The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-08
IMPRESSIONS OFA KEEN OBSERV ER
INNEW PORK.
Items and IncIdents of the Season-fhe
Passion for Display and "hnt IL
Costs-something About the Home Ior
HUorIyn1women I'm Brooklyn.

largely nj Ihe bssinning of the season, are
Imarked doWnnto an unusual and alarming
extent. while special holiday articles, brought
from every part of the world ior Christmas
and New Years gifts, lay for the most part
neglected on tue shelves. There Is an ap-
noTent f1nrry of excitement In some OF the
iarpe TOW baZaars, but even this is more SEEM
inc than real. There is no solid basis OF pros
psrIty beneath it. Parties who appear 10 De ID
the midst OF golden harvest are In reality
trembling on the verge OF bankruptcy.
The truth is. the day Ia past when large Tor
tunes can be made with rapidity In legitimate
business In any OF our large cities. The enor-
mons expenses, the excessive competition In
ali departments of speculative and dlslrlou-
tive rather than productive labor, forSld IL,
and some great commercial disasters must De
expected, which will force young men into
other occupations and compe! mercnaa.s o,ia ~ ~
rest their operations upon more soiid ano
substantial foundation. II Is Significant TACT
| that ninely.nine out OF every hundred me-
chanIcs In the large cities of this country are
| foreigners, whose earnings now average iour
to FIVE dollars per dag, while any number OF
s'Rentlemanly" young American men-the
product of business colleges and high schools
can be- got to keep books or do any kind Of
| t'genteel" writing at from slx TO ten collars
| per week.
Nice prospect this for American girls !!
Where are the husbands OF the next genera
| tion to come from
.TEN THOUSAND YEAR."
For the past few years an ordinary fortune
has been nowhere In the estimation OF tne
citizens OF our ambitious Republic. The pos
SCISSOR OF $l0O, 900 ls poor man; the owner OF
$500, 900 can just make out 10 live; while the
income from 81. 600, 900 barely suf1ces TO keep
up an .'estaolshment," to supply the waste
and prodlgality OF servants, to pay The res
taurateur and the wine merchant, afford The
means for an occasional trip to Europe, and
nav the Parisian dressmakers end London dry
goods bills. The country is undoubtedly rich,
but all the mines OF Colorado could not Keep
it going at that rate Tor any length OF time,
and the sooner we stop spending twice as
fast as money can be made the better IL WILL pe
for ns In the long run.
WHAT DRESS COSTS.
Much cannot be put down to the score Of
extravaganza In dress on the part Of women,
for never were 30 many old dresses made to
do duty at fashionable entertainments as this
season. Talk OF only wearing handsome
dress once, why, T have seen one made to do
frequent duty one, TWO, and three seasons 10
succession. and then remodeed for fourth
at very slight eXpeLss. And this by q society
lady who goes out q great deal. and has the
credit of dressing well. The principal cost Of
dress nowadays Is the labor Of making and
the enormous profit required on Imported
articles to cover the great expense OF doing
business. A jacket or cloak which would
have cost $40 Ten years ago now costs SIS 10
$780, suit that could have been made for
SIS can now be Only made or bought Tor $45,
and the substantial straw bonnet, for which
So or S. was c0Dsluered good price, ID Trans,
formed to q nondescrlpt which is only adapted
to certain styles OF dress, and ls called cheap
at from $l2 10 SIS.
Ladies' are therefore obliged to apend much
more money on their clothes without oeing
apy better dressed. And for this they are not
responsible. They have 10 take what is pro.
vided for them aud pay what Is demanded
! from them, and as men control politics and
finances, IL is their own fault If they do not
give US system which makes prices low and
money plentiful.
WINTER COSTUMES.
There Is an appearance OF painnesa and 30
lidity about the winter costumes rs seen In
the streets and upon The drives IN tue fashion
able avenues which does not seem 10 justify
the cost OF this part OF ladys wardrobe
Nothing could be more simple or sooer.for q
calling costume than heavy dowered black
silk dress, walking length; sealskin Jacket
and muff, and black velvet bonnet trimmed
with black thread lace and marabout feathers,
matching the shading of the band OF silver
fox which bordered the sealskln set. Yet this
costume, represented In four articles alone
of dress, Jacket, muff and bonnet-required
an outlay OF $500.
The latest designs In cloth are perfectly
plalp and untrimmed. They consist OF gored
ski.t cut rather long behind, and over lhls q
long plain coat OF reversible cloth, same
shade. open in front, and the corner turned
back to form large revers by fastening the cor
ners together with button under the point
of the basque behind. Cuffs and collar both
show the under side Of the cloLh, and together
with the reyers afford an abundant relief to
the austere simplicity of the design. Iron
gray. dark blue and invisible green, with black
for the underside, are considered most dlstin-
guished, and the edges are finished only With
black silk cord Of piping.
English walking jackets, plain and double
breasted, have had great success this sea-
son. They are cut strictly coat shape, hlgn
on the shoulders, narrow across the back, iall'
ing collar, and sleeves shaped 10 the arm with
single cuffs. The cloth is OF the very best
quality, 'broad" or "tricOL" only the darkest
shades being used, and the finishing uniform
ly silk cord, piping ami buttons, The latter
black silk or oxidized silver.
These Jackets are much more IN Keeping
with the restricted style OF street costumes
than the absurd Domans, WIN tnelr snorI
bodies and Wide haLglng sleeves, which bear
no relation to the rest OF the dress, and do not
seem To be part of It, Sleeveless Jackets OF
cloLh, silk or velvet are cut with points back
and front, plaiu, and not too sharp. They are
frequently seen with an oversklrt oil the same
material over plain, high-necked, coat
sleeved dress OF silk or cashmere. in q con-
trasting color. No trimming is required.
simple piping edges the jacket, and Wrlsls
complete the garnlture.
A variation from this is proposed for early
spring wear which is very effective. IL con
slsts Of mantelet which deepens at the oacK
and is drawn In 10 the waist by an elastic
string. secondary cape furnishes addl-
tlonal protection for the shoulders, and ls cut
up In the back In the style which has become
80 popular. An oversklrt accompanies IL,
which ia shaped longer at the back, shorter al
the sides and tront by cuttingi there Is no
| looping up. The plain or plated sklrt and
close.cu sleeve OF q serge or cashmere dress
look exceedingly we'll under this costume ln
gray or brown ladies' cloth, and II It Is as
| popular as It is pretty and serViceable 1t Will
be very we'll worn.
THE BUSINESS woMAN's HOME.
The contrasts of life in large cities present.
ed themselves vividly at 1.-THE recent opening
OF the 'Home" for business women, estao-
lished by the benevolent enterprise OF a few
Brooklyn ladies In that city OF horses and
churches. The building Is admirable as far as
1t goes. 1t will accommodate fifty persons In
q manner comfortable aud homelike; all at
tention has been paid to heating and ventila.
ton, and every corner In the five-story house
is as clean as new wood and white paint can
make it. On the first or basement floor are q
large dining-room, kitchen, laundry, a
dryng-room, closets without end, and q little