The Portland daily press., 1876-11-13
Society Matters.

Fashion must now more than ever be inter-
preted land not copied) from the circumstances
the state of fortune, the relations, the age,
and the degree of elegance of ones habits.
Some simple costume, made of wool or of fancy
goods-that is to say, mixture of silk and
wool-may look very simple and natural on
one person, while it would seem extravagant
on another Thus one may 60 out even on foot
in dress of bronze Sieilienne with profusion
of trimming mingled or lined with faille of
striking color, such as blue or red, but only on
condition of being able to step into a carriage
Immediately in case it should rain; for this co.
called simple costume would look ridiculous
IN company with an umbrella. Harmony is
law which must never be ignored in regard to
dress, and although a lady may appear less
richly attired than the dwelling, surroundings
and fortune at her disposal would indicate, she
must not violate the laws Of good taste by ap-
pearng richer than the resources at her dis
posal would allow, and by doing which she
would run the risk of being misjudged when
she appears abroad, and of meeting with a cool
reception from her acquaintances- Letter
an Harper's Bazar.
A special correspondent Of the London Times
writes from Long Branch as follows: "After
breakfast came morning church, where, the
church being Episcopal, the service was essen
TALLY what it is in England, the few differences
being so trivial as to escape the attention of any
one not on the lookout for them. Tie sur
pliced clergyman only wanted hood to make
him an English university graduate, for as an
American neighbor remarked to me- he had
quite the English accent To crown the gen.
eral resemblance, collection was made after
service on an open plate handed from pew to
Al.aa. 1-k-
your neighbor's right hand know what your
own left gave. The whole ceremony in fact,
was from beginning to end so English that an
EDglishman OF our party, carried away ire
sistlbly by the sll-powerful law of association,
slept through the sermon in as tranquil and
mastery manner as if he had been at home
in his family pew"
The London Times and the Pail Mall Gazette
have had several very attractive letters on
American Watering-places. The correspond
ent of the former journal noticed many Eng
lish and a few French traits at Long Branch.
He spent Sunday at one of the cottages, and
after attending service in Protestant Episco-
pal chapel, was surprised to hear the ladies
accept an invitation to bathe in the surf "The
cottage at which we were visiting" he says,
chad two neat little bathing huts of its own,
one for ladies, one for gentlemen, on the side
VI ouC SAdhu plOuOhnuV, uub uOt, % az Odpo
May, the wrong side. The bashful bather has
not slowly to steal his way throughla crowd of
well filled carriages and fashionably dressed
loungers, but, though be must break cover in
full view of them, he can be down the steps,
across the beach and into the sea in no time.
On this occasion the beach was crowded with
bathers and lookers-on, and as full of move
ment and merriment, as if the scene had been
laid at Biarritz By the way, should have
said that our host had taken US, not into
France, but into French America. For the
freedom enjoyed by the young ladies of the
party was as un-French as the Sunday bathing
of both sexes in company was un-English.
The American has philosophically picked out
of each old system just what part happens to
suit him, and has made combination essen
TALLY his own. AS counterpoise to the
French leyity of Long Branch we had, within
a Sed-bdh days journey, the ultra British Sc
riousness of Ocean Grove, with its fine beach
given up to praying and singing, instead of
bathing, and its great yearly camp-meeting
just at that moment in full play. 1t must have
had an odd effect tosdrive from one beach to
the other, as if from Royalist to Round
head camp"