The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-22 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

Wrrii the approach of Christmas and its accom-
panying festivitieq, the attention of the fashionable
world is concentrated more particularly on the subject
of costumes appropriate far the various social gather
inge of the season. The writer of an article on "Paris
Fashions " in the Queen, says :—Black evening toilettes
are again in favour now that low bodices are once more
in vogue. Black dresses made with low neck and short
sleeves are round to be very becoming to both young
and middle-aged wearers. Satin, velvet, or the soft
lapped silks, such as Victorienne or Bengaline, or
perhaps the costly Antwerp silks with finer reps, are
the materials used for these black dresses ; the
trimmings are beaded net tabliers and lace flounces.
The low-pointed bodice is round at the top, comes
below the tips of the shoulders, and ie simply trimmed
around ; the sleeves are like epaulettcs of lace, and
stand upwards slightly. Yung ladies wear a demi-
trained skirt with this dress, while those who are older
wear a long and full train of straight breadths that
are puffed out sharply on the large tournure. Some-
times the pointed front of the hodice and the front
breadths of satin skirts are entirely covered with jet
drops that may be flowers of drooping shape, or may
be only loops of beads strung together. Another
variety is side panels made of hanging loops of satin
ribbon, with a jet point sewed to each loop; chenille is
also used like jet for pendants.

FEou the same article we extract the following para-
graph :—" Another revival with black dresses is a
yoke or shoulder covering of transparent net to match
the half-long transparent sleeves. This is the corn-
promise adopted by conservative ladies who do not
wear low bodices. Small figures of jet, steel, or of
gold beads on black net are used for this purpose, and
this forms an excellent plan for remodelling the basque
or bodice of a black satin or velvet dress that is partly
worn. The lace yoke may be round, pointed, or
square below, and may be open at the throat in a low
point, or else it may be finished with a full ruche of
lace, quite high, around the necks Occasionally white
Valenciennes yoke and sleeves are seen in black
dresses, and there are also white satin dresses made
with the yoke and sleeves of black lace; but these are
very conspicuous, and me not as novel as the wide
stripes of white satin with black repped Bilk now used
for high Princesse dresses that may have either white
or black lace guimpes and sleeves."

BRIGHT red satin is also used under black lace
flounces or u::der jetted net for black dresses, while
others have red satin with woven designs in jet or in
fine garnet beads. This beaded red satin is used for
the upper part of the bodice, while black satin is ar-
ranged upon it below in cuirass Or ipe, with straps
across the shoulders; the three skirt breadths are made
up of wide black Fatin plaits, like panels, inlaid with
the beaded red satin, and the bouffant back breadths
with the hip drape,y are of plain black satin. Black
velvet dresses are made gay in the same way for
young ladies for afternoon reception costumes with
short skirts, and with th,se is worn a small black
velvet mantis with a sort of guimpe of the red satin,
while the capote bonnet lam a black velvet crown with
pendent jet drops upon it, and a puffed red satin
brim; black ostrich tips and a high red aigrette are
the trimmings.

FEATHER borders are much seen on the skirts of
dresses as well. Flat borders of small cog plumes are
made to represent a drooping fringe on the lower edge,
with a narrow niche-like row for a heading; these are
handsome in black and very dark green shades for
trimming the lower skirt of a velvet walking dress,
and there should be a similar row on the long coat, the
jacket, or mantle that accompanies it, and also on a
muff of the material of the dress. Another feather
trimming is made of the fronds of ostrich feathers
stripped from their quills and woven into a galloon,
instead of being sewed there, and some of these are on
elastic bands to make them more durable. There are
new fringes of feathers with insertions to match, and
separate feather ornament 4, in some of which the
head, neck, and breast of birds are seen at intervals.
Another novelty is a feather material, a fabric three-
fourths of a yard wide, made of soft downy feathers
taken from under the wings of birds and woven into a
soft, pliable background, which is now used for the
entire cloak, especially for evening cloaks and_small
shoulder capes.

A CORRESPONDENT Of the Daily Telegraph, writing
under the general heading, "Paris Fashions," alludes
to the attempted introduction of light and bright
colours into visiting gowne, and says that even grey—
which seemed at the beginning of the Beason to pro.
mise well—has been eclipsed by the deep warm tints
of brown which matches the various tones of sealskin,
beaver, and sable so well; of claret and the other
shades of crimson known as mahogany, corinthe, and
garnet; of winter green as manifest in the fir, Cyprus,
and cedar; of eapphire and peacock blue, as unlike as
siible to the b:ue of the summer sky. Wh,ther the
gown be made of cloth, vicugna or Limousine ; of soft
Indian cashmere ; of rich•toned velvet or plush ; of
sheeny satin or handsome brocade, the only exceptions
to the rule are to be found in the designs of the
figured tissues; these may have one or two light
colours mixed with the darker ones, or be merely bright
—that is to say, red—for the most part, The dress.
makers have to vary their arrangements of folds and
draperies ; they get little help from the variety
of colour so far as this species of gown is concerned,
although they may launch out into a veritable orgy of
colour over evening and home dresses. The latter,
indeed, are conspicuous and curious in many ways,
and whereas all the guests at an afternoon reception
will be arrayed in the deepest hues afforded by the
eemeicno..bi,, palotto, the hot coa will he robed likiA a
chittelaine of old, or wear a semi-fancy costume, the
idea of which has been borrowed from Greece or
Albania, China or Japan, composed sometimes of the
strangest medley of materials—gauze and velvet, lace
and cashmere, muslin and satin, cloth of gold and
brocade, with bunches of flowers at the throat, and
jewelled trinkets to suit the particular_type.chosen.

As for tea gowns themselves (continues the same
writer), they are ol such various and strange devices
that description is not easy, nor even, for the most part,
profitable, since any one may choose what suits her
own fancy best. One similarity they have one with
the other is that no flowing train is worn. In the
case of a sixteenth-century robe the superabundant
length is drawn through a girdle; that of the
Japanese gown is caught up by the sash or scarf;
while dresses that assume the form of a Pompa-
dour sac or whatnot are likewise draped so as not
to sweep the ground, or at least only by a few
inches. The loose, full chem;sette suits a great
many national and fanciful costumes, and a new
effective manner of wearing it is to place beneath and
fasten by means of an ornamental clasp, two rudi.
mentary barques or points, that finish it cif very
prettily, and add to the decorative appearance of the
gown, especially when handsome bits of brocade or
embroidery are used for the purpose. Supposing these
basques to be of the same material as the overdress
itself—the petticoat and chemisette being closely
pleated India muslin or veiling—they may be em.
broidered in silks or gold threads, and edged with gold
cord.

WITH gowns of a Greek or Oriental pattern very
small caps may be worn, made of a little piece of
brocade or embroidered velvet square, sewn into a
cornet, or round like a muffin and limbed with lace,
though caps of a more legitimate shape and make are
tabooed by youthful Parisians. No bit of hoarded
material, however small, need lie inactive; a use may
be found for every square foot of silken fabric. Those
of bright hue may be made up into typical head.
pieces to accompany fancy tea gowns, or, placed in
the milliner's hands, will form pretty crowns for smart
bonnets; while those of a colour somewhat more
staid can be transformed into those impossibly small
muffs which the lingirea seem to have invented for the
torment of such as are not blessed with baby hands.

Tins correspondent also remarks that almost all
tha novelties that have appeared of late, we owe to
the milliners and lingires. The latter produce most
of the fanciful home gowns, the cape, and the muffs;
the former often undertake to produce the muff as
the complement of the bonnet. If light colours
are not admitted into the programme of the
visiting costume itself, they are permissible for the
bonnet, and caprice is allowed to have full away
in the matter. Dressmakers go on ritg,ng the
changes on flounces and tucks, plain skirts and
draped tunics, pointed bodices and basquee, full
chemisettes and pla•trons, high-shouldered sleeves
and ruffs ; but milliners bring out some new fancy
with each fresh specimen. A few months ago
Felix invented a bonnet close fitting to the head,
which was thought so peculiar that it had little or no
success. Having used up its powers of astonishment,
however, the world of Paris is ready to swept it now
under a new phase, and the baby cap, made of three
pieces of velvet, just large enough to cover the chignon,
ruched with fine lace and loops of narrow ribbon,
trimmed with two or three cocadeP, and tied beneath
the chin with inch-wide ribbon velvet, is accepted as a
very charming and seasonable headdress. If for the
rest, the quantity of material used is small, I am assured
it requires forty yards of narrow ribbon for the quilling
and cocadep, which only shows what a subtle thing
extravagance is, and how it creeps upon us unawares.

HANDLING one of these microscopic bonnets an
outsider might well be forgiven for supposing that the
whole thing could be produced for a couple of shit-
ings. Cap borders are not in a general way becom
leg, and before choosing such a bonnet, even at
the hands of a Parisian modiste, let the wearer
•consult her mirror carefully. There are many chances
in favour of any other sort suiting her far battter
—the new capote, edged with fur, for instance.
A pale pink velvet bonnet bound with sealskin
Is charming, so is one in crimson velvet with a
coronet of otter, or one of dove•cohored Otto-
man sir, the brim of which is covered with black
astrakan. The contrast is effective, and the fur
forms a soft and suitable frame to the brow. As a
natural consequence of small bonnets strings are worn
narrow, and generally in velvet ribbon backed wita
satin, But the cap•bonnet does not reign alone;
there are open brims likewise, now smoothly covered
with velvet, now arrange tin flutes, while very smarl
capotes are increased in size by tall plumes of fluffy
marabout or bunches of ostrich tips, surmounted by
six or seven ing.hes of nodding aigrette. Gold tinsel
and gold threa-ts are worked into the teathere, while a
still prettier effect is produced by bury log gold winged
insects among the curling mass of pink or yellow
ostrich plumes.

lIE KNEW THE TiticK —An ktalian took an English
friend to a masked ball in Naples. In a short time
the latter mitsed a valuahle gold anuff•box, and
strongly suspected that it bad been abstracted by a
mask who had been pre,sing close to him the greater
part of the evening. Confiding his suspicions to his
friend, the latter undertook to regain his property for
him, and act ashy recovered the box before the close of
the entertainment. "Did you tax the fellow with the
theft, and so recover the box?" asked the Englishman,
in surprise. "No," answered the other; "I knew the
man had your box, for I saw him take it; but I did
not want to make a disturbance reo I waited my
opportunity, and just picked his pooket of it,"

THE CHARGE OF WIFE MURDER AT
PLAISTOW.

On Monday, at the West Ham Police-court, Henry
John Blliing, 29, of 19, Sheppard-street, Hermit road,
Plaittow, was charged on remand, before Mr. Poi Dips,
with wilfully murdering his wife, Elizabeth, aged 33,
by shooting her with a r.rvolver on Dec,•mber 1 at
19, Sheppard-street. At the inquest held by Mr.
Lewis, tbe coroner, last week, the jury returned a
verdict of " Wilful murder" against the prisoner,
to which they added a rider to the effect that he had
received great provocation before he fired the shot,
At the previous examination before the magis-
trate, the medical man. Police-constable Herwin, to
whom the prisoner surrendered himself, and Inspector
Lecocq, who preferred the charge after he had found
the statement of the prisoner that be had shot his
wife was correct, gave evidence. At the ioqueit
these and other witnesses were examined. The prin-
cipal new evidence taken on Monday was that of the
daughter of the priscner, a child ten years of age.
Mr. Batchelor appeared for the Public Prosecutor ;
Mr. W. Burnie, barrister, defended the prisoner :
and Mr. Willis watched the case for the relatives of
the deceased.

The evidence already taken having been read over,
Florence Elizabeth Billing wao called and sworn.
She stated that she was ten years of age and lived with
her father and mother. Besides herself, there were
two other children, witness being the eldest of the
three. She remembered the day her mother was shot.
The day before that her father said something to her
mother about some furniture, saying that "mother had
begun the job and he would finish it." Some chairs
had been taken out of the front room, and her mother
told her father she had taken them to pawn. On
the Saturday her father bad no breakfast and went
out. He was in and out a good many times through
the day. He had not been to work for about a week
because he had a bad knee. During the day she did not
hear her father say anything to her mother about his
clothes. On the Saturday she went to the pawnshop
with her mother. She did not know what time it was.
It was night. She took her father's coat and waist-
coat and trousers. Her father told her mother that
he owed some money ; that she was to make haste
and go and get it, and go and pawn the clothes.
When her mother came back she gave the money to
her father, who then gave her mother as. out of it.
When her mother gave her father the money, he wei,t
out and said he should not be long. He came back
about half an hour afterwards. Witness was there, her
mother,her sister,and her father, her little brother being
in bed. They were all four in the kitchen. He told her
sister to shut the street door and her sister shut it. The
kitchen door was open. There was a knock at the
door just as her sister had shut it. Her sister opened
the door, and then Mrs. Futler, her aunt, came in.
Her father was then standing by a box against the
wall in the kitchen. Her father was facing the wall
where the door was, h's side being to the fire-place.
Her mother was standing behind her father, at the
cther end of the table, which was in the centre of the
room. Witness was sat iug by the aide of the fire-place,
and her father had his t,ack towards her. When Mrs.
Butler came in she heard her father say something t )
her. Her father said, "I am a free man. I've got out
of all my debts." Mrs. Butler made no reply, and then
"father turned round and shot mother." Witness saw
the p'stol (revolver). She did not see it before the
shot was fired. Her father got the revolver out of
his big-coat pocket. She did not see how he held the
revolver at the time he fired it. He fired it very
quickly. She saw her father put the revolver in his
pocket and go out into the street. Her mother ran
out into the street, held the railings, and then fell
Her father looked at her and went away. He
d not speak at all to her mother, and did not say
anything to anybody. Remembered her little sister
was in the street and her father wished her " Good-
bye," and went away.
Martha Harriet Butler, the sister of the prisoner,
living in the next house, spoke of her brother borrow-
ing money of her on the day in question to take
things out of pawn, and of his complaining that he
had had nothing to eat for two days. He seemed very
low-spirited and excited. Shortly after eight o'clock
witness went into his house and saw the prisoner and
his wife and Mr. Living there. There was some
talk about whether the rent had been paid.
About half-past eight witness went to the pri-
soner's house again. Witness detailed the position
of the parties, and continuing, said she asked the
prisoner if he was going out, and he said, "Yes, as
I have settled with Mr. Living." He said nothing
more then. When be spoke he did not turn round to
do so. Witness heard a report like a gun, upon which
she ran out of the house and to her own house. As
she knocked at the door she looked round and saw the
deceased lying on the pavement. The deceased was a
very neglectful, untidy woman, and she had known
her to take a great deal of beer. Prisoner was always
at work when he could get it, and the reason he had
not been to work for a week was because he had a bad
knee. If the prisoner presented the xevolver witness
must have seen him do so.

Dr. O'Flynn, who had made a 2 ost•mortem examina-
tion of the bof'y of deceased, stated that derth was
caused by a bullet wound. The organs were in a con-
dition to lead to the belief that deceaszd was a very
heavy drinker.
After some evidence of a formal character, the case
for the prosecution was closed.

The prisoner then Raid, in an4wer to the magistrate,
with the view, as his counsel stated, of getting the
statement in the depositions, "It was a pure aocident
—the cffence with which lam charged. The revolver
I had for the purpose of frightening, and I mtended to
do no harm in the least."

Mr. Burnie then called Alice Procter, of 113, Leys•
read, Custom•house, a sister of the prisoner, who said
she had lived with the prisoner and his wife, the de-
ceased woman. When thee lived at Leys-place he
purchased a revolver. She was living with them at that
time. His wife was not a sober woman. She used to
take the boots off the children's feet and pledge them.
When the father came home and askei why the
children had their boots off, she would tell him they
(the children) were ill. The children, however, would
not tell their father, as the deceased used to give
them half-pence not to do so. When the father
missed all the things he would ask questions of
Florence, who would say she did not know. Florence
used to fetch drink for the mother, and the father
would ask her about that. Florence used not to tell
the truth about it. Witness had seen the prisoner
show the revolver to his wife, saying, " I'll try and
alter you if I can." He never spoke to witness about
the revolver. The wife for a time behaved better.
The prisoner was then committed t 3 take his trial
at the Central Criminal Court on January 7.