The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-30 00:00:00

PAW,

POR MAY.
(Prom Le PoWO

The variety in material for spring dresses is very
great this year. We have the ipingline catelee, a mixture
of silk and wool, covered with spots, or small flowers of
deep colours, almost invariably on a drab ground. The
little stripes of black and white mixed are also still is
vogue; the poils de chtvre, with small checks fornied by
silk stripes ; grenadine de bane, with small flowers ; sum-
mer poplin, grisaille or black and white mixture, with small
crossbars or stripes down ; and, above all, for toilette
negligf, foulard, which, notwithstanding that for the last
few years it has been laid aside, is now likely to be gene.
rally readopted.
Theo, for visiting dress, we have taffetas with narrow
stripes forming checks, and in the centre of each check a
small flower, pink, blue, mauve, &c.; or that which is more
generally admired, the small flowers without the crossbars;
then the taffetas antiques Chines, with wide stripes, or pat-
terns which are always in favour, and to a certain degree,
take the place of moire ; She taffetas Pikin, which ia a great
novelty, Stc.; sod, besides these, many lighter materials—
such as muslin., barges, organdis,grenadine de soie, jaconas,
piquis— are now shown in our fashionable homes, though,
at present, the season is too cold for as to say " they are
worn."

Nigligies robes of thick material, such as poplin, are
made in redingote form, buttoned down the mbhlle or side,
and the body a little open in front. Down the fold is
placed • row of large buttons, or of bows with a buckle
of gold or steel in the centre. Themes are also very
generally made with • hand, either with • buckle or
ribbon sash.

Very wide sleeves are still mach worn, though tight
sleeves are very fashionable. For dresses of light fabric
the sleeves are made wide and very open, or in large
bouillons.
The skirts of these dresses are ornamented with email
flounces, not reaching higher than the knee, and bound
with a shade of deeper coloured taffetas. If the dress is
flowered over, the shade must be the same as the flowers.
Skirts are also trimmed with one wide flounce, headed
by a pinked ruche, with three other ruches at the bottom
ul the flounce. This is a particularly charming stele, when
the ruche is black, upon a violet green or brown areas.
Straw is to be veay much used in trimmings. Dreams
are to be embroidered with straw ; velvet and ribbon
edged with it; bierslobourgs, and passemeuteries to be
made of it, in the same way that gold has been so much
Wed during the winter.
Mousselines de sole and English organdi, which resembles
enpe lime and tulle, are in favour for ball dress ; flowers,
lace, and blonde are used to ornament them. Generally
robes of tulle, silk, or tarlatan are trimmed with drapery,
bordered aria a small bouillonne of tulle or tarlatan, edged
with a narrow lam or bbasi‘asnaeliseesa aaenw but very
thick ruche. This is very beceminp.
Dinner dresses are usually of silk—some have been made
of very thick silk—double chain they are called. They are
striped Pekin or pompadour, and mule with plain skirts.
The body of these must be mode low, and one of the pretty
flchua so fashionable now, worn with it. These are Rome-
times half-high, crossed in front, and ornamented with black
velvet or narrow ribbons. _

The mantelete and mosques, for this spring, are mostly
very graceful in form.
For the trimming of mantles, &c., lace is always consi-
sklered elegant • and it is said that gold and straw will he
much used. The large and loose paletot which has been an
much worn this winter in cloth is now made in taffetas. and
has a wideflounce,headed with a plaiting, or with three little
flounces. If required, to be a little more dressy, this flounce
can be made of coloured taffetas, covered with black lace,
with a ruche of riblwin of the game colour, and narrow black
lace mixed, as a heading.
The spring bonnets are rather larger than thir,e worn in
the winter. They are brought very forward on the fore.
head, and the crowns are eloping or full. The curtains' are
worn rather smaller. The trimmings, however, are generally
vy.
hea
Straw bonnets, which are much worn just now, have
generally a soft crown of silk. There is a very pretty ma-
terial for three crowns; it is black silk, embroidered in
coloured silks or straws, or even small gold spots. The
enrtain should he the same ea the crown, rind the trimming
• bouquet of flowers on one side, to match the embroidery,
surrounded with black lace.

Other straw bonnets are simply trimmed with a scarf of
very wide ribbon, put plainly across, the ends of which are
trimmed with tied fringe. The caps are over-trimmed gene.
rally with dowers, or plaits of velvet.
A very pretty trimming for a Belgian straw bonnet are
ruches of white silk, with rose-buds placed in the iniiLst of
the niches, forming rosettes at each Bide. The strintn of
white and pink ribbon. White tulle cap, trimmed with
rose-buds. . . .

Rise straw bonnets, with blonde or small veils, or barbels
of tulle and feathers. . . .

Leghorn bonnets are generally very simply trimmed.
Sometimes a double plait of straw falls over part of the cur-
tain, and forms a bow on the top, like the coiffure Felix.
Coloured strnw bonnets are also much worn. The most
fashionable are green, grey, or black, embroidered in small
Sowers, either coloured or simply in straw.
Dress bonnets are made principally of crape and velvet, or
silk, or tulle and silk.

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Tin nx-RoYAL FAMILY or Flancs—On Thurs.
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ex-flueen.
NAIIONAL EDUCATION OFFICE, IRELAND. —lt ap-
pears the Treaeury have sanctioned the arrangements o-
posed by the commissioners in August last. They have
increased the number of wood elms clerk!, and drafted into
the third all the supplemental clerks, thus canning ten va-
cancies. Four of the "by clerks" are to obtain nomina-
tions, the remaining six are to be filled up immediately.
The first class will undergo no change.—Ciril Serrire
Ga:rtte.
APOTHECARIES' HALL.—The following are the
names of gentlemen who permed their examination in
the science and practice of medicine. and received certifi-
cates to practise, on Thee:ulna last :—R. P. Walker. Birch-
field, near Birmingham ; A. Wiskfield, Bedford ; H. Jeaffre-
eon, Framlingham, Suffolk ; H. Davies, Carmarthen, South
Wales ; H. Wotton, 17, Cavendish.eneare ; (1. 0. Drewry ;
E. Ringrose, Pottens•hor. Barnet; R. Wingate Hamby,
Spilsby, Lincolnshire; J. Rayner. Bedworth, near Coventry.
CATHIDRAL WINDoWS. —Truly, there is no art
more noble or divine than the painting of cathedral win-
dows. In Rouen, in IA Sainte Chapelle, and before the
grand lancets of Milan Cathedral, how often have we 400 d
as rainbow glories streamed with colours
in heaven, softly modulated anthems of
.4.l4:ilraLipptup,
swelling in the noonday splendour, or fading
in vesper twilight. Often in euch hours have we thanked
God or the ministry of art in the sanctuary of religion.
And now, under a deep feeling of the respeowilality de-
volving on all labourers in the house of God, no loss upon
the artist than on him who preaches or prays, would we
Mee our voice in indignation against windows which, as
very blasphemy towards all that is beautiful and holy,
have of late years been put up in someof our English church& .
The present custom of enriching our cathedral* with memo-
rial glass, we need scarcely say, claims our warmest eym•
pithy. But many a work has of late been put into sacred
places which, am bad doctrine or vulgar scums, can only
pervert and mislead the public mind and tante. —Block-
wors-ra Magazirwfor May.
The British vice-consuls who have returned to
their posts in Morocco are Mr. Ceatensen, for SeTh ; Mr.
Stokes, for Maaegan ; end Yr. Eltoe, for Mogadore.
A great number of the Jewish refugees and their
families embarked at Gibraltar on the 18th for Tangier.