The Carrollton sun. (City of Carrollton, Parish of Jefferson, La.) 185?-1???, 1860-09-22
MISCELLANEOUS.


ssNast July, into Madame Lalande's fash |
dress-making establishment In
upper Broadway, you would have seen.
< a one corner of the work-room, a pale
heed young girl, almost hidden beneath
The flounces of lavender silk which she
WAS trimming. 1t was Margaret Ellis,
lthe youngest girl among the twentyrl
lin the room. She was rightly named,
EyEargaret-the pear--for herskin had
a rare whiteness.and herr blue eyes a
light,swhich made one think
Eof some delicate gem. How tired she
looked, as she Sat there with her brown
hair pushed off from her fair, pale brow,
and her smal! fngersnervouslyad adjusting
the long lines of fringe. She made you
think of some plant that has lost all
strength and color in the shade and the
close room, and that pines for the sun.
and the breezy air of the garden.
Margaret was an orphan. Her parents
had lost their little all in the financial
crisis of 1857, and died in the hard
winter which followed, leaving their.
only child with no near relatives az
friends upon whom she could dola
She had been a year. at Al4da
Lalandes, and 'her quick egM
nimble fingers made, very desire Al
assistant. 1t was she who must arrange
folds, and smooth plaits, and make
puffings, and dge founces, andscarcely
dress went out of the house that did
not receive its finishing touches at
her hands. But how tired she was of
: it all
Oh, you who have been reared to
feel that dress is not the chief end of
woman, and who are satisfied to be
neatly and becomingly clad, although it
be not IN the newest Paris mode, how
little you know what is meant by
Spring sewing and preparations for
$ summer, among. the fashionable world
in the city !ss lssnrely do not go beyond
the truth in Saying, that from the frst
/ of April to,@the first of June, it is tha
all-engrossing, and everything elsefs
but by-play and accompaniment.
Appropriate and tasteful dress is
desirable. 1t is the duty of every
one to make herself thus as pleasing
as may be; but when it becomes a. life
study, and higher and nobler aims are
sacrificed to it, it is an unworthy and
degrading bondage. If you are able
to buy an elegant hat or graceful
shawl, buy it and wear it; but do not
put your heart into it. Let US see
that your dress is your fitting drapery-
not you.
Madame Lalande's was the centre OF
all this excitement and fashion. She
was in the constant receipt of patterns
+. from Paris, and ladies whose dresses
came from her establishment, were sure
that they were the most desirable styles
Oh, what hurry and 'bustle' there wa:
id the work-room, where from o'clock
in the norIing till six ats Qlght, the
.tweatg girls fitted and stifcfsed, ant
henimeR garment after, garment, coming
! .1sngra sgoing until their eyes ached, anC
ss.2heis hands trembled, and they wished
:. that there was not such y thing as I
: @dress in the world! ;ss.s..
: Madame L. had a snap .eye to tn,
:, profits of her business..::. She sool
~ learned each girls capabilities, an
':'kept her close at work upon RFhat sh
could do best. Beyond this s~she di
i; not concern hersa& 6ssut them
>. Margaret was to heFmerely .hand a
trimmings fnSaess
It was now midsummef, an& de cit
q. q Was 4fnaesssaesefteesa. Ne No fixlis
= /. eSa sss tie hoe Vsia} due u -.
sad harslF breath Of air sl
!: ray ir The court upon which Ia
4. MoTk-room opened. One would suppes
thai at this season the pressure of wor