The Osceola times., 1878-07-20
Jennie June on BOnaets.

II has beer reported in almost every
paper in the country that Jennie June
ssid . fashionable bonnet could Be
bought for two dollar, but certainly ]
never said anything Of the kind. What
| did say was this: That q hat more
suitable for wear with tweed travelling
dress could be made at home, with the
help Of . proper frame, for two dollars
using the material OF the dress for .
covering-than q fashionable bonnet
which cost from $40 to 40. For my
own part, have never been able to
find pretty, well-made bonnets at rea>
sonable prices in ordinary milliner
sh0ps-at least not within the past Rf.
teen years. Bonnets are the most m
satisfactory OF purchases, tbs cost Of
what 10 called "stylish one being %
out Of all proportion TO its value. There
was time when bonnets were bonnets,
Notwithstanding their ugliness. The
6rst cost OF fne one was . natter Of
little importance, for the Tuscan or
Leghorn braid, the English split straw
and fine Neapolitan could be cleaned and
made over many times II required, and
the handsome ostrich plume or piece OF
real lace could be made to serve its pur-
pose over and over again. But Il h
very different nowadays. Money 4
thrown away on fine straw or chips, for
the shapes are 90 insigni6cant and no
fautastic that they could not possibly
be considered permanent, and the trim
mings are heterogeneous mixture
which change their color and variety
with every ssason, and must never show
themselves twice alike. p"
There was certain kind Of satisfaction
In paying from elo to $50 for bonnet
when 1t had permanent value IN itself
and its belongings. But there 10 nons
now, when 1t seems to b . mixture Of
mere scraps and odds and ends and 20 /
insist that It ID better to follow fashion
strictly, using ones own skill and inge-
nuity In working out ideas, than TO pay
enormous prices for what Il, after all,
neither suitable nor satisiactory.
Fortunately, there seems TO be . pros
pect Of improvement In this respect. Il
has been hard for the m.llinsrs to follow
the course Of city industries and reducs
their charges, but they have been
Obliged to do 1t. They win also have to
study how TO accommodate themselves
to more diversified class Of purchaser.
In the largest dry goods stores Of al
our large cities lady can 6nd ready.
made suits and dresses at any price she
can afford to pay, from the calico
wrapper at one dellar to the most ele.
giant reception dress Of $3.50. But the
fashionable millinery establishments
cultivate only one class Of custom, and
that the most idiotic "a we'll 10 the most
expensive Glars, for II IL folly to pay
e35 for simple walking hat, which d
what fashionable milliner asked the
other day, with the apologetic remark,
for Its lew(?) price: "Because it's only
a simple little hat you know"
In London the guinea bonnet is an IL.
stitution, can be found in infinite vari.
ETY. and Is tasteful. pretty, we'll made
and satisfactory in all respects. II We
could 20 out and find such bonnets here
for from FIVE TO seven dollars each, II
would seem like foretasto Of the mill
lenium. But We have never been able
TO do this. BY accident one can some
times discover q plain, sensible hat or
bonnet, at fairly reasonable price; but
1t Is 80 purely by accident that one won.
ders how 1t came there and that same
hat or bonnet, or one like It, 10 never to
be found where II Is wanted.