Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-31

The etiquette in regard to afternoon dress is
fixed that lady who should go to an afternoon
reception without a bonnet and in light even
ing dress with long train. would feel very nucl,
out of place, and as if she had better leave i'm
mediately. Thanks to so sensible custom one
handsome and complete walking dress. one
evening dress. and one dinner dress which may
be used for small evening entertainments. will
enable JudiciOus woman who knows how to
chose her materials to go great deal into So
c1ety and seem to be always well dressed at no
great expense; and. indeed. the number of what
are called fashionable women who have the con-
troll OF any fixed income or can eypend any con-
siderable sum on their DRESS is very small.
Regulations in regard to dress. which have the
force OF unwritten laws. are referred to fashion,
but 1t Is the aggregate good sense and taste OF
women which establishes these regulations and
in several essential respects they have become 20
fixed that excepting in details they will not in
all probability be changed for the next twenty
years. dress that is not an obstacle i n-
peratiyey demanded for day wear. and fashion
is compelled to obey this requirement. Thus far
the intelligence of women has made fashion to
suit themselves. and little more is needed: the
details adjust themselves.
''BECOMING" COLORs.
1t Is surprising how many women wish to
know in regard to cOlors what will be becoming
to them, while few even ask question or seem
to bestOw a thought on the form or cut of
garment in its relation to their personality. yet
the latter is by far the most important con-
sideratOn 1t is useless to lay down rules in
regard to color. for by changing the kaleide-
scope-heightening the tone of one, lowering
that of another deepening the fabric. placing
line OF light between it and the skin. the whole
effect may be changed and a color or tint sup
posed to be unbecOming, made picturesqueiy
effective without being detrimental. But an
unbecoming cut bad form to dress OF
garment is fatal. There is nothing more to be
GF 10 mi,
which Increases it's proportions every time of
wearing. There is also an immense difference
in the amount of general character as well as
special adaptability in the cut of Clothes and it
is OF the greatest Importance that this should
express in some sort the individuality Of the
wearer. Yet few women consider shape and
design with any reference to themselves They
take it for granted that fashion orders this
matter and that they have no alternative but to
follow the rules laid down. They do not ask
what is becoming in regard to style but what
the styles are, and then they wear wide or
narrow, long or short, full or scant garments
according as the fiat has been pro-
nounced. 1t ought never to be forgotten
that form is more important in the line of art
than color, and this is especially the case with
regard to dress. Color broadly settles itself
The dark substantial fabric for street wear is in
reply to universal demand, and four-fifths of
the women IN the world consider themselves
Dlest In the possession of one good dark dress
Whether the fabric be of silk or wool the color
brown or black does not so much matter but it
Is OF nigh consequence whether it is shapeless or
shapely, whether it spOils the lines of the figure
and destOys the fabric by cutting It up into instr
niflcant pieces or whether it preserves fine out
lines and conveys to every one who sees it an
Idea OF something noble of woman of char
acter and dignity behind it, These four-fifths
nave not time or means for the details of art in
dress. These must be left to the women of
society, to those whose separate toilets are
specially adapted for the ball room the drawing
room, the theater, the opera, the reception. the
bOudolr. lam thankful, fOrmy part. that these are
women who can give part of their time to the
cultivation of the beautiful in dress. They
make part of the sunshine and Joy of the world
and are as much something to be thankful for
as divine voice. as genious in literature and
painting or for the beauty ofthe flowers. Dress is
capable OF adding charm to sweetness of tenn
per and natural amiability, and in fact it may
stimulate these to growth Neither men nor
women are amiable when they are and know
they are i'll dressed, while it is philosophical
truth that nothing personal is more conducive
TO serenity of temper than the feeling of looking
ones best, of having gotten rid of clothes as
care from ones mind. JENNY JUNE.
Smallpox n nd the Cranks.
From the Sanitary Engineer.
Smallpox is increasing in the west Cincin-
natl, St Louis, and Chicago, with their large
emi2rant populations. are especially affiliated
in this way, and wherever the disease spreads
and increases the mortality, it is. as rule
among the emigrants, and always among the
unvaccnated. Almost every newspaper contains
a paragraph upon it, and some contain not
merely news items, but ''eXplanations,'' and
views and remarks, which arouse and keep
up the public interest. Under these circum-
stances. the anti-vaccination crank sees his op-
portunity for securing fame by getting his name
lnd 1nrc
Under pretext of anxiety for the public good
he proceeds to write articles for the press, de
nouncIng vaccination, and urges his point
partly by square and solid living. and partly by
insinuations against the honor and morality OF
those who are striving to avert the spread of
the pestilence by the one and only means which
the experience Of the civilized world has found
to be eflicaciOus for that purpose. Argument
he has none: but by dint of braZen-flced asser-
tionS. that vaccination transmits tubcrcIe svph-
Ills. etc, etc. he does sometimes succeed i'm
getting up a little scare and i'm inducing some
one to reply to him, which is all that he desires
The sickness and suffering and the thousands
ana tens OF thousands of deaths, in one of the
most horrible and loathsOme forms known
which would follow if his recommendations are
carried out, are nothing to him, so long as he
can make his offensive personality conspicuous
The self-cOnceit and other well-knOwn char
acteristlcs OF the crank, with which the Wash
ingtOn trial is making lis so unpleasantIy
familiar. are manifested in almost every publ
cation OF these Observation-Disclosures. Having no
reputation whatever scientists they cooliy
ask us to accept their dcta in place of the
advice of the educated and skilled physicians of
the whole world. and proceed to quote their
manufactured and utterly untruthful statistics.
in the face Of the experience which every one of
us possesses. as to the power of vaccination to
prevent smallpox, and as to the absence of I'M
pleasant results of any kind from the opera
ton Of vaccination itself in the immense
majority OF cases. There have no doubt
been few deaths from yaccina-
ton, about as many as there have been
from pin pricks there may have been a few
cases in which syphilis was transmitted by the
use Of improper matter, about as many as where
syphilis has been transmitted by cigars-and
that IS all; and even that slight risk no longer
exists. as pure bovine virus is within the reach
OF every physician.
1t is OF course. an absolute waste of time to
argue with the crank or attempt to expose in
detail the falsty of his statements. But we ap-
peal to the editors of our great Journals and
newspapers not to lend the influence of their
columns to aid these men in advertising them
selves and thus crafty their selfish and ull-
scrupulOuS vanity
EiOped With Her Brothers, Groom.
From the Toronto Globe Dec. &C.
sensation was created in social circles in
England few months ago by the elopement Of
Major FORSYTH Grants wife with her brothers