The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-29


IN PROSPECTIVE.
Dear Dispatch Faster Sunday has from
time immemoriai- been the specified time
for tie first decided display Of the spring
goods and fashions, and all the dress
makers and miliners have the most positive
instructions that on no account are they TO
delay sending home "our new spring
suit after the Saturday evening preceding
tais great Church festival. This year, how
ever, Easter comes so early that, in spite OF
the warm weather. our streets and churches
display no very gorgeous array OF novel
tics. Our mllliner-shops are bare and
empty, the "openin2s having all been
fixed for later day, and, though we hear
OF many new dresses In embryo. the num-
Der OF them which rank among fats dC-
cOmpliS is comparatively small. In this
dearth OF fashionable toilettes to meet the
eye, some OF our fair readers may not lie
sorry TO hear the latest DEGREES OF the
authorities on such subjects as to what
they may expect 10 see in the future, and
our fragmeDtary remarks may serve as sug-
gesiions to such as are still dubious as to
how they shall answer the yeXed question
of Wherewithal shall we be clothed?"
To begin at the beginning, then,
BONNETS FOR THE SPRING
aud summer, instead OF including great
variety Of styles and shapes, are restricted
10 the tui bans, OF which we have seen few
during the winter-oi ly they are worn
much further back on the head than for
merly-and cottage bonnets, which, az con-
trdire, are worn nearly on the face, with
occasional digressions in favor Of larger and
more dressy bats for summer wear. These
last are trimmed with feathers or flowers
indlffereDtly, but except for very dressy oc-
casions flowers viii take precedence CT
feathers this season, though we notice few
of the early spring tul bans adorned with
two or three ostrich tips and lined either
with plain velvet or shirred satin. The
Eugene net for bonnets is new importa-
tion OF black net with threads of gold
woven in diamonds through the meshes.
Another net used In trimmings is composed
entirely Of gold thread. Blue, except the
peacock blue, is not popular, the favorite
colors being helotrope, pink, Isabelle yell
low, and cream for light bonnets. and red,
salmon, and dark yellow for dark. Laces
in every possible vsriety of gilt, and all
cOlors, are used freely in trimming, and
soft silk in cashmere patterns continues TO
be worn.
PAkASbLS
are OF medium size and in infinite variety;
the latest novelty has red ribs, which show
on the outside, and form bright stripes in
the darker. c0lored parasols. The Innings
are OF the most brilliant and delicate hues,
and the most stylish have a border OF some
different kind OF silk or satin either woven
or sewed on to the lining. The handles are
generally of some light wood, with knobs
or sticks on the end Of longwy faier ce,
cloisonne enamel, or Dresden ChiRa. Art
has invaded this department also, and we
now see hand painted parasols, with bunchcs
OF field or garden-fl0werS in one gore. with
a vine and tcndrils trailing over more or
less of the other cores. Lady-bugs, beetles.
flies, and tOads are also placed in alarm
ingly natural positions, just where the
dainty fingers can most readily grasp them,
and we must confess 10 feminine ab-
horrence OF creeping things, which is too
great to be overcome even at the command
OF so potent a deity Us the god Tor goddess
of caprice.
Last spring we heard many comments on
the advancement OF the doctrine of wOmen's
rights, winch had gone so far as to induce
our bellies 10 don the short jacket, kiited
skirt, turnover collars, with all the other
school.b boy Of our youthful fancy; but we
have advanced since then several degrees.
and are now ready to appear in the reg ula-
ton dress of full-fedged a" beau"
THE REDINGOTEs
so popular for this spring are certainly
suggestive of the Prince Albert
coats OF our brothers and admirers OF the
other sex; but as lovely woman never
IOr hardly ever touches anything which she
does not adorn, we catch glimpses through
the long Sits in the back and sides OF bright
coored satins and silks, which 20 far to-
wards making ND in beauty OF cOloring for
he evident lack in graceiulness OF out
line.
We have already said that "wbat to
wear" does not necessarily include all OF
what is fashionable; so we may be par
ioned for making mention incur list OF
novelties OF the last mania viewed from a
literary standpoint. We refer. OF course,
o the universally popular little pamphlet
,alled
"THE LITTLE TIN GODS on WHEELS"
title. by the the way, which involves us
n considerable doubt as to its meaning.
We can readily understand how the self
tvled lords of creation, so "devoted TO
lyle and without occupatlon," have TOO
alse a ring to deserve to be classed with |
he tpue metal, and we have no objection to |
be substitution OF tin, though we might |
nave suggested the sounding brass" as
.ather more appropriate than the tinkling |
both on account OF its being as |
tony as possible" and likewise as more |
n accordance with the characters repre-
ented; but ,ohy "oa scheels"Y We must
rive IL up, and trust to some one more
lever at puzzles than the game OF 10 has
eft us TO solve the riddle. We had heard
% much OF the cleverness Of the book be-
ore we read IL thai II was only natural to
ind disappointment awaiting US, and we
we're IN consequence disappointed. rhe
,ooks is not nearly so clever ~ the Hunt
~ of the Shark" with which We bad
leard 1t compared, and gave, we thought,
IN unfair prominence 10 the "dear mite.
wcet little, nice little girls In the cor
ier." whom 10 is rather sweeping TO CLASS
IS {" barometric girls " on the authority of
Mr.. Crocus, aud 1t Is too evident that the
authors were more in sympathy with Mr..
Souvenir and bis swell companions than was
Iltogetber consonant with proper spirit |
Il iinpartiality. Still 1t Is a yciy clever sa-
ire on our present state OF society, and we |
you'd alI d. well 10 adopt some OF the |
,In.s so pleasantly thrown out. Another
,ook which we cannot refrain from men