The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-11-28
Sealskin and it's Wearers.

What sable and ermine were in the
sixteenth century, sealskin is in the
nineteenth. Perhaps the sealskin sacuue
with which Christine Nilsson astonished
the New York ton, three years ago, had
considerable to do with making a per-
feet rage" of this fine and glossy tex
ture. And the sacque was indeed a
marvel, mot merely for the quality of
the pelt, but for the exquisite workman
ship OF the manufacture. A infinitely
detailed description of the marvellous
garment was published at the time by
Jennie June, just as Agassiz would have
sent to the French academy the classif-
cation OF new South American plant.
or Watson would have published the
altitude and periphery of the latest
planet. A sealskin sacque, it is proper
to remark, is the summit of a woman's
ambition, the zenith of her earthly de-
slres. For this she lies awake o. nights,
planning and plotting against contin-
gencies. For this she will kiss her hus-
band as sweetly as Fedelma kissed Don
Silva at Cordova, in George Eliots
Spanish Gypsy" when first they said
they loved for this she will give her
husband a solemn kiss, luscious kiss,
a smacking kiss, a reproachful kiss,
kiss such as Ganymede, when played by
Nelson, gives Orlando when played by
O'Neil or kiss like that which Sister
Gookins bestowed upon the unadultera-
ted word the night before election day,
when majorities reckoned up on the
other side. For this a woman will
caress, coax, bless, wheedle, denounce,
exhort, defame, impIore, beseech, tor
ment, tease, and torture her husband
from fortnight after the honeymoon
until the sealskin sacque is brought
home. For this she will dazzle his ewes
with smiles, and tear his eyes open with
Objurgations. For this she will cover
his cheeks and lips and nose with sweet
salivariness until he VOWS he would not
have looked at Hebe and would have
scorned to taste nectar and for this
she will refuse to speak to him for a
month, including Sundays. Well she
may, too, for a sealskin sacque is a
source of unbounded delight, although
it is not thing of beauty forever. In
deed, it is frail and perishable, if one
be deceived by a dastardly dealer into
purchasing the American dyed peIt,
which will fade into wretched muskrat
before it is worn six months. An in
stance came, recently, to the reporters
knowledge in which we'll known lady of
Chicago bought of local dealer in good
standing, a sealskin muff, glossy, and
fine and fair to see; and before she had
carried the purchase three months, she
bore it with tears in her eyes to another
dealer to inquire what was the matter
with it. Its color was washing out
under our temperate winter sun, as a
painted cheek under a sponge. Her
lips trembled with emotion, and as the |
chivalrous furrier- counsel examined the |
70 ITS of the fur and tried the tension of |
the pelt, the pearly drops fell from her
eyelashes as if she ere suffering acnte |
pain, and was too prouI to own it. But |
when he said to her, "My dear mad |
anne, both yourself and your dealer |
were deceived. 1t is not every eye can |
detect the American from the English |
dye. This is not an Oppenbeim"- |
placed her trembling elbows on the |
counter, covered her face with her
hands, and sobbed aloud. The whole |
store was touched. That dealer sold |
her four hundred and seventy-five dol |
lars worth of English sealskin within |
half an hour, and, in addition to paying |
the bill, her husband petted her during |
the rest of the week, until her equani- |
nifty was fully restored. It is dread |
full thing to be mistaken in sealskin. |
Paste diamonds are nothing to it.