, 1876-12-17
Tht IeW York Fashion Correspondent on The
Entrancing Subject Of tho Full
Dress Toilette.
Fans, and Dresses 10 Match...
Holiday Nove!ties-.-Some
Fascinating Dresses.
The Simplicity Of Partisan Dinner
Costumes~--Sweet Things for
Christmas---TheT Theatres.

VAA A41AAAEaa---A A1AV AAC3kAC9s
ETCETERA.
STRAY THOUGHTS FOR CHANCE RAIDERS.
There happened the other day one OF those
uretty combinations OF form and color OF life
xhich are 60 often drifted together By the veer-
tng currents Of the streets. It was in front OF
ashovy dry-goods house,--one Of the nanr-
stosied edifccs that lend to State street such an
air OF lofty magnifcence as to excite the awe Of
strangers, and that even caused Dom Pedro to
czu this 3 city Of palaces An equipage can-e
sweeplng mp to the curbstone; wide-seated
sleigh OF the most graceful and expensive pat
tern; gayly y-caparisoned steeds; sable driver
n livery; ditto footman. The door Of the
tleighi was flung open with , flourish, and
Madame, gorgeous In ermine and feathers,
hsStened into the store
Just at the edge Of the sidewalk, and close to
the sleigh, WIS crouchcd IN old woman grinding
- hand-organ. Her tattered and faded shawl
xas hugged tightly about her shivering form,
while her feet, protected by thin and gaping
shoes, beat an accompaniment to the music upon
the icy slabs. She looked fondly at the rich
crimson robes in the sleigh, which seemed by
their very warmth Of color to irradiate pleas
:
saHowiu}ly. But she never left of grinding the
asthmatic little organ or beating time with her
freezing feet. The footman strutted up and
down.
The streets are growing liFelier with the ap-
proach Of the holidays. It may be true, as
merchants are claiming everywhere, that busi-
ness is dull; yet one would hardly believe It
sfter taking 4 stroll along State or Madison
rt~n nF4
The fair ser may be seen there in extreme pro-
fusion
BIZ the way, why doesn't some local poet lend
the magic OF his pen to attune the praises OF
our very noteworthy thoroughfaresa The
only fault that can be found with those other
wise excellent routes of travel is that they
some aspiring senius-~and no ono doubts but
thai there are plenty, especially Of the Younger
Eort-compose an epic on booksellers Row, or
an ode to Ladies' Entrance applying it to either
the Palmer, Grand Pacific, fremont, or Sherman,
Or an idyu on the Blue Island Rail
Way, or an cpologue on the Beauties
Of the Clark and Madison Street Crossingsa
There are subjects lying around IS p1en-
ufn1ly as gnats in the Seychelles Islands: All
We want now for our streets is association
something that will elevate them above the
mere ordinary relations Of trade, and give them
areputation in the world of literature How
pleasant it would be, II, in after years, while
Walking down Wabash avenue with friend,
one could point to 3 corner and sag, ssThis is
the spot alluded to by poor Eitzgibbons in bis
celebrated poem on the tWonders Of Wabash
ASenue,' beginning:
o. the corner Of Twelfth is the place for me,
When my heart is glad and my mind is free:
at and muse OF the little top rail
ot the fence, though wild The zephyr's gale"
What host of tender rccollections would be
called up BY such an ailusion! It Is to be hoped
that some Of the local poets will take heed Of
the idea aud confer benefit upon society, as
veil As earn q lasting footho1d on the ladder Of
fame
Suggestions being in order, Etcetera would
Ike to submit one right here that concerns
eTerT society goer and party~girer. Etiquette
nas ordained udcustom has sanctioned the habit
o formal leave-takings at receptions. It is re-
garded as essential for the host aud hostess, or
It least the latter, to stand just inside OF the
uont parlor to receive guests as they enter, and
to introduce and be introduced It is also un~
oe1stood that all guests on departing shall
pause to say their good nights and to express
70 their hostess their profound qualification at
The "perfectly elcgaut'' time they have had
This is au well enough in theory, but the
rafu-pan Of fact is not at all pleasant, as every
!1scy who has ever given 1argc party knows.
the case is that people begin to arrive at an u
toey continue stringing in by squads until after
IL clock, keeping the hostess constantly at her
post to receive them By that time the earlier
af11yais are beginning to depart, and so it hap
pens that she has rarely an opportunity to lnin-
M gae With the company or partake OF any OF tue
en1oynents with which they have been pro-
The only remedy for this iniustice-for It is |
'%an1estly an iniusIice-is TO dispense with tnc
.a ..sasse-tak1ngs,. which are nothing but bore,
%ayTay, to all parties concerned Alter tine
quests have all arrived, the hostess should be |
afeed from further anxiety.
4 Dew kind Of entertainment has lately been ]
Started in Boston, as Was explained by recent !
Of TEE TRIBUNE. Il is called
*1ap-book party, and the members take turns
u reading pieces selected from their own col
Eectlons Almost everybody keeps or has Kept at
some timea scap-book, containing odd clippings /
lsom the newspaper which happened to suit
'oeir particular tastes. Those are always enter
aiming, and frequently valuable from the infor-
nation contained in them, and afford an I'M
s1fng sol1cc OF amusement
II is suggested that such parties might oe
ae!d advartagcous1y in this city. There are
many people who would like to be sociable, but
Fho from their diff1dence do not like to take
u active part in literary or dramatic clubs, be,
ause one involves the production OF orls1uat
imposition and the other the exposing OF thelr
aeasre powers Of mimicry on the stage IN
,ns tie difficulty will be ouvinted, and as all |
he participants are on level there can be no
arf:aity on the one hand and no reluctance 10
ake part In tho exercises on the other.
lhe Fa1ragut Boat Club is giving some OF the
'est amateur theatricars that have ever been
InoTn in our social circles. The members ct