The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-07
THE NEW YORK HOLIDAYS.
JIMMIE JUNE FOR DECEMBER.

4uG 4IA2 4O1VA uSA<AAAAS
JENNIE JUNE FOR DECEMBER.
Festivities In the Fashionable World
OF tho Great Metropolis Thanks
giving and Christmas sports-stun'
ming Styles, &c.
NEW YORK, November 70.
Homogeneous and chaotic are the only term
that will apply to the mixture Of styles ant
colors displayed upon ladies, old and young
who principally compose the gay assemolage
Tn the sam costume Marie Antolnette, Jose
phine. Eugenle and the Princess Alexandra
| or Queen of Scots. hob-nob each other, or raj
| each other as If they had met at q splritualis
| tic seance, and to these nondescript toilets
| are added purely American ideas OF trimming
and ornament-bows of ribbon, bits o flace,
| flowers, feather and jewelry, commencing
with massive Egyptian bracelets, and ending
| with the quaint chatelaine of the feudal LADY
Fashion has certainly become demorallzed,
and nothing but going back to primitive sim
pllclty and beginning all over again will a
us. If we had any social leaders. any women
whose position, character and beauty would
give them authority, they should be prayed TO
set an example, for q time, OF entire absence
of ornamept-to 60 to- the other extreme. and
affect severity, to get rid OF the Vuigarity Oh
the cheap and dear overdreSsiDg, which have
DESTROYED all order and neutralized beauty.
Fashionable women affect a : like originality.
They are always looking for q new design
thew will nav ten dollars more Tor Q bonnet
that has not been exhibited In o window. Why
not be original drop all modern puhed aud
patchy designs, which are neither new nor
true, and as like as TWO detective peas, ana
insist upon Is dress which expresses char
difficult to do this, I know 1t is easier
to accept The senseless forms OF others than to
work out ideas for ones self; but 1t Is not q
question of what Ia easiest, but what Is best.
The mass OF women are obliged to accept
what is made tor them; women OF means can
eIUrd to crafty their taste, and In doing 30
should give the world the benefit OF their ex-
p~erience and their culture. Wnat Trey oesire
the artisan will furnish, and, In time, the purer
and truer method will penetrate Inc loWer
strata, and we shall have natural and enduring
forms insiinct with that chtefesC beauty. IT.
ness. There ia no objection toa dress Whicn
represents O distinct era, provided It ID suita-
bls and becoming, but 1t should always oe
borne In mind that it was adherence 10 the
type which made 1t di ,tincLive, and which was
brought down to u.s..
What useful contribution shall we make 10
the dress of the future?
HOLIDAY PREPARATIONS.
But I must stop sermonizlng and make q
passing mention of some OF the pleasant as
pects OF orr winter lie. Foremost among
these are the holidays, par excellence, which
commence with Thanksgiving aud end with
the second dav of the new year.
Thanksgiving this year received q SAD DloW
from the disaster which befrll Boston, and
therefore New England, over which territory
hall The b0mesteads Of business New YORK
are scattered, and where annually the stald
old and active young gathered together ana
garner up their different and various e1pe-
Fences. These reunions we're probably not
lessened In number, but their fullness OF en-.
ioyment was undoubtedly ssnsibly diminished
bg the recent Judgment, fatality, or acciden-
tai circumstance, whichever way we look at
it. The holidays proper, which Include Christ
maa aud New Years days, will proDaoly not
suffer so much, as New Eoglanders aud New
tlonsly are not apt 10 care 30 much for Cnrlst-
mas. 10 fact, Christmas ID more q festival for
the children than for the grown people, the
WAYS and means for satisfying modern
Youthful desires and antlcipallons absorb
Ing adult energies, and preventing any
possibility of enjoyment, except such us may
be accepted, n a strictly vicarlons sense:
Shopkeepers, moreover, are determined that
NO stimulus shall be forgotten which will serve
to whip up juvenile enthusiasm or awaken
cooler interests and active curiosity. The
world In miniature is represented at the toy
shops. and children above the age Of five
have nothing to learn II they have ordinarily
been we'll supplied by indulgent parents or
dotlng aunts and uncles. There would be
less that is Objectionable In the profnslon II
it did not, like dress and house-fnrnishlng
and modern work of all kinds, become a mere
trick, q sham, q device, an effort ut display,
and not a true, uselul. or enduring represent
alive Of good things. The cost OF the fimsy
TOW houses, toy people, toy dresses, and Toy
furnishing is enormous. For instance: W
dollars for a two-inch parasol, SIPS for q CON-
plele lrOusspan, SIS Tor q three-story baby
house, and $50 Tor furnishing II, with articles
which would not include bed.linen and table
furnishing. These tgures would be less
alarming ifihey were paid once for all; If the
luxurious outfits and establishments were not
tor q day but for all time. But, alas, q week,
or at most, q month, and OF all the brilliant
show there are only q few bits Of wood, q little
gliding, some painted paper and threads of
lace remaining.
People generally suppose that children are
| pleased with high-colored daubs and gilded
gingerbread; but this certainly is not true Of
| all children. The majority, I think, soon be-
| come tired OF painted shams and prefer plain
| er things, that can be put to real use.
Imported fancy articles. from Vienna, Paris,
Berlin, and other entrepots for such articles,
aEe making their appearance IN great
force. Leather work still retains its vogue, and
The belts with chatelaine. attachments, which
have become 30 popular. present many Varie.
ties, supe.bly mounted, for gifts.
Sealskin is another of the hobbies which
ladies have mounted, and those who cannot
achieve q sealakin Jacket content thenselve:
with a sealskin porte-monnaio or retlcule
richly mounted and held by gliIterlng chains
OxydIzed silver is O new rage aud displays II
self not only In buttons, but In the mounting
OF scent bottles, and many fancy articles fol
personal and toilet use. 1t Is also employed
for ice-cream sets and other table belongings
which are somewhat exceptional and are
classed under the heading OF wedding Of
holiday gins. The holiday gifts In jewelry fol
low the fashions OF the moment and consis
mainly Of pendants, crosses, lockets of new de
sign, engagement rings, guard rings, glove
fasteners, handkerchief holders, scent bottles