The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-04-21

The fashion of decoration, says a
New York letter, has extended to bed
clothes. Quilts of white satin, linen,
and cotton serve as the ground of en-
bellishments by brush, needle, and de-
calcomanie. Some of these coverings
of sleep are beautiful as we'll as gor-
geous. Floral designs are most COM
mon. but have seen on a quilt intend
ed for use by a bridal couple fine
painting of the figures Cupid and
Psyche. Quilts for babies cribs are
elaborated wonderfully by mothers pa
tient needles. BY the way, growing
fashion as to beds, separates husbands
and wives at night. Spaniards, Cubans,
and South Americans always sleep sing
ly. The bridal chamber at the Windsor
hotel is at this very time furnished with
two beds, an extra one having been put
in for a Cuban couple on their honey
moon tour-and the thermometer near
ly every night at zero. A not inconsid-
cradle number of wealthy New York
families seize eagerly upon foreign GUS
toms, and they have now taken up the
one-in-a-bed idea. Probably they are
right, viewed from the sanitary stand
point, and the physicians generally en-
courage them. Still, some persons gain
by having bed-fellows younger and
with greater vitality than themselves.
the scientific conclusion being that the
weaker draw health from the stronger.
This point is involved in a matrimonial
suuabble, lust now the talk of our fash
ionable society. Mr.. A. is 60 years old,
and somewhat decrepit. His wife is 80,
buXom and abounding in ruddy health.
She wanted to introduce the two-bed
fashion. He objected She urged it on
the ground that all their set were doing
so. He would not consent. They
quarreled outright. She refused to
sleep with him. He consulted with law
yers about divorce, but they told him
her action did not amount to u refusal
of marital rights. So the case stands in
allowance.
Women's caprices regarding their
beds are sometimes peculiar. The
habit of looking under the bed for mal
is invariable, as everybody knows, even
in those women in whom the discovery
of man might reasonably be supposed
to cause no fright. Where is the mar
ried man who presumes to inteierre with
his wife's exact management of every
sheet, pillow, and quiltP Maidens are
Just rs finiky rs matrOns about their
beds and bed clothes. All the old stor-
les about their circumspection i'll going
to bed are based on fact. Their night
gowns receive about us much attention
as their dresses for daytime wear. The
coy maiden is often as careful rs Il bride
i'll arraying herself for sleep. Even beads
are now quite extensively used in the
embroidery of the bosoms, making Il
fine surface, truly, to abrade the wear
er's fleslr, if she be given to lying on her
face. The day of the night-cap is COM
pletely gone. Few old women and no
girls now make themselves frightful by
covering their heads with caps. A new
practice among girls is to sleep with
their hair flowing free, and the sight of
it spreading out over white pillow is
certainly very winsome; but there are
tangles in the morning topay for it, and
n more sensible plan is to use net
Pink and blue ribbons in knots Mt the
shoulders, baby fashion, is one of the
new kinks; and the extreme absurdity
is reached when a night-gown is dis
carded altogether, and the arms, legs.
and bosom are left bare all night by 4
mere apology for a chemise. This nom
sense, however, is not much INDUCED
in by respectable women.