Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-07-27
SaSies' Department.
WHAT WOMEN WEAR.

We can neither ignore it nor dispute
it. A woman's dress testifes in SUBJ
tie but significant way to a woman's
qualities of character. Her true mission
is to adorn life, to lift it up from dull
uses to lovelier ideas, and to make every
thing about her fairer, SUMMER and
sweeter than it could be without her
graceful touch and gentle presence.
She cannot always work out her mission.
Circumstances may hem her in, hard
facts may crush her, wearisome work
may redden her hands and wrinkle her
brow and age her before her time. She
may have no heart for the beauty of liv-
ing. because she has no space nor place
for its enjoyment. Yet not the less is
it her right to adorn as it is mans right
to build Because of her spiritual fit
ness for adding the finishing touches to
all good work in the world, she has
right to all the finishing touches of grace
in her own person and estate. What
ever is elegant in form. harmonious in
material, poetical in its blending of COL
or, and artistic in its design, is probably
combined in the dress of well-dressed
woman.
To 90 into one of the great shops in
any of the large cities during the bust
ness hours of any day at this season. is
to see numbers of women intent upon
buying their clothes. Counters are heap
ed with fabrics of rare cost and every
color imaginable. Patient statesmen
spend their days in talking down and
putting up goods, in rolling and unroll-
ing, holding this piece at arms-length
to display its richness, and descanting
upon the cheapness of that. while ladies
with all the world to choose from, choose
often, if one may judge from results,
very unwisely. Good taste is not sold
over the counter at so much yard, and
style is not among the commodities
s which are exchanged for value received
. There are two or three rules, however,
which If ladies would observe would
r, help almost every one to be beautiful.
: Thackeray says somewhere that 'every
woman, without an absolute hump, may
4 marry whom she pleases." Now from
y this opinion we beg leave to dissent
though we do not underrate Its compli
lnent to the sex, and we would like tt
. formulate it rather in this way: '.Any
4 woman, whatever may. be her defects
"A may be as beautiful as she pleases.
&c 1t is only question of taking trouble
a and exercising thought.
|; The first and most indispensable es
a sential to grace of toilet is purity
81 Soiled things, however rich are neve
IL beautiful. A clean sixpenny calico
:, far more beautiful, because far NOR
= womanly than soiled and spotted sill
Of all denominations, good gown whic
70 has fallen from its high estate of draw
- ing-room and carriage wear, to the low
~ lier use of the kitchen and the garden
,or is the worst. Traditions of its forms
0r splendor hang around it like sad remil
al iscences. Its frayed fringes, fade
of breadths, and patches of grease insu
nd those who see it as much as they detra'
&c from the appearance of the weare
mo Anything about a gentlewoman that
al not faultlessly clean, proclaims by
Il presence her lack of true gentility.
"a the mother with her babies clinging
- her, the teacher In the school room, al
the seamstress. with her sewing, ca
needs something to wear that can east
Die be freshened and renewed by washing
ner After cleanliness, the next essenti
OF is that things should suit each 9th,
ner Point lace is not appropriate over MI
TO lin-de-lane, nor velvet over cali
Cheap fnery is always dreadful.
hey say it in the face of all the dressmak
peo- and half the dress wearers in the Ian
and that beads and bugles are only fit
y to Indians squaws or African bellies. Be.
asp ed sacques. beaded pockets, and beac
lit parasols are all of them barbaric in tn
nder tinsel and glitter.
plan The last thing is that dress shall S
Of your station in life and your mea
eau There is no wisdom in violating this,
I'm a honesty, no responsibility, and theref
make no beauty. A self respecting Won
yond will not be tempted into extravaga
they in dress, nor will she cheat herself "
the the notion that unpaid for magnifce
IN or has any inherent beauty.-Hearth
rong Home.
FEMALE Society IL haffar for