Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-12-23
A FEW FEMININE FANCIES
The Marvellous Effect of a New
Style Of Bonnet.
OUR GRANDFATHERS INDICATED
The Beaver Boom : How a Trip
Across the Ocean Will Upset
Ones --Robbng The
Aviary for Dress Trim
mings.
GETTING LEFT AT A LECTURE

BoiToN Dec. l2.-Have you noticed
the delightfully."- quaint effect of some of
the new bonnets that young girls are
wearing! / don't know the name of the
Particular article of headgear to which /
refer, or whether it has any name, but il
is big broad-brimmed affair of the popu-
lar beaver, with an ample crown into which
| the head is costly nestled, the face being
entirely lost to sight except on front
view, when il presents round, fresh chub-
biness of aspect with a fluff of curly hair
all around the forehead and temples down
to the ears, that must be quite Irresistible
to the masculine heart, for 1t has very
decided effect even on my own feminine
one | feel an instructive desire to take
some of these odd, pretty little figures il
NV arms, get my facs inside the cepacious
bonnet brim, and give the poutiDg mouth
a resounding smack
The Quakerish simplicity and precision
of these bonnets make half their charm.
They are usually of dark beaver, to match
some street suit in color, and have little
other trimmings than a rich satin ribbon
or fold of the same color, bowed generously
on the outside and brought down in
strings to tie in short bow under the
chin. A sort of cape of the beaver turns
up in the back, which entirely conceals the
HbacK hair, and there is not a particle of
face trimming The effect is 30 much
like that of our grandmothers In the
pictures, that we can feel reassured that
our grendfathers knew what they were
about after all.
But if the big bonnets are pretty, the
big hats are horrid, and as only the few
wise ones can understand the effect of the
former, the ninety. and-nine foolish ones
wear the latter Now q broad brimmed
hat made of light, graceful material,
whether dainty chip or straw, or soft,
thin, flexible felt, is very pretty when
well worn-which they generally are not
but made of the heavy, thick beaver
and standing out from the side of ones
head for a quarter of a yard they are
anything but graceful or becoming, and
make the wearers look desperately top
heavy.
The boom for beaver hats and bonnets
has ragged SO that it is really difficult to
tind just what one wants, and although
the season is getting late, not a cent
abates in price. have been groaning in
spirit all the fall to think that didn't get
one in London or Paris when I was
Tourjeeing last summer. l did bring
home lovely little cresmy-white beaver
L
bought in London and which cost me less
than one.third what would have to pay
here for exactly the same thing. Indeed,
| am all the time wishing l had gotten
this that and the other thing, and gone 10
this that and the other place when was
''ecross"-all the time, that is, except
when am planning how to go again. 1t
is an undeniable fact that, having once
crossed the ocean, the other side beckons
ever after with an irresistible finger.
Every time chance to meet Touriean,
the first question is the breathless one,
shall you go again next season 2"
And the answer is sure to be, I'm lust
wild TO, and shall if l can possibly man
age it,"
At least, that is the feminine way of
putting ii. And as for the sterner sex.
leaned across the aisle to day, during a
very prosy lecture to which it was impos.
sible to listen, and queried dpropos of
nothing, of young gentleman who made
the grand tour last summer, 'Dont you
want TO go again next summer" -.
And the reply came quickly; :" want
to go now-not exactly this minute, but
in exactly fity-nine minutes from now"
Oh WE'LL vas writing about the fash
ions. And wanted to tell you that one
of the latest kicks-to use the newest piece
of slang which l have heard-is the orna-
mentation of dresses with birds. Hereto.
fore, the poor little feathered songsters
have been slain only to furnish forth
decoration for the heads of fashion and
beauty hut now the costume itself must
be completed with bird or two or half a
dozen. In place of the bouquet de corSG9e,
a tiny, bright plunaged bird is perched on
IA tgft 1r 10 Ial l,tt H.,
throat in q plutf of lace. Sometimes a set
of the pretty creatures used, one on the
corsage ana one on each sleeve at the
wrist. They are often used on the skirts
of dresses, too, inappropriate as it seems.
The other evening | went to hear Miss
Georgia Cayvan read at Music Hall. Miss
Oayyan, you will remember, was the
Hebe of the "Ideal Pinafore Com
pany," which made such stir couple of
years ago, and also as the fevorite Hdssl
IN that wonderful SUCCESS, "Hazel-Kirk.
She is only away from the Madison Thea
ire now to fulfil round of previous
engagements This was her only appear
ance for the SEASON in Boston, and Music
Hall was thronged in every part, big as it
ls, to hear an entertainment which was
given, solely and unsded, by this one
Boston girl.
Her dress was a rather massive, but
very stylish affair, of heavy brocadeG
white veiYet, with drapery about the hips
and at the back, of very thick ribbed silk
plush of golden brown shade. And at
the left side OF the back, the drapery was
caught up by beautiful, snow white dove.
which was SO put on that it looked exactly
as if it had inst slighted there. But the
effect was 0Wtre-the bird looked out of
place, and made one feel sorry both for
him and the wearer.
was telling you the other week, about
the Lowell Institute lectures, but l didn't
tell you the funniest feature connected
Herewith. Being free, suppose many
people used 10 take advantage Of the fact,
TO run in for few moments and out again,
to the annoyance of lecturers, audience and
everybody concerned. At all events, the
rule was made, quite recently, that the
doors should be closed precisely on the
minute of $50 and not reopened till the
close OF the lecture at s. so. To that all
who are in must stay in, and the others
out of course this hour is an uncoin-
Portable one by about 80 minutes, and it is
hard work TO get there at 80 The
result is that for about the last five
minutes, ard especially the last three, be-
fore the hour, one may see shadowy
figures running at full speed. from every
direction, through the dimly-lighted dark
ness towards the broad, high, semi-circu-
lar flight of ste ps that leads to the entrance
of the rechnological Institute, and up
which these figures go, three steps at a
time, while the ladies rush up at scarcely
less break-neck speed. II is usually =
comical spectacle, even when you are one
of the flying spectres yourself, and mad
all through that you are not five minutes
earlier And when you get left--tind the
doors closed, and not soul
in the dim corridors, the very
meanest feeling comes over one that can
be imagined. If you didn't care much
about the lecture before you left home,
and ouly went out of principle, YOU are
sure to feel a stronger desire to get in
through those closed doors than you have
felt about the most attractive programme
that ever was planned. You can't get in
it is of no use at ala thousand dollars
couldn't gein you sdmittance-an what
important proportions does that lecture,
the ticket to which was freely given,
assume! l got left the other night
know Of what I speak. l would have
given s. to get in that hall, and I'm sure
| won't give the same sum to see
Bernhard! RonrS.
Tue city of London gives $40, 900, 600
every year toward the relief OF distress,
suffering and poverty.