Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-04-19
Dolly Warden.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

the public and takes possession of
the peoples senses, though why or
wherefore, it would be hard to say;
but when once it has got fair hold,
it has to be humored until it is
worn out or supplantcd by some
other novelty. At the present mo-
ment the name which predominates
everywhere, which is advertised in
the papers, posted on walls in bills
in large block type, stuck up in the
windows of dry goods stores, and
heard in everybody's mouths, is that
of Dolly Warden, the sprightly,
coquettish heroine of Dickens his
torical novel, "Barnaby Rudge."
But the novel was written thirty
years ago, and there seems to be no
apparent reason why the London
locksmith's pretty daughter should
all of a sudden start out into popu-
larity greater than she enjoyed when
she was first introduced to the world.
She was then made the subject of
many picture, and the celebrated
artist, Maclise, at the suggestion
and under the guidencc ofhis friend
Dickens, painted what may be called
a portrait of her, if there can be
such thing as the portrait of an
imaginary character. 1t was, how
ever, a realization on canvass of the
conception of the author, and it has
given to her the bodily form and the
costume by which she will hence
forth be identified. Just as we form
but one conception now of Uncle
Toby and the Widow Wadham, or
of Sir Roger de Coverley and the
Spectator, or Of Mr.. Pickwick and
Sam Weller, in consequence of our
familiarity with the celebrated pic
lures and illustrations in which they
are represented, so will our notion
Of Dolly Warden be limited to that
of the artist, combined with the de-
scription which Dickens has given
of her. In this she appears in a
"chcrrycolored" hood and cloak and
a hat trimmed with cherry-colorcd
ribbons, ect.
But, graceful and attractive as
she is, there is nothing in common
between her and the young ladies
of the present day, who have their
own peculiar grace and attractive
ness. She lived and fourished
while our war OF independence was
going on, and in which her lover
lost an arm. To find anyone who
would resemble her, we should have
to go back to our great -grandmoth-
ers, and herein is a partial mystery
Of the Dolly Warden Juror. Some
one-in all probability an enterpris-
ing Observation-Disclosures the notion
that one of the most striking novel
ties in the way of costume tor ladies
would be i revival Of the antiquated
flowered chintz ovcrskirts worn by
English ladies in the middle of the
last century, and it has been as sue.
cessful hit as any that has been
made for some time. Accordingly
the 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 modifica
ton. And patterns of every hue
and every variety of sprig and flower
are displayed in the store windows.
to the no little anxiety of paterfami
lias, who begins to wonder wha
sort Of appearance his women-foll
are going to assume when they steE
forth out of the hands of the modist.
with their straw hats looped up OF
one side, g Ia Dolly, and thei1
fowcrcd skirts looped up on bott
sides, displaying the scarlet ol
brown under-garment in which oul
great-grandmothers delighted, and
which they wore short, so as to dis
play the open clocks Of their red
stockings, and the shining silver
buckles of their high-hecled shoes
And along with Dolly Warden hat.
and dresses come Dolly Vardel
jewclry and knick-knacks. It was
an ingenious idea to revive all this
in the name of Dickens popular
heroine, but it might as well have
been done in the name Of Clarissa
Harlowc, or Sophia Western. OF
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 loopcd skirts are concerned, the,
have been in vogue, more or less
for century and half, and at this
very time are fashionable in walking
dresses. The Dolly Warden over
skirt is not so much a novelty III
itself; the attraction of it is to be
found, one may suppose, in the
lowered pattern of the material OF
which it is made.
| Our fashionable bellies have scar.
ccly recovered from the "Grcciau
bend;" and the luxuriance of their
present pompadour overdrcsscs
makes the transition to the tight
bodice, low bosom, and bare arms
Of Dolly Warden rather sudden.
Very young ladies will doubtless
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