Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-07-10

We can neither ignore it nor dispute it,
\ women's dress testihes in subtle but
| significant way to a wOmanS qualities of
character Her true mission l. to adorn
life, to lift it Up from dull uses to loyelier
Ideals, and to make everything about her
iairer, SUMMER. and sweeter than it could be
without her graceful touch and gentle pres
| ence- She cannot always work out her mis-
sion. Circumstances may hem her in, hard
facts may crash her, weariSome work may
rcdden her hands and wrinkle her brow and
age her before her time She may have no
heart for the beauty of living. because she
has M space nor place for it, eRiOyment.
| Yet not the les l. il her right To- adorn a. it
| Is mans right to buill Because Of her
| spiritual fitness 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 it blending of color, and
artistic in its design, Is probably combined
in the dress of well-dressed woman.
To 20 into one of the great shops in any
of the large cities during the business hours
Of any day at this season, i to see numbers
OF women intent upon buying their clothes.
Counters are heaped with fabric of rare cost
and Of every color imaginable. Patient
statesmen spend ;heir days in taking down
and putting up goods, in rolling and unrol-
ing holding this piece at arms-length to dis
play its richness, and deScanting upon the
cheapne>S 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 50
much yard. and style i not anon, the
commodities which are exchanged for value
received There are two or three rules,
however, which if ladies would observe
would help almost every one to be beautiful.
Thackeray SAYS somewhere that ''eyery
woman. without an absolute hump, may
marry whom she plea>es.'' Now from this
opinion we ber leave to dissent, though we
DO not underrrte its compliment to the sex,
and we would ike t, formulate it rather in
this way Any woman. whatever may be
her defects, may he as beautiful as she
pleases.' 1t l. only 4 question Of taking
trouble and exercising thought.
The first and most indispensable essential
to grace Of toilet i parity. SOiled things
however rich. are never beautiful. A clean
sixpenny calico : far more beautiful, be
cause far more womanly. than q soil ID and
spotted silk. OF all denominations, good
gown which has fallen from its high estate
Of drawing-room and carriage wear, to the
lowlier use of of the kitchen and the garden,
l. the worst The traditions of its former
splendor hang around it like sad reminseen-
ees. Its frayed fringeS, faded breadths, and
patches Of grease insult those who see it a.
much a. they detraet from the appearance
Of its wearer Anything about a gentle
woman that Is not iaultlessly clean, pro-
claims by its presence her lack Of true gem
tiIitv. So the mother with her babies cling
ing to her, the teacher in her schOol-room,
and the seamstresS, with her sewing, each
needs something to wear that can easily be
freshcned and renewed by washing
After cleanliness, the next essential l. thar
things should suit each other Point lace is
not an appropriate over muslin-de-laine, nor
velvet over calico. Cheap fnery is always
dreadful. We say it in the face Of all the
dress makers and half the dress wearers in
the land, that beads and bugles are only ft
for Indian squaws or African bellies. Beaded
sacques, beaded pockets. and beaded parasols
are all of them barbaric in their tinssl and
glitter
The last thing Is that dress shall suit yoIr
station in life and your means. There is no
wisdom in violating this, no honesty, no re
spectabiltv. and therefore no beauty. 4
self-reSpecJing woman will not be tempted
into extravaganza in dress. nor will she cheat
herself with the notion that unpaid for mag
nifcence has any inherent beauty.-Hearth
cYd H9yl.