Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-04-11
letter from Boston.
SOME AMERICAN GIRLS ABRoAD-A PREACHMENT
ON 'CHEAP" GooDs-EcoNoMY AND PATRIOT
ISM IN EQUAL DOSES.
BosToN, March %, 1879


in Europe seem to be the favorte topic of
Mr. Henry James, jr., and he certainly has
written some remarkable things, and has
drawn some very readily recognized portraits,
although honestly believe that his women
are exceptional and not types of average
American womanhood. "Pension Beaurepas,"
in the last atlantic, is decidedly the most
sketchy of his studies and leaves one perfect
ly exasperated at the abrupt way in which he
breaks off the story, for he does not finish it,
but leaves it in the very middle. You want
the ending of that scene in the Geneva jewel
ler's you want to know whether Miss Ruck
carried her point and got the bracelet and
how Mr.. Ruck broke the news Of his marred
fortunes to his utterly selfish wife and daugh-
ter, and how they received it. You are Gu
rious to learn whether Aurora Church ever
reached New York, which was to her what
Paris is to young girls who have never cross
ed the ocean, and you can't help wondering
what new indiscreton she committed while
trying to assert her nationality. | suppose
the object in this sketch is to show that
European modes of training young, girls are
to the full as faulty as the much-abused Amer
lean modes.
OF all this class of books, Howellss Lady
of the Aroostook' plenses me best. 1t is not
only the most perfect book he has ever writ
ten, but he has treated his subject with the
utmost skill and delicacy. If you did not be-
come acquainted with her through the pages
of the AtidRtic, you should hasten to find her
in the pretty dress in which Houghton a. Os-
good have clothed her and you will be glad
ever after-especially if you are reading
James-that you have known this New Eng
land girl whose very ignorance of the ways of
the world surrounds her with an innocence
and gentleness which is an inpenetrable ar
NOR. Since there are Daisy Millers and
Sophy Rucks, it is Il relief to know that there
are Bessie Aldens, and Lydia Bloods, both the
natural outgrowth of New England, as the
other two are of New York
Perhaps you will remember that gave you
II little preach" a few weeks since on the sub
icct of cheap goods. Well, l feel like doing
the same thing again, only this time, | shall
address my remarks more especially to the
masculine half of creation. who are Just as
often misled by advertisements of bargains"
as are you and l, dear madame who are tra-
ditioualy supposed to be exercising a purely
feminine prerogative in hunting out cheap
things You may wonder how anybody can
offer overcoats at 80 trowsers at So, and en-
tire suits for Sl3. | can tell you how it is
done. In the first place, don't be msled by
the placard ''all wool" That's merely IA
hle which is in common use among certain
class of dealers. The goods used are very
largely cotton, it having been carded with the
wool before the thread is spun. These goods
cost but little to manufacture and are sold in
large lots at low prices. The women who are
employed to make the suits, do it literally at
starvation prices, and have to slight the work
rs much ms they can and have the clothes
hang together until they get out of the store.
Everything about them is of the cheapest, and
although when the first luster is on them
they look quite respectable yet their beauty
is fieeting, and the first drop of rain or smile
Of sunshine will take it all away and leave
them shrunken and streaked, and you with a
feeling that you have thrown away just so
much money and have been, according to the
old proverb penny wise and pound foolish. -
| have found in my experience that cheap
things are always dear, and what is true of
women's fabrics holds true of mems.
In regard to the practice of introducing cot
ton by carding, it is carried on more extern
siycly than any one has any idea of, Even
the fine grades of goods are not always pure
wooden. Only this season a very handsome
looking style of cloth has been very largely
g,lI oil Nv1,i.l 1,..,,
ulent. 1t is in black and white small irregu-
lar check, made expressly for trowsers. Many
of the Boston dealers bought considerable
quantities of it, and probably dealers through
out the country have done the same saw
n sample Of this fabric at Macullar Williams
& Parker's after it had been subjected to the
wool test, and every particle of the white was
found to be cotton. This house applies the
test to every piece of cloth that is offered to
them aud nothing is admitted to their coun-
tcrs which has not withstood the test OF
course, it is impossible for all the houses do
ing only retail business to themselves apply
this test, but they can protect themselves
from imposition by purchasing their goods Of
a reliable house, who know what they are sell
ing. This lesson has been pretty thoroughly
learned by retailers all over the country, and
that accounts for the immense business done
by this large Washington street house, whose
word has never yet been broken to customer,
patron or employer.
Since the Centennial, it has been quite the
fashion to be patriotic There's very much
less of ose-lifting at American manufacture ;
hut there is new readiness to give the country
credit for what it can do and we are as a ma
ton standing more jealously than ever before
10y our own products. I heard a lady say the
other day to a young person who was decry-
ing American workmanship, Don't do that
It's vulgar" And apropos of this, although it
has nothing to do with the subject, | heard
the same reproof given to girl, who was eyi-
IDENTIFY trying to lay claim to superior quality
by disowning all knowledge of household af-
fairs She elevated her eyebrows at the men
ton of the kitchen, and was Mortified at the
idea of knowing how to prepare dinner
"Iy dear" said a lady, who was listening to
her, aud for whose edifcatiOn she was talking
Its very vulgar to talk like that society to-
day demands that young ladies shall know
practical work" The young woman was ter
rbly crestfallen; hope the reproof made her
more sensible.
But, "to return to our muttons," which is
in this case the wool of American sheep, 1t
is true that We cannot make certain fine cloths
with the European nations yet what we may
do in the future cannot say. American wool
is too coarse for broadcloths, cassmeres and
those fine English Meltons, and manufacture
ers have not learned to treat foreign wool as
it is treated abroad. But it is equally true
that we can make certain other fabrics, es-
pecially those in imitation of the Scotch
Chevots and Bannockburns which compare
fayorably with the originals in looks and in
wear, and are less in price. l have lately
seen several pieces of these goods made at the
Georges River Mills in Warren, Maine in
private styles for Macullar, Williams and
Parker Even an expert cannot tell them