The Portland daily press., 1875-05-26
About Women.

Miss George A. Davis a former pupil of the
School of Design, is very powerful artist in
pen and ink drawing aud If she had sufficient
ambition might rise to great eminence in her
necular role, but her fancy is markedly gro
tesoue and somewhat morbid, and would not
he popular for general illustrative purposes
Miss Davis also welds facile and fanciful
pen as story writer, but generally does her.
self the injustice of writing under a nom de
plume.
A young lady in Washington has made her
appearance in shoes made of pink silk, with
bands of faint blue running across the uppers,
whereon spfigs of lilies of the valley were deli
cately painted, while over the lower portion of
the beautiful marvels the brush of an artist
touched rose-buds and violets into almost fra
grant realities, while tiny humming-b birds and
gay-tinted butterflies seemed to hover in trem-
bling delight over the dainty sweets hidden
within the chalice cnps of the flowers.
In drawing on wood quite large number OF
women are profitaby engaged. Miss Jessie
Curtis, of New York, is said by Mast and Lin
ton to draw the pIettiest faces in pen ana ihk'
on wood, of any person in this country. her
work is much sought after, and she has filled
a large number of orders for illustrated papers.
Her range is high rather than broad. In this
branch of work Miss Hallock, who illustrates
for Scribner & Co.; Margaretta Willets Harri-
son, who has a humorous fancy and illustrates
for comic papers; Miss Susan Hayes Ward,
Miss Comens who is particularly clever in
landscape; Adelaide Ledyard and Lucy Glib
bons Morse deserve particular mention. Mrs.
Ku1a na1laS wall LnowD q : q oQntrihntOr
to the Ledger, draws straight on the wood with
great facility and much in the style of her hus-
band, of whom she learned her art
Th irty-one young ladies in Warsaw, Ken
lucky, have signed new kind of pledge which
reads: ''We, the undersigned, ladies of War
saw, desiring by our example to promote econ
omy and to discountenance extravaganza, and
thereby tighten in some measure the burdens
of our husbands and fathers by prudent re-
trenchment in our household expenses, there
fore pledge our words of honor one to the other,
that we will not during period OF one year
from the 1st of May, 1875, purchase any mate
rial for wearing apparel the cost of which shall
exceed twenty-five cents per yard; and shall
further promise to observe strict economy in
all our household appurtenauces, and cheerfully
auu DIV llOSo u6uCdb0 SdClihoSo W ohO sOhOi al
stock of home comforts-too often dispensed
with for the frivolous outside adornment of the
body alope"
The great variety of styles leaves no excuse
in these days for women dressing unbecoming-
ly. Until within the last twenty-five or thirty
years there was but one fashionable style of
dress, and those who did not wear it might as
well have been out of the world, according to
the old saying, for they were out of the fashion.
Now, however, there are dozen from which a
lady can choose the one which is most becOm-
ing. Therefore, if her dressmaker insists upon
putting her into an unhecoming garment, or
her mlliner trimming for her an unbecoming
hat, she should have the moral courage to re-
fuse to be thus imposed upon. To quote SEN
sible contemporary: eff your dress maker in
ssts on putting you into tight-fitting garment
and you know that it makes your large abun.
dant figure conspicuous and you uncomfortably
conscious of it, refuse it in spite of all quota
tions on the latest the only allowable etc.,
and choose something between tight and loose.
If you are short don't wear tlounces to break
up the little height you have, and belt around
the waist, and a short apron overskirt, though
it break your heart that you cannot do il. If
you are tall and slim do not add to the effect by
lengthwise trimmings, long basque waists and
stripes, though the world, the flesh and-your
lover say you must; and, above all things, ar
range your hair with some slight reference to
your features, though every woman of your ac-
quaintance parades the latest thing in hair be-
fore you, and wonders show you can be SO old
fashioned.''' A woman's dress should be a
part of her individuality; should reflect her
opinions and peculiarites, and above all, should
be one of the ways in which she displays her
good taste.