Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-04-18

quence of our familiarity with the cele-
brated pictures and illustrations in which
they are represented, so will our
notion of Dolly Warden be limited
to that of the artist, combined
with the description which Dickens
has given to her. IN this she appears in
"cherry- -colored" hood and cloak, and
hat trimmed with cherry -colored rib
bons, etc. But, graceful and attractive
as she is, there is nothing in common be-
tween her and the young ladies of the
present day, who have their own pecu-
liar grace and attractiveness. She lived
and f1ourished while our War of Inde-
pendence was going on, and in which her
lover lost an arm. To find any one who
would resemble her, we should have to go
back to our great -grandmothers; and here
In is partial mystery of the Dolly Var
den furor. Some one-in all probability
an enterprising dressmaker-started the
notion that one of the most striking nov
elites in the way of costume for ladies
would be revival of the antiquated flow
ered-chintz overskirts worn by English
ladies in the middle of the last century,
and it has been as successful hit as any
that has been made for some time. Ac-
cordingly, the low bodied dress, with
skirts well looped up, sleeves tight to the
elbow, and then suddenly assuming the
dimensions of sacks, leaving the portion
of the arm below the elbow bare, is to be
the costume of the season, at home, it is to
be hoped, for it would scarcely do for
walking or riding in, without some modi-
fcation. And patterns of every hue and
every variety of sprig and flower are dis
played in the store windows, to the no
little anxiety of pate,Jamslias, who begins
to wonder what sort of appearance his
womenfolk are going to assume when
they step forth out of the hands
of the modiste, with their straw
hats looped up on one side, a Ia Dolly,
and their lowered skirts looped up
on both sides, displaying the scarlet or
brown under-garment, in which out great
grandmothers delighted, and which they
wore short, so as to display the open
clocks of their red stockings, and the
shining silver buckles of their high
heeled shoes. And along with Dolly Var
den hats and dresses come Dolly Warden
jewelry and knick-knacks. 1t was an in
genious idea to revive all this in the name
of Dickens popular heroine, but 1t might
as well have been done in the name of
Clarissa Harlowe, or Sophia Western, or
Evaline, or Olivia Primrose, or any other
heroine of the period, for they all dressed
in the same costume as Dolly Warden did.
So far, indeed, as looped skirts are con-
cerned, they have been in vogue more or
less for century and half, and at this
very time are fashionable in walking
dresses, The Dolly Warden overskirt is
not so much a novelty in itself the at
traction of it is to be found, one may sup
pose, in the fowered pattern of the ma
terial of which it is made.
Our fashionable hnl1eS have ccarcp1v rp-
covered from the "Grecian bend;" and
the luxuriance of their present pompa-
dour overdresses makes the transition to
the tight bodice, low bosonf and bare
arms of Dolly Warden rather sudden.
Very young ladies will doubtless expect
to double their attractions-if such a
thing be possible-in their Dolly Warden
costume. And ladies of more mature age,
who retain their youthful appearance, as
many do. may also appear to advantage
in it-at home Philadelphia Ledger.