Daily national Democrat., 1859-01-07
NO. 1914.
DAILY 9(atjonal 1enrOtrat.

AMusEMENTs OF THE LADIES HUNDRED
YEARS AGo.-Their emplovments and pas
times were frivolous and without meaning.
except to distract their attention from the
true end and object of life. In all the novels
OF the day, they are portrayed, even the best
OF them, as mawkish insipfd creatures. with.
out Ideas or individuality; and the only
thlhgs advertisers can offer for their particn.
lar use, besides dress and cordials. are nrints
for diagonal and concave glasses. and great
variety OF shells mt ior flowers. One fayorite
occupation was to attend auctions and pur-
chase an infnity of oriental baubles. Chinese
knick-knacks cookie shells and butterflies
The day was usually inaugurated by cup
of chocolate in bed; then favored visitors
were admitted, the scandal of the preceding
day discussed, and schemes devised for get.
ting through the present one and the morrow
beyond which point Imagination was at
fault Sunday evening was specially devo-
ted to card parties. On other nights. exist.
ence was rendered endurable by means of
NauXhall and Ranalagh, routs and masouer.
AIDES, plays and operas But the one engross-
ing subject of thought and anxiety was dress
Mobs and handkerchiefs saws the Connois.
seur answer the end of covering, but the
main purpose of dress is to reveal. In ac-
cordance with this dogma, he continues the
stays and petticoats have been so unmerciful.
" pruned and cut away, in order TO discover
latent beauties, that if those of the present
mode were to fall into the hands of our dis
tant posterty, they would conclude that the
present race of women must have been n
generation of pigmies; for they could never
possibly conceive they were of common size.
and wore 10y way Of dress any garments so
little calculated either for use or ornament
10 carry out the fashionable notion of dress
10 perfection, he recommends that sect of
EVltes be started, who should wear only
dress from the vine, ornamented according to
individual taste, with the addition in cold
weather of thin close fitting garment of
flesh colored silk. The hoop, of oval form.
measured from end to end about twice the
length of the wearer, and was admirably
adapted to display considerably more than
the foot and ankle. Short sacks and ,,egZi.
gees having been recently introduced from
Paris, were also much in vogue for as all
men will agree, next to no clothes at all
nothing is more ravishing than an easv dis
hd6tHe ; our ladies, for that reason, perhaps
come into public places as if they were lust
out of bed, or if they were ready to 90 into
It, But notwithstanding the cynical obiec.
uons OF the satirst, negligee maintained and
increased in popularity. 1t was not mere
loose wrapper, as its name would import. but
a costly and highly wrought garment In an
advertisement for a lost or missing trunk its
contents are described as "a scarlet tabbv
negligee trimmed with gold, green tabby
petticoat trimmed also with gold, white da.
mask negljgee trimmed with a blue snail
blend lace, with a pctticoat of the same, a
silver brocade silk aegligce trimmed with
pink colored silk, white fustian riding
habit, turned up with blue and laced with
silver, petticoat Of the same, and waist
coat trimmed with silver" "-Home Journal