The liberty bell and workingmen's advocate., 1867-03-07
try will not let it be spoiled, )unt that it will

out any regard to the adaptation of the ma terial to the style. Also, instead of petit coat uniform with the dress, old balmoral skirts are trimmed up with frills and bands, and heighten the generally forlorn and patchy appearance of the toilette,
 A good husband said to his wife the other day, when she announced her intention of making short dress, "Make it, then of hand some material, and in the best possible taste, so as to recommend a fashion which deserves bill, whatever the amount, and consider the sum we'll invested if it assists to promote a reasonable and practicable street dress for women
 i The new short dresses for spring wear are made in two colors, the dress of one, the petit coat and sdc paletot of another. A black dress. with purple petticoat and paletot, is a good combination, also black and dard bright Na sue. s-aa H. ~~ wa@>preenyS Soplin dress and black silk under ..~x.4e., ,,ns9 1naletot is good style, or fine striped dress with jacket and petticoat in the contrasting ohdssr
 Care should De taken not to make the up- per dress too short six inches is sufficient diff ference between the length of the upper skirt and the lower, meaning, of course, from the points of the dents if it is cut out in the usual way. -z- =-e--.- -----
 The handsomest short dresses are black, and trimmed with jet, with plating below. but
  pearance than the contrasting styles men toned above.
 SPRING BoNNETs.
 This is very interesting question all fem ininedom are anxious to know what new sur prise the1niliners are preparing for them, and whether they will have to sacrifice the last new chignons.
 The milliners, on the contrary, are as anx- iously inquiring how they can invent a small s.,l> interfere with the hair, and which enterpris- ing young ladies and economical persons can not make for themselves.
 The results of their labors are as yet, not very clearly defined. " Opening day" is still too far of. but the indications are all in favor of return to the complex bonnets, the regu- lar orthodox combination of crown, brim, and cape, which preceded the fancy little '<saucers'' worn during the past nine months
 Among the, advanced styles that we have seen, the SeTignc" is the most decided nov city. The brim turns up in front like the brim of a turban, with the difference that it descends instead of lying flat to the crown, row cape at the back surmounts the chignon and forms comb. This is quite new, and rather dtStingue, but it can be becoming to very few women.
 Other styles in fancy straw approach more nearly to the bonnets of several years ago. The brim is narrow, but somewhat pointed and elevatedin front ; the cape small, and sur mounts the chignon. The crown is the most important part of the bonnet, and fits on the top of the head instead of at the back leav- ing the cape and brim to serve as ornamental appendages, rather than indispensable parts of the main structure.
 A new and pretty toquet has an elevated the sides and is not seen at all at the back, where the crown descends in point.
 Some beautiful Secigne'' straws had the standing brim and cape faced with blue or green satin, and finished on the upper edges with jet or crystal fringe. The outside trim with the facing.
 Easter comes late this year, and as Easter Sunday is the first occasion upon which it is proper to display new spring bonnets, the ap- pearance of the best styles will be delayed somewhat later than usual. Very quaint bonnets are made, with low round crowns and brim, extending all the way named properly, on account of their recoc0 style, ' VersaiLes" We have seen one made in green satin, the brim edged with jet beads the crown surrounded by small crimson roses mixed with black lace. Another was blue satin, and this was ornamented with a wreath l of feather tips and an edging of crystal fringe Small feather plumes are used for decorating the earlier spring bonnets. - Birds, made of silk or satin, embroidered 1 and fringed with beads, are 8 novelty in orna ments for bonnets or headdresses.
 NEW SPRING DRESS GOODS There is not much now as yet to announce | in dress goods A great display is already made in the windows of our large establish ments, but it generally consists of last seasons poplin' and showy cambrics. Everybody has l pet weakness-perhaps more, but certainly one One of ours was for the pretty, delicate fine-striped, and smallfgured cambrics and like the cuckoo as the herald of spring. One never tired of them, any more than of the l green freshness of the grass, or the welcome song of the birds But alas we see them nc morel There are cambrics, but they are gaudy, Haunting things, printed in huge pat l terms, dreadful borders, with, perhaps, a body I different in color from the skirt bold, shame ful, tawdy fabrics, which desecrate theil name, and are no more like our modest cam hrics of years ago than the dandelion is like the crocus or the violet. 1 Much better than these are the plain cam brics, which can be tastefully trimmed witf bands in a contrasting color, stitched on witf the sewing machine-white upon blue, fol 1 instance green upon gray, and blue upon pale buff For those who can afford. however white makes the prettiest morning dresses | fine white corded muslin, or plain India-anC we recommend all ladies to count two of thi l description as indispensable to their prepara tion for the summer season. Our own choic, in colors would be white or black all the yea round, but always white muslins, with the ad dition in cold weather of a blue or scarlet sdc or jacket for morning wear.
 Jasper" cloths and Jasper silks are offered as spring novelties, although there is nothing ! particularly novel about them They ar, simply fine caene goods in dark. colors, with little bright intermixture they make up int handsome spring suits, the silk trimmed witt crosscut bands of satin, with a jet beading running through the centre-the cloth pop ! lins they are sometimes called-ornamentet with jet gimp or braids. "Poplins'' constitutes now the generic tern by which all mixed goods are known; and i is not best to buy them without being wei assured of their quality. Common are rarer 1 worth the cost and trouble of making up, ant 1 it is much better to have only few dresses Q pure material-cotton wool, silk, fnen-ant warranted manufacture, than large numbe made of cheap stuff, which answers no really good or useful purpose, and shrinks or dis solves in the first shower of rain. Pure alpac, or mohair cloth is an excellent, durable, ana always lady like material, but it should b lined, or it soon looks wrinkled and shabby.
 Rich black silks are greatly in vogue, ant very handsome patterns are embroidered il narrow, but very thick stripes upon the seams in silk and jet. The very latest styles in blaca