. Professional shoppers were never heard of in
the old days, though since the idea was started some men have adopted the
business. The welfare secretary, who is "guide, philosopher, and friend"
to the girls in factories or department stores, has recently come into
existence. Then there is the shopping adviser, who pilots the uncertain
Mrs. Newbride over one store or through many, helping her to furnish the
new home harmoniously, fashionably, and for a given sum.
One woman owes her prosperity to her creation of the profession of
"dramatists' agent." A Western woman raises animals for menageries and
zoos. Another clears three thousand dollars a year by growing violets,
while a third is getting rich out of the proceeds of her ostrich farm.
Altogether five and a quarter million American women--or one-fifth of all
the workers in the country--are making their own money.