Connecticut western news., 1873-03-21
Women as they Were.

Young ladies of the time of Edward ". were brought up with greater strict ness than at the present day. Mammas in those days kept their daughters the greater part of the day at hard work, exacted almost slavish difference from them, and even, as an able antiquarian states, counted on their earnings. After they had attained a certain age it was the custom for the young of both sexes to be sent to the homes of powerful nobles to finish their education by learning manners, and thus anoble lady was often surrounded by bevy of fair faces, from the owners of which she d1d not scruple to receive payment for their living.
 For their occupations they were some thing of this wise She rises early, at seven or half-past, listens to maths and then dresses. Breakfast follows, and this is her costume-a silk gown, richly embroidered with fur, open from the neck to the waist in front, and having turnover collar of 8 darker color a broad girdle, with 8 rich gold clasp ; skirts so long as to oblige the wearer to carry them over her arm :; shoes long and pointed; and, to crown all, the steeple cap, with it's pendant gossamer veil. After regaling herself with boiled beef and beer she will possibly, if re- hgiously inclined, go to the chapel, if not to the garden. This, enlivened by gossip with her friends, takes her until noon, when dinner is served, after which an hour or so will be spent with the distaf or the spinning wheel. At six o'clock supper is served, after which, perhaps, follow games at cards or dice, or possibly dance, of which last our young lady is extremely fond. Later on another meal is served called the eve supper or banquet, after which she may drink glass of warmed ale or cup of wine and then retire for the night, while another day in the proper season she may go hawking, or ride on horseback, or hunt the stag, or shoot rabbits with bow and arrows, or some other such re- fined amusement.
 The next most striking period-in | female customs at least-is the reign of Elizabeth, during which epoch extrava- gance may be said to have reached it's height. Before the Virgin Queen came to the throne she was remarkably sim pie in her attire, but in latter days she changed, and historians remind us of her eighty wigs of various colors, and of her three thousand dresses. A gaily attired queen makes an extravagant Court. A Court lady of that date wore low dress with long stomacher, an immense ruff around her neck, small hat, crinoline, 8 large fan of ostrich l feathers with mirror attached, highly scented gloves, and frequently velvet mask. Her feet were shod with pumps of scented Spanish leather, her hair was died red in imitation of the royal | locks, and her face was painted and rouged. To supply the great demand for wigs women were sent round the country to buy up country girls tresses, and female thieves in London robbed children of their hair or despoiled the dead.
 Of all curiosities in costume the ruff is the most eccentric. These monstrosi- ties were frequently made quarter of 8 yard deep, so that the wearer was obliged to eat with a spoon couple of feet long. When these ruffs first came into fashion the Dutch merchants only sold the lawn and cambric by els, yards, half els and half yards, for there was not so much lawn and cambric to be had in all London as now can be had in one shop. Also, as yet, umbrellas were not, and, when a shower did come down, ladies suffered terribly; while yet another difficulty was that no laun- dress could be found who was able to starch and stiffen cambric till Elizabeth sent over to Holland for starchers. Mistress Dingen Plasse was the first teacher of starching, and taught the Court beauties for fee of four or five pounds, with an extra charge of twenty shillings for initiation into the mys- teries of seething the compound.-Lon- don Society.