Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-02

dark velvet and long plumes CO.. tinue 10 ne
Tie hvorite dress hats OF the season.
FAsHIoNABLE woRN.
ihere was time, twenty, thirty. forty,
/ btsy years ago, when we hal fashion IN
| Wrfk-" fancy work IL is true. but still
] something which furnished occupation and
: sateu certain class from utter vacuity an I
! enn,h' once IL took the form OF making
I SHOES ana for months elegant ladies spppf
| their leisure In stitching silk an Satia slin-
Rel a as Ia snelr dally bread depended upon &c.
faintlng ON glass or wood. ornameutiog Has
vases with colored pictures. making lan--InvS
In wool and mats OF silk and glass beads have
an taken their cum and basked for a time in
The sunshine OF fashionable favor. but Rand
work Of any Kind is now at a discount There
is no 81 ccics OF even fancy work thai n a "A ~
hare an the time or thoughts of the modern
women OF society, old or young. married o.
unmarried. Their energieS-tho>e who nave
any-arc employed i'm very different man
ner Philanthropy is fashionable employ
ment now for those who have outgrown
youth and music. charadeS. private theatre
Gals and the cultivation OF all forms Of what
l. called expression" the one desire OF the
rest OF well-to-do-womankind. This gift aud
passion for expression i becoming alarming.
and II Is impossible to tell where IL viii lead
10, or whatit will end in. Every body reads"
every bofy "recltes.' every holy sings"
every store keeper now Supporr an Organ
OF his own in which Ia blow his own trumpet
ana air his own ideas. and every successful
So re keepers wife runs an institution or
a theatrical company or "A ineeting-hDlSe On
Ier own account. The very children no
longer play marbles o make samples. They
set up little Clubs" and literary societies. of
which they make their parents honorary
members GA condition that they pay ali the
expenses. Expressing. At this rate, will
shortly exhaust the ideas of centuries ana
leave us moth ng 10 express.
CHaRADE PARTIES.
No regular mas gcTt,ic> nave 80 far been
given THIS winter. but there have been plea. 4
of small parties "a which parlor char tdaS or
a drawing room play furnishe ii the principal
part al The entertainment. They are pop Ilar
Tor several reasons. First. because they sup
ply a motive for the frequent meeting OF
Young gentlemen and young ladies' who arr
not far enough advanced for courtShip.
Sccord, because young ladies who have, left
>chool and have been under the tutela..a of a
professor Of clOcution for more or les
years, are dying for an opportunity - dis
play their mimetic powers TairI because
they require less dress and somewhat less
formal preparation than a grand party or
reception Stlli II must be a1miltNi that
they ito not quite fill the same place or answer
the same purpose. They have les az a
society and more OF a familiar and social
character They are not SO comprehensive
AID DO not clear OF society obligations a. A
larger, less special. but less restricted pD-er-
tainments do 1t is quite curious how natr-
rally acting and Characterization comes TO
the young American girl. or orr sinality
there Is not much, buthcT initiative faculty is
large, and she can also improve very often
upon what she has seen. Take twenty orii-
naTlly well educated girls oIt of the social
circles of any town or city and ninelren Of
them will be able To play "A very rcSpactab ole
part upon any stage. private or public, with
the requisite training and practice in the
business" OFF
THE "PRIuA" GARMENT.
Out of the smoke OF dress reform one useful
idea seems to have been elected. 10 is the
union of two heretofore considered iUdiSpen-
sible garments, but which are now combined
and hereafter To DC known aS one. This il
the ''Prima" or as some call IL the Reform"
garment, consisting OF waist and trousers or
drawers" cut i'm one and gLrel SO a 20 toll
low the outlines OF the figure. Thr original.
believe, has shoulder straps and strings in
Vulnerable, but these may be added or not
The main fact is, and il is a very important
one with the present style of dress. that a
single garment, fitting the figure, supplies an
tilc necessary purposes OF underwear. ami
may DE made of cotton, linen. flannel or
canton flannel, according to the season or
the climate. IL is not likely TO be adopted
AT least at PRESENTLY fashionable women or
young girls. 1t is too restricted in style and
based too exclusively upon utilitarian ideas
But IT Will be seized with avidity by hard
working, practical women vino have many
children TO sew for, and TO whom il is an OBJ
ject TO ''save" washing. Ii will be an excel
lent garment for hoOl-girlS-eSpecially for
boarding school, girlS-and for all girls and
women who board and to whom the reduc-
tion or pieces i'm the wardrobe or the laun-
dress bill is a boon, If not a necessity. Up to
tins time, though the combination garment
mas been extensively talked about, il has
only been seen in meeting: no pattern could
beprOcured oft. Nine. DemOrest has, how
ever, at last come TO the rescue. and madea
pattern in three sizes, which will be shortly
published To the world. Whether we shall
be- any healthier or happier FOR having one gar
ment less 10 put on and row OF buttons upon
which We can hang Others, remains to be
seen. Both health and happiness are plants
of queer growth and flourish Occa Sionafly an
der very adverse circumstances. One inter
cs'ing fact in connection with the advent OF
this new invention, adaptation or cOmbina-
ton, must be noted, and that il that il
springs not from fashion but from the region
OF thought and ideas. and ought therefore 10
have a value beyond those which are S!uDOS II
to have their origin in mere caprice.
SPRING UNFoLDINGS.
Lent begins early this year, on 81. Nalen-
tile DAY, which comes on SUNDAY. Prep
arations for spring will therefore be made
earlier than usual, for thrifty housewives use
the period OF more or less forced SecluSiOn for
the doing OF spring sewing, the making OF
spring changes. To such as wish 10 add ID
the work OF renovation that of maj king up
less important spring dresses, il may be hint
ed that no radical change will take place this
season. Skirts Will be cut narrow; knife
pleatings repeated in linen, lawn, cambria.
cashmere and grenadine, and used 10 form
the body part as well as trimming OF dress.
The apron oyerskirts will be retained. and
fchus crossed in front and tied at the back
used to complete suits and add the effect of
q sash finish TO the skirt. The PrinceSSe 20
ionalse VIII be the one mainly used, closed
and IN one with an apron front and worn
without sleeves, the sleeves being of the ma
terial or shade of the skirt. The combination
of silk and cashmere will be a favorite one
again for spring suits, and lake and aqua
marine blue, two browns and two grays, ia
vorite colors. Very dark chocolate brown
silk and cashmere, both the same shade, will
be fashionable, and also navy blue. \ new
silk in dark cOlOrs, brocadei in two shades Of
the same color, Will be StyliShly used for
skirts and cuirasS jackets The figures are
designed to represent coat OF mail. Dark
grays, brown and navy blue will be more
fashionable in linen than buff, the latter will
be used mainly IN conjunction with brown.
JENNIE JUNE.