Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-05-03
gADIsS gobuMN.
DOLLY WARDEN.

Every now and thena whim seizes
the public and taxes possession of peo-
ple's senses, though why or wherefore it
would be hard to say; but when once it
has got fair hold it has to be bumored
until it is worn out or supplanted By
some otLer novelty. AT the present
moment the name which predominates
everywhere, which is isadvertised in the
papers, posted on walls in bills 10 large
type, stuck up in the windows of dry.
goods stores, and heard il everybody's
mouth, is that of Dolly Warden, the
sprightly, coquetish heroine of Dick
ens's historical novel "Barnaby Rudge'"
But the novel was written thirty
years ago, and there seems to be no ap,
parent reason whv the London lock-
smiths pretty daughter should ALI of
sudden start out into popularity greater
than she enjoyed when she was first in
troduced to the world. She was then
made the subject of many picture,
and the celebrlted artist Maclise, at
the suggestion and under the guidance
Of his friend Dickens, painted what may
be called portrait of her, if there can
be such a thing as the portrait of an
imaginary character 1t was, however,
a realization on canvass of the concep-
ton of the author, and it has given to
her the bodily form and the costume by
which she will henceforth be identified.
-
Accordingly, the low bodied dress,
With skirts we'll lOoped up, sleeves tight
to the elbow, and then suddenly assum-
ing 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 mod fcation. And pat-
terms of every hue and every variety of
sprig and flower are dispayed in the
store windows, to the no little anxiety
of paterfamiIias, who begin to wonder
what sort of appearance his women-
folk are going to assume when they
step forth out of the hands of the
modiste, with their straw bats looped
up on one side, Ia Dolly, and their
lowered skirts looped up on both sides,
displaying the scarlet or brown under
garment, in which our great-grand-
mothers delighted, and which they wore
short SO as to display the open clocks Of
their red stockings and the shining sill
YER buckles of their high -heeled shoes.
Aud along with Dolly Warden hats and
dresses come Dolly Warden jewelrY and
knick, ,knacks. It vas an ingenious
idea to revive all this in the name of
Dickens's popular heroine, but 1t might
as we'll have been done in the name of
Olarissa Harlowe, or Sophia Western,
or Eyaline, or Olivia Primrose, or any
other heroine of the period, for they
all dressed 10 the same costume as Dol.
ly Warden did. So far, indeed, as loop
ed skirts are concerned, they have been
in vogue. more or less. for a century
and half, and at this very time are
fashionable in walking.drcsses. The
Dolly Warden overskirt is not so much
a novelty in itself; the attraction of it
is to be found, one may suppose, in the
lowered pattern of the material which
il is made.
Our fashionable bellies have scarcely
recovered from the Grecian bend )"
and the luxurisnce Of their present
Pompadour overdresses makes the tran.
sitiOn to the tight bodice, low bosom,