, 1876-01-23
BOSTON,.
Tho Last Mania, Ceramtcs~--
Dragon China.
Pride and Poverty Hugging It's Relics
of Dead G.or!es.
Women of Leisure Responding to Jennie
Collins Call for Personal AS
sistanCc.
The Tile Oraze---The Beautiful Ulster
in Boston---The Theatres.
From Our o1cn CoyTtsDon4ts1k.

in BostQu---The Theatres.
| From Our o1cn CorTtsDondtHt-
| Ros7oS. IAN, yO-In tho midst O: the genera
stnguation- Of business. and the Efforts OF tn
cnaritably-inclined to help the thousands OF I'm
smployed, it il curious, and perhaps cufloust.
significant Of the tho gulf that lies between tht
woman OF society," might say the MIND
the woman Of society-and t1e greater "of!t
outside to hear OF the mania. which has 1ua
come to crisis Of fever heat, that OF collecting
old Chna- This mania goes by tho name o1
..Coramics," which is scientific enough at least
in sound to give it dignity. and which has 1t:
root in Greek meaning "pertainlng to pot
| tory" Br1c-a-brao stores are ransacked, ana all
| aofts OF Ways and means are rcsortod TO, to pro-
cure tho most ancinps specimens. Some OF tho
| most curious OF these specimens which nave
! como under my observation have hldeous hsures
IN old gilt and q kind Of brick-dnst color reprc'
! souting dragons. The collectors go into rhap'
sodes over thess, and e1claim, "Are'nt
| they loreiy?"- when, In mat:er Of fact,
they .ro tho very uyliost things ono can poesi-
| bly find. Tho shapes, however. OF cup 4nd
| pitcher and teapot are very pretty sometimes
! This OF the dragon pattern. for instance, has
/ very attractive shapsa,-the cap high and curV-
Ing quantity Inward At thD top, tie teapot and
little tall pitchers following suit But ths very
clea5est and handsomest OF this coveted Hare
does not begin to be so beautiful ~ the modern-
| made china. Take the best OF it, to IN eye un-
| prejudiced BY fashion. and the co!orlng and
texture ara dull and clumsy compared to our
bright yet delicate t,ntA, our transparent: fab
| RIGS. Ono good result, and only ooe, SEQ at
the bottom Of this tea-cup folly. and that the
| high prices which now and then dnd their way
| into impoverished hands IN exchange tor the
dusty old bits Of porcelain that have been lying
hidden away for years On the upper sheives.
But tlers ore plenty OF silly people who refnae
to part with these relca OF departed days.
though the associations arc not OF their recol-
lectlons -7~'
pAxFrR TO PINCH. AND sTAKyE, AND STRUGGLE
when they might realize ll:tla fortune almost
from their dead and dusty old glories for ths
whole sets of rare service have gono up into tho
high hundreds lhtteriy. Together With this
mania Of ceramics goes the twin tasto OF paint
ing hand and fro scresns, fans, and eTen futnl.
tu1e coverings. With the open fires, thar nre
daily increasing. these screens are quite useful
and extremely pretty, though generally, especial
ly the standing screer, another object OF draw
pretty work OF leisure, with it's cos.iIness. and
the absorbing pur3ut Of teh-cupa, and to co.,
trast it with the anxious faces one Gees on the
s&raets and In the Aorse-cara, and With the tales
OF need that seom constantly to increase, is cet-
talnly not conduciTe to growth Of respect OF be-
lief in the mental perceptions Of women Of leis-
'ure. Still this. perhaps. 10 Httlo unfair, for
woman are creatures OF habit. by force OF habit,
and it Is only tile exceptional natures and minds
that can STRIKE out from their grooves without
nj ~ hall han ff1A
thies. i.
One very pleasant thing 70 know is the readi-
with which several ladles OF wealth re-
spoaded to jennie Collins call for personal
assistance at Bofin's Bower She called upon
these very women Of leisure to give what abs
specially needed. personal attendance II her
rooms, to look into the needa OF the unem-
ployed girls 1ho applied for help. And the call
met with response which showed that to some
At least it was only necessary to open way.
TIE FREE DINNERS
which Miss Collins has inaugnrated are now IN
full force; and many poor girl IL sustained in
tAis way until she can ''look about her for en-
ploymeut. It is always question OF surprise
NTH on-1ooke1s that in s'1ch dearth of shop
work, these girls do not bet2ko themselves TO +!
aervco in households. Souo Of them, II true,
do thus batake Themselves, bu: very few. The |
answer which comes from one Of them IN 1epiy
to this question IL worth considering - dou-t !
want any woman to have the right to order ms !
round every hour in the t~enty-fouE, from thu |
tune get up Until go to bed"
There III ~ good deal IN this. " as VIC say, and /
more fortunate women would do wei! to connlder
1t when they blame their poorer Sister for her |
choice OF dollar stores and other shop drudgery.
II they stood III tier piaco, they might find 1t ~ /
difficult to place themselves Under coust3nt
surveillance. Miss Collins far. which il IN aid |
Ut this dinner fund, Ii jus: open. 1t will no
doubt prove great success forlts managers are
amongst aomo OF the most responsible people in
this Sta!e,-people who believe IN Jennie Collins
and her undertakings
1 must Lot forgot to mention
THE TILE CRAZE
which hns Just couc m, and which IL dayeloping |
great Ingenuity xud taste, and which bids fair to
open new Eyenno OF employment to women. |
Two or three years ago the imported tile OF clay
and porcelain was the only thing III Use. Now |
tncse are OF the past and pretty and graceful |
desigus in two colors, OF variety, on wood, OF ]
cloth, or paper, are coming in WITH cciat Some |
Of these arc painted in oas relief design and
style. Iheao are u trlue pretentious, and suit |
few rooms But the uJmphs and favns painted
by skillful hands are charming aud ono bright |
woman turned her hcartustoao into perpetual
fairy talo for her children by painting on wood
t'les very original aud graceful representation
Of Cinderea's fortunes. It il done in oils, and
highly vanished, and by the flicker Of q crate |
wood-d1e it forms the pfettlest sceno in the
ROOM Ihesa tiles are easily fitted in to III ugly
chimney back, aud at once redeem it from ita
hldeous inhcspita1ity OF aspect. And the best
II 1t il, il the fashion will only last long enough
It NAV furnlah
\ NEW AND DELIGHTFUL AVENUE or EMPLOY
- MES- FOR WOMEN
*ho hare skiu and taste. And al this g1ons
ant OF the open fire fashion, fashion that ia
beautiful and sanitary enough to Offset d great
many silly and blnudoring oncs Peoplu are be-
ginning to f1nd out that the inhospitable hole III
he floor is not M inviting spot.in their drawing
rooms ana that there 'ssuch thing ~ making
3 houso charming BY its heating proceps. ~ woil
16 comfortable. What upholstery anil fno f,r. !