The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-09-09
ART AND NATURE IN DRESS.

The boys criticism was as good as sermon or
as one of my own charges to me-"
ART AND NATURE IN DRESS.
Yesterday we stood looking at a fower.bed,
into which some really exquisite roses, besides
psnsies, mignonette, English daises, verbenas,
and other blossoms, had been transplanted.
Kate, our Irish cook, and beautiful girl, BY
the way, was hanging out the Mondays wash
ing to dry, over plat of rich new grsss green
and velvety, and delightful to the eyes and
feet. She sympathizsd with our admiration of
the grass, and the delicate, soul-enchsnting
roses p" but this" said she is the purtiest
flower of them all, 1 think !" and she pointed
ont sprig of the scarlet bloom of the fish.
geranium 1t was gsyest, aud therefore hand
soonest to her-she required not the yearning
holiness of the lily, nor the grace and love inspir
ing perfumes of the roses and pansies. We
would not give one halfex pauded rose bud, with
the blush diffasing itself outward from its
odorous heart, for basketball of ish-gera-
NUNS. But which of us was right? Often,
when We have been thinking upon dress, as
subject for study, to be cultivated as q fine art,
we have gone TO nature, who is the mother of
art, for lessons. We have seen that she min.
giles oil colors with effects which are truly
harmonious; and why should we be more ar.
bitary than she in her adornment of the flowers.
when we would prescribe the hues and combi
nations for . lady's toilette2 The "puritau
pansy" puts on yellow vest with its purple
velvet robe; the queenly tulips are gorgeous
with streaks of red and yellow, gay enough for
an Indian squaw the florist labors for rain.
bow effects in his pet dahlias; the POPPY
asunts her scarlet Hoped petticoat, and the
peony shakes out her dozen of crimson jupes !;
the morning.glory trims her blue robe with q
scarf of pink while one and all, without ex.
ception, find mantle of green becoming. Ma.
ture tries all kinds of experiments with the
materials at her command, and her success is
always certain. Ii nothing in nature is ugly,
then is nothing in art ugly when it simply
copies nature and it cannot truly be said
Though it is often asserted) that good taste
limits the colors of the toilette, and that drab.
or black, or white, slightly relieved BY some
trimming in harmony, not in contrast, is the
emily really elegant costume. II dahlia can
look well in purple, black, and y, How, then
why not lady? If a maiden fastens the
hounces of her azure ball dress with pink gar.
lands, she is only copying the pattern of the
morning glories-8nd would she ask to be more
modest and tasteful than they2
Still, there seems to be such thing as the
correspondence of attire with the com plexion,
height, style, and years. The fragile lily of the
valley does not depend from a mullen stock,
nor is the superb jsponica nestled amid the
NOES and grass with the violet. Therefore
ladies may we'll and profoundly study, which cf
all the various patterns and hues best assimi
late with the character of each and therefore
1t Is that we enter our protest against the blind
adoption of any and every color and shape
which fashion may dictate. Upon the brow of
fashion is written, change; she is a chameleon !;
yet there is no woman (almost none) but will
pronounce her beautiful, whatever aspect she
assumes; and the number is precisely equal
who will pronounce her thrown off aspect az
hideous aud ludicrous. The woman who ador.
ed her elegance in large bonnets, coatsleeves,
and slender skirts, now turn from the memory
with uplifted hands. The name of fashion ia
caprice, and of her followers is folly 1t is well
that nature knows her own mind better; else.
some seasons we should have all the flowers of
the garden, regardless of what was intended for
them, dressed up in the queenly bel.shaped
robe and snowy trail of the Gala again we
should have the hollyhock and peonies al
squeezed into dainty ladyslippers and anon,
the violets and primroses smothered in the
mantle of the. dahlias.
Let word come over from Paris that green is
to be worn by Mistress Fashion, and straight
way every sallow.fac woman becomes sick
lied Ger with the pale cast g." of jaundice. Or
let the mandate be blue, and no face is 60
Aorid but that it can afford a deeper tint for
the sake of being in the fashion. No woman
is too short for plaids or too tall for stripes,
when they are fashionsble-nor too thick for
short waists, nor too thin for long ones.
1t is impossible to arrive at any fixed stand
ard of taste in dress for it is q curious fact
that, what our eyes have become accustomed
to, that we regard as becoming. Most new
fashions displease when first seen, and become
more charming as We grow familiar with them
we regret to change yet after the change is
made, it grows more beautiful than the last
Studying the art Of dress is like gazing into q
whirlpool of bubbling waters The longer It is
continued, the more confused we grow. We
would only suggest, that while fashion is not
neglected entirely, propriety, becomiugness,
style, and place. be also respected.-A Lady
in Cosmopolitan Arf JdurndI.
While Secretary Toucey was on the San ia
cinto, an incident transpired worth mentioning.
Just as he vas leaving the vessel, large mum.
Der of the crew stepped up to him, and one of
them, after smoothing down his forelock, and
making true sailors bow, said: ia.5l'' "a
"Please, sir, there are number of us here
who have relations who wish M 10 20 on shore
with them, and We should be obliged if you
would give us leavep $500 ~.
Mr.. Toucey. "Certainiy have no objec.
ton. You have been IN the Chinese seas, have
you mott" 1liaw soil satdi Be- G3'Ia Z 4
1 Sailor. Yes, sir" ellil q r3ss .ol sa 1
Mr.. Topcey. SHOW long have you been
absent?" 4. ~
Sailor. "Thirty. i've months, sir" a1a"1q
Mr.. Toucey. 81 think, then, il is high time
you went ashore and saw your friends. have
no objection whatever" ,.. t...
Sailors, in chorus. Thank you, SIR"
As the Secretary stepped ashore, the blue
jackets sprapg into the rigging and thanked
him with three rousing cheers. .aa1s q t.
In . speech at Wachester, ILL.,, on the 7th,
Senator Douglas mentioned the following rec
elections Of his early life:
Twenty FIVE years ago, entered this town
On foot, with my coat upon my arm, without an
in q thousand miles, and without
knowing where i could get money to pay a
weeks board. Here made the first six dol.
airs ever earned in my life, and obtained the
irst regular occupation that ever pursued.
For the frst time IN my life, then felt that the