, 1874-02-01

come to be nmueol and abuse) to 1000; &. 900
for supper alone, or, allowing fair dis
count OF IS per cent on 1argely-in-
creased number, $3.50 would bo the figure.
il tue lgat Of modern extrayagance, Is looked
upon as very simple spread indeed
DOES IT PAY?
the rush and crush, the weuy ead tear. the su1ns
in addition that have to be footed up7 How
mapy people ask that question as they alloy;
themselves to be swept away b5 the undertow
Of modern extravaganza until they arc drowned
beneath the food Of financial difficulty?
Next in order come
THE FLORAL DECORATIONS
and here, II anywhere, certain amount Of eyen
1awessnoss may DO forgiven. Frail Us this
portion of the contribution ill., it IL go beautiful,
30 aside from mere vulgar display, that it is
hard to say one word against the flowers. The
minimum price for this portion Of the entertain
ment may be estimated at $50, while about tho
maximum reached here in Chicago is
from $500 to $500. This sum has been expended
this winter. The decorations consist of q mar
rlago-bell, sometimes simply suspended over the
heads of the welded pair, while at others an
OF long pier-mirror, and beneath this arch the
now1y-1nado bride and groom receive
the Fluctuations OF their friends Mantel-
deooratlo?ns' monog1ams: notices. bou-
with festoons aud table-docoratiops comprise the
necessary quota. Tho marriage-ban alone costs
from $50 to $5O aud may be carried to a still
higher figure: but that is the usual amount
which is received ,2n On tho occasion Of
style Of flower required. IL valued
ut from 81 to $40 while the holder by which it
is surrounded varies from So to S5 Tne hand
soonest bouquet wocld be composed OF camel
las, 1osebuds, hyacintas, plnks in the bud,
smila1, ana fne fern-leayes. Tho Germans al.
ways ask for myrtle.
It may not be out OF place here to notice how
this demand for lorai decoration has
GROWN INTO GENERAL FAVOR
in our citv. In an interview with wel-known
florist upon the subject he stated that shops for
| the eule OF flowers wero first opened in Chicago
in 1857. Then, to sell d dollar-bouquet was to
do big thing in the way Of trade; while to have
| 1alf-dozeu ordered ut Christmas-time was
an unprecedented run Of business. Ten
years later however. in 1867, an order was given
for neutrality-suspicious. which amounted to
$500, and was the highest that had ever been
called for in Chicago, Since then, the previous
! been the increase. Still, it is not upon
| the demand for entertainments that florists
| depend for tho large proportion Of their
| ordors OF protts but upon tho youngman who,
enarnored OF some fair face, wins his way to
favor By the language of fowers.-not in
frequently depicting his purse to accomplish it.
! The masses OF flowers which VIC group together,
and which foreigners would and do look upon as
vulgar,-tlcy usually being such an accumula-
tion Of various colors, 80 slightly relieved by
crecn.-have this excuse: Leaves or foliage
are less easily attainable here than flowers
| themselves. While the English, to say
! nothing of tho warmer Continental countries,
! always have supply Of green growth, our cold
I winters and dry summers prevent the long pres
e.7nt;on OF delicate foliage. We arc, therefore,
! obliged to make up with the flowers themselves
1or the lack OF verdure, which would be more
pleasing to the eye, ard show purer taste. To
, pluck flower stimulates the bud to cut off a
leaf or branch is to attack the Life OF the plant.
Another expense ls the
CARDS AND INVITATIONS.
| The latter. whether to Wedding, dinner, or re-
ception, are now very eimplc, bong engraved in
script or written on plain sheet Of fine English
paper. This makes tho cost for wedding-nyita-
| tions from $40 to $50 the hundred. For 1ecep-
| tions and dinners they arc somewhat less. For
! dinner-parties there arc the name-cards placed
| at each plate. with either antique, sentimental,
OF burlesque designs, costing 81 dozen. The
menu-ca1ds range in price from Is cents to Is
ceuts each.
Here, then, We have about what the actual
outside cost Of entertainments is !; but this BY
| no means fills up the measure OF the e1pendi-
| ture. People must dress who go to such placos.
would be too wide q field for present inspection.
| It may be estimated rs costing from 81 900 to
| $4,000, not including jewels. Wedding gifts
fso hs e1ssdn sy in of uG those for .noshs1
time. For ordinary party OF dinner dress, how
ever. tie following items will probably serve to
ahow somewhat whert the money goes to-
AaESrLE.lASs FULL EVENING SUIT, x
ut the present time. costs from =l10 to Sl25.
His boots will take 220 while linen, tic, gloves,
ETC., will require another Trcasury-note Of tno
| latter denomination. However, with the e1cep-
ton of the gloves aud tie, his suit will
ans wer at least an entire season, and III this he
| has the advantage over the fairer sex. Il one
calculates the cost OF bis sleevebuttons, his d1a
| 1nond-ttuds, and the last sweet thing IN lockets
| which danG1es from LIS clain to say nothing Of
the ring which must adorn bis finger, this sum
may be- increased I'D libitum. Most society-men
however, md increase their expenditure accord
ingly.
| woMAS's DRESS
/ demands many more Items, and is much more
expensive. accordingly. 4 handsome silk. with
out luce, costs about $3.50 OF S175, when COM
pletel. II lace is added Is trimming. then tho
| cost reaches 2350,-a sum not regarded aa belng
yery e1traragant for tue fashionable Chicagoan,
as it il not infsequenelJ paid. or cource, lace
is used in even greater quantls1es,-a pons ~
| bciuc quito en- regle. This, however. is capable
! of being transferred from one dress to another,
| OF used as wrap; SO fannot properly 90 sald
| to add to tho actual ccst OF any one especial
| dress. Parures Of flowers vary from $40 to $50,
and are freely used in the oruamentation OF dress
es. The fan costs from SO to $50; the moucholr
from S5 to 800; slippers and boots 81 to s9,-
the latter prico if made to order to match cos.
! tune. Gloves. six- button. arc 1925; and silk
| hose $3.50. OEera-cloaa or carriase-wEap, to
Keep tie fair lady from taking cold, would range
| from IS to $50; whilo the hood would add an
| extra So to so.
While, however. the gentleman can wear his
suit OF clothes oa every lostiye occasion during
| tho season,
| TIE LADY MAY NOT.
11;o bpofa a1uo will stand I1dUY ;" Germans -
| as lie NAV be called upon to lead or follow in.
| Not so with hers. II she goes much into So
cietv, it would never do for her TO be
known Us "that Mrs. 4, or Miss B, with
tie same everlasting, old green, pink, or
| blue silk She requires from three to ni1'e such
dresses for eeason, and even this is low csii-
mate; but we arc treating of absolute facts, NOT
fancies. Her levels have not been sdKon into
or pearls, must vary in order to harrnonizo with
| hcr costumes.
.,o wny of cauzes. tulles, and such fabrics, arc
not quite e1pcnsivey attired US their sca,96s
tho latter costumes costing from Soo to sl0o.
c.wr;,ro hire nd,1s another SO to the cost OF a