American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1859-01-15
Art and Nature in Dress,

quisite roses. besides pansies, migno.
nettes, English daisies, verbenas, and
other blossoms had been transplanted
Kate, an Irish cook, and beautiful girl,
by the way, was hanging out the Mon
days washing to dry, over plat of rich,
new grass, green and velvely, and de,
lightful to the eyes and feet. She SYM
pathized with our admiration of the
grass, and the delicate, soul enchanting
roses I" but this" said she, "is the
prettiest flower of them all, | think :"
and she pointed out sprig of the scarlet
bloom of the ish-geranium. 1t was the
gayest, and therefore handsomest to her
t-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 halfexpanded
rose bud. with the blush difusinr itself
outward from its odorous heart, Tor a
basketful of fish geraniums. But which
Of us was right? Often when we have
been thinking upon dress, as a subject for
study, to be cultivated as fine art, we
have gone to nature, who is the mother
Of arts, for lessons. We have seen that
she mingles all colors with effects which
are truly harmonious, and why should
we be more arbitrary than she in her
adornment of the flowers, when we would
prescribe the hues and combinations for "a
lady's toilette ? The puritan pansy
puts on yellow vest with its purple
robe the queenly tulips are gorgeous
with streaks of red and yellow, gay
enough for an Indian squaw the florist
labors for rainbow effects in his pet dah.
lias the poppy haunls her scarlet looped
petticoat, and the peony shakes out her
dozen of crimson japeS, the morning glo-
nv trims her blue robe with scarf of
pink while one and all, without excep
ton. find mantle of green becoming.
Nature tries all kinds Of experiments with
the materials at her command. and her
success is always certain. If nothing in
nature is ugly, then nothing in art is ugly
when it simply copies nature and it
cannot be truly sail (though it is often
asserted, that good taste limits the col,
ors of the toilette, and that drab. black or
white, slightly relieved by some trim
ming in harmony. not in contrast, is TIE
only really elegant costume. If a dahlia
can look well in purple, black and yell
low. then why not a lady If maiden
fastens the flounces Of her azure ball dress
with pink garands. she is only copying
the pattern of the morning glories- and
would she ask to be more modest and
graceful than they ?
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 mullen stock. nor is the superb
japonica nestled amid the moss and grass
with the violet. Therefore ladies' may
well and profoundly study which of ali
the various patterns and hues best assim
ilate with the character of each 1; and |
therefore it is that we enter our protest
against the blind adoption of any and ev-
cry color and shape which fashion may
dictate. Upon the brow of fashion is
written, change 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 as
hideous and Iudicrous The woman win,
adored her elegance in large bonnets. !
coat. sleeves and slender skirts, now turns
from the memory with uplifIed hands.
The name of fashion is caprice, and of
her followers is folly. 1t is well that ma
ture knows her own mind better; else /
.ssue seasons we should have all the 1
wxsrs of the garden. regardless of what
queensycdsA for them. dressed up in the
of the caTts-sS.p,A ,obe anil snowy trail 1
hollyhock and~PeSwe should have the
dainty ladySlppers.>eal s4seezed into
let's and primroses smothefesses ~, vio.
tie Of the dahias. nan
Let word come over from Pms>
green is to be worn by Mistress Fashion.
and straightway every sallow faced
woman becomes "sicklied DER with the
pale cast " of iaundice. Or let the man
date he blue. and no face is so florid but
that 1t can afford deeper tint for the
sake of being in the fashion. No woman
is too short for plaids or too tall for
strines. when they are fashionable. nor
too thick for short waists nor too thin for
long ones.
II is impossible TO arrive at anv fxef
s,ondard of taste in dress for it is cp-
rious fact that. what our eyes hggrd as
come accustomed to. that yfs displease
becoming. Most ney,fne more charm
when first seen. aRaiiiar with them we
ing as we grafGe, yet after the change is
regret -tirro~s more brss ful ihs- -
+ M Studying the art ef ~ S Is l.ks -.
ling into ehirPa92ii a92iinaea e, anibI', ibe n,ora -
ne vs grow. We would only suggest.
lvs, wbiIe fashion is not neglected en-
Is ~ prnprie,y-s sbecomingness, style and
',scs 49, he also respected.
- ganrrosrSoF nu.,e...----o--.~a
natr ,piNbahly no'iced in our teleSF~p"'s
solamu. aIispa,ch ,o,he effect that ter
-,o-isl goysSpm.pt will he asked Tor
.Colcpa" Ne said Ina, bill Tor t'''s
purposeSill soorbe introduced in Con
iNQhraceN>U the recently dis
eSN>red golfSegion sNPike's Peak. an /
pariss( Kan" NehrN<e. Utah. and |
New Mesco. Al hsN taken from /
Kansas. AMI comp'gg ah Iq2, 900 /
square miles.IV'eEse WAiM
n.,-u ov NorEp ~ CHfs
! DtAln i;in 'cb;efcalled OXEN .sS.dl7--
| Il =" near Lansing. Michigan; - SUP
J y g.'"d 10 be over one hundred S.,,s ~ old
: : IL rt. w.s in the wars oi iIst: "o." s;I'e.
-, w avne and s.. clAl'' 49, = 80 80
n"s. He had sabre E e., M'a e1'.A AnsboI m
sres. %r ,r""p~-s, A. Fs'. Nc Neg. g,