The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-19
1HE FAsNIOMS.

net - Ptom menade Dresses and Latest
Novelties.
which your readers may have seen. showing a
man who is sea bathing, when suddenly all his
pleasure Is destroy ed by young crab fastening
on his leg. A friend standing near the sufferer
tleI us doubt the sincerity OF his ahect0nl
advises him TO run home, plunge the crap, leg
and all, in pail of boiling water, me enect
Of which, he supposes, Will cause 'nat over,
attached member OF the crustaceous lamlIy 10
drop of its own accord
q matter OF consideration. Ihls ls Dut carlca-
tnre. ana the moral drawn thererom is evidently
that in some cases prescribed remedies are
worse than the evils human fesh has 10 pear
with. Tins little grabbed story, in wnlch philo.
sophical reflections take one by SURPRISE is put
a preface To communication concerning the
fashions kind OF preliminary TO the unpleasant
obligations 1 am under OF statng tue existence
Of a pIeat evil among ladies. II IS almost as
painful TO dash into such subject without
some introduction as it would be TO scorn stair
eases, and leap from the attic to the cellar. But
With all my diplomacy and attempts at trans-
ton, | find the crab is no help, as am, by the
force OF example, evidently going back wards. ]
will therefore rush straight from ScJlla to
Now that am prepared for whirl, the mat
ter in question is, firstly, pair OF stays. 1t looks
Antiquated, ii reminds one of piece of armor;
moreover ii is spoken OF as pair as it one art-
Gle OF orvss could be two and altogether the
absurdity of the whole affair condemns its exist
ence, end stays are considered pTeposterous. At
hrst they were gently taken in hand but they
soon underwent every kind of treatment /. e,
torture. At length very slightly built slender
lady declared they were useless, barbarOus,
thug-like, and, to prop up her argument without
STAYS, she affirmed that none of the Grecian
matrOns would ever have worn them, and yet,
what models of perfection ! What forms What
moulding! This appeared very wise and true,
few statues were consulted, and stays we're dis
earded; but what was the consequence? That is
q query which the most eloquent could never
answer without vast deal OF circumlocuton or
delicate wording, but as fashion writers are not
troubled with oratory, can exactly state what
did happen.
Fat women did not look well at all under the
Grecian system; there was an evident roll about
their figures, a redness in the face which | am
told was produced by the cutting OF strings,
and / readily believe the fact-a something
whatever 1t was, as indicative of Rubens as of
q forid fishWife. 1t could not be kept up, they
all said; but the point is, that ladies who do not
suffer from corpulence are still keeping up the
fashion, and consider the remedy applied to
stays as bad as the steel basks complained of
before.
Learn, then, o ye followers of Greece that
staysband has been invented, and is already
adopted by our etegd1ltes. 1t is very suitable to
eur present style of dress-it is low and elastic
and fits the figure like glove 1t is healthy,
which is more than merely pretty, leaving every
part OF the body, with the exception OF the
waist, entirely free. 1t is indispensable to stout
ladies and adds certain roundness to the less
favored. To this band lies the secret of Partisan
grace, Partisan tt, Partisan etceteras, of which
the rest of Ewes children.
Secondly. The remedy to the evil of no hair
ls the overdone chignoa. There are pretty
little heads hidden under great deal too much
Of it, and pretty little head with due propor-
tlon OF brains in it ought not to be conceded
under oceans OF coil, curl, and twist; for the
effect produced is top heavy.
Thirdly. will speak OF the neglige evil which
French husband reviled, and which French
Comtesse remcdied IN q way that would recon.
Gle any thinking husband to a legion of MINOR
evils. The Comtesse in question was slovenly
IN her own home and dressed eXtravagantly tor
the Bols She one day went from her bedroom
TO the breakfast table in such attire that a
stranger having, by some extraordinary cIrcum-
stance, burst unexpectedly upon the family
party, the Comtesse had to leave the room with
hands uprased over the most complicae skew
ering of plaits in hairpins, which crimp locks
6y night and cause them to wave luXuriantly
by day. The Comte looked on, ard when re-
hectlon returned he did not feel that his Wite's
morning appearance was pointed compliment
TO himself, and he reasoned that if she objected
TO being seen by stranger when en- negltge she
ought not show her husband less attention; he
therefore pondered it over, and, in the course of
the day said:-"VItaIie, my love, couldn't you buy
nice morning robe and pretty little neglige
cap for the early hours?" Madame was piqued,
but she said, Yes, will" The carrIage was
0rdered, and selections made for, not one robe.
but a collection of morning robes, which were
sent in with accompanying neglge caps-and
oils. Vitalie entered the breakfast-room next
morning in a lovely muslin peticoat frilled
round the bottom and edged with Valenciennes.
a royal negllge robe la princesse, of light por-
celain Slue cashmere, richly worked with shaded
yellow silk palms and tsssels. 1t was quilted
with the lghtest yellow silk, and little square
piece of lace fell over her hair, which had been
dressed for the day. The Comte was some what
Astenished, but as he had not seen the bill and
Vitalie really did look very pretty he comnli.
mented her on her exquisite taste, and thought
2s much of her as if they we're both again in the
hrst quarter of their honeymoon.
me second day, just as the ''coteettes la
halntenon" were making their entry Vitalie
appeared at the opposite door "a la Pompadour"
Wlth just little powder in her haIr, and pink
cashmere sack Louis XIV, all cut in one flowing
robe from the shoulders down to the ground
'"d lined with the lightest blush of rose. It
No, ,,os oDo,, front showing a petticoat which
was one ladder of Yalenclsnm-s tr1lls on inser-
ton, and round star of blonde on the top of
her head with pink and blue rosette on one
side, gave her face the most defying and fasci-
natinG tsnnt that ever husband beheld She
had not forgotten to stuck diminutiye PSitn "t
courtplaster above dimple on her right cheek.
1t was too bad.
Upon my word!n exclaimed the admiring
ComIe; but that was not all he said, for the
cOtelletes got cold before he had done
The third day was to be the bouonet. Vitalle
was down hrst; the sun was shining brightly
and she was reading her letters at the omen win
dow, when the Comte entered the dininp-room.
that hung somewhat loose and there was a
scarf cut in two hanging down behind from the
neck; all the tacings we're trimmed with swans
down, and the same enclrcled the armholes OF
her wide medieval sleeves. Her hair was bound
with green ribbon bands worked with silver
thread, and lace lappets fell over her chignon
The COmte was completely dumbtounded anC
produced something eXtempore, which Vitallt
put an end to by handing hun her bills on
plate. And they were bills Vitalie looked OF
hau knoh as Ola L,