The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-11-20

I'd nothing to fear. for my hat was not new,
And SO had leisure to trifle with yOu,
And throw you my kisses. and think what a joy
That dear little mamma must find such boy;
An armful to carry, weight on her shoulder,
But day by day growing a tiny bit older;
Her pride and her comfort. She didn't complain,
AZ she bore you SO cheerily home in the rain.
Once there. how she'd loosen that magical pin
And golden curls tumbled. and cap all awry,
And rumpled and crumpled but happy and dry,
Would Sc, YOU once more on the two little feet,
And laugh You told her again and again,
How nithe it wath, mamma. out dere in de
rain"
Hearth and Home.
Borrowed Plumage...Renting Dresses
in New York.
The New York Sun publishes a report
of an interview held with lady engaged
in the business of renting dresses.
Il am the inventor of this business"
she said. "If you know anything about
women, you know that the most Of them
have not only passion for dress, but a
weakness for novelty. The woman with
one calico dress wants two, and the wo.
man with ten silks wants eleven. The rule
is good with the owners of the most com.
plete wardrobe. Another thing you may
not know-women don't like to wear the
same dress to more than one or two par
ties in one season. Now, it is upon these
female characteristics that I thrive. You
would naturally guess that only poor Ia
dies hire dresses; but that isn't so. Rather
the reverse is the case. A good many of
my callers ride within few blocks of
here in their carriages, and walk the bal
ance Of the way. 1t wouldn't do, bless
you, to be caught hiring dress; but
can assure you that many a borrowed one
is worn at fashionable gatherings. Some
times, too, lady from out of town wants
to 90 to a party or to the opera. She has
only travelling dress with her, and Dor
rowed finery is her only recourse. The
business, however, is not only confined to
renting party dresses. There is an occa.
sional call for a street dress, sometimes
by shop girls, who want to indulge in an
afternoon walk on Broadway. Once in a
while an actress, suddenly called upon to
play part out of her line, or from de-
sire for a greater variety than her ward
robe affords, rents dress for week; but
they usually want dresses that are too
snowy, or too peculiar or pronounced in
color and makeup for my business.
"Hew is thats Well, I'll tell you. 1t
would half kill lady to be caught wear
ing a hired dress. To protect them
against such terrible catastrophe must
alter the appearance of dress every
time it is worn. So you see the color
must not be too odd, nor the style too
peculiar Women beat the dickens for
remembering what other women wear,
but by little ingenuity manage to dis
guise my goods so that they can't be rec
Ognized. AS have said, l only use
colors that are not too odd. alter the
slight change in this respect is enough to
saw dress one nj ght with one kind of
trimming and the next night with an
other kind, and worn by a different lady
in different gathering, you would not
be apt to recognize it simply because the
cut and color were the same. Besides, I
usually have two waists for each skirt, so
a. to be able to fit different sized ladies,
and these are not cut in the same style.
Here, for instance, is purple silk skirt
and two waists. One is low necked and
very short-sleeved. That is large enough
for tolerably plump lady. The other is
for a slender form, and is only cut square
in the neck, and the sleeves are long.
Naturally, the plump ones want the first
kind, and the slender ones the other. If
all my patrons would grow Of size it
would save a vast deal of trouble.
Scarcely do I ever rent a dress without
having to let out or take in the waist.
Now, here is one that l was at work
on when you called. Blue Silk?
No, no; that is satin, not silk.
The waist is small now-if you were a
corset clerk you would guess at sight that
it didn't measure twenty inches. 1t was
worn last night by a young lady whom l
know to be in more than comfortable cir
cumstances. She concluded trather sud.
denly to 60 to party, and had nothing to
wear That is to say, she had nothing
that hadn't been previously worn at gath
erings where the same people had seen
her. The dres. is engaged for tomorrow
night by lady slightly stouter, and I am
letting it out and altering the trimmings.
"What do charge? Well, from three
to five dollars for party dresses, and less
for street dresses. II they get spotted,
torn or damaged beyond a reasonable
amount of wear, charge for that. You
see nice dress is an easy thing to spoil.
A spilled cup of coffee, or a big grease
spot, and it is gone; but have an ad.
vantage that dress.cOat renter hasn't
can make over my damaged goods, and
often turn them out as good as new. Yet,
with all the expedients, nice dress is
done for in about one season, so you see
the profit isn't so great, after all, when
you consider the constant work of altering
and retrimming. 1t is awfully worri.
some, too. Women are SO particular. A
dress never exactly suits, of course, and
the patience of what's his name-JOb!
fhov,l, V,pr,-io rnoAol tn y,1ooco fhovvn A
great many, too, come out of pure curl.
osity, just to find out if dresses are really
and truly rented. Perhaps they expect to
catch some of their friends hiring one
They always pick out dress, though
and say, Keep that for me until next
Wednesday, or 'I'll make up my mind
tomorrow never look on q bargain as
made with woman until the money is in
my hands, and always get my pay in ad.
vance.
"What security do I have against los.
ing the dress? Well, if the lady gives her
name and address insist on sending the
dress home for her. That gives me an
opportunity to learn whether she has
given her right name, and if she has, why
that is security enough. The excuses
that my callers give are funny enough.
One says she has plenty of dresses a,
home, but will hire another just for the
fun of the thing; another hasn't time to
to get one made; another can't see why il
is any worse to hire q ball-dress than 9
masquerade costume. As if cared
why they patronized me. never ask any
more questions than l can help, and so
seldom know where the dresses are worn
unless they volunteer the information
Now here is new white silk that was
hired last week by girl who had been
invited to fashionable wedding. She
was young and pretty, and I imagined
that she was poor relation of the bride
or groom. Anyway, she was 80 nice and
sweet that took q pleasure in fixing hel
up for the occasion. I'd have given thu
price she paid to have seen her rich rela
lions stare and wonder.
"Am ever unable to I'LL an orderf Oh
yes-sometimes. An awful big lady cam,
in one day and wanted q nice stree
dress She lived somewhere In the sub