Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-18
The Latest Freak of The London
FashiOnables.

London cor. Phil. Times.l
Last evening the fashionable world
of London, and, indeed, England, was
welcomed to a novelty that has under
lying a great and good future. This
novelty is "Ye olde English fayre,"
which was opened at Albert hall by
Princess Christian. Many visitors ap.
peared in Elizahethan costumes, and
many ladies came in sedan chairs.
There was a very large crowd, and
numerous rich dresses, many titled
ladies acting as saleswomen. The
"fayre'' is to raise funds to complete
the Women's Hospital of Chelsea, "a
most praiseworthy institution for
reduced, respectable and ailing
women" The future outcome Of "ye
olde English fayre' will be anew de
parture in dress and in decoration.
England will become more English
and less French in this regard. The
influence of costume upon character
is not an Insignificant theme; and as
the people of the United States are
now inaugurating their individuality
In this way, so England is DESTROYS of
reviving hers. Thus "ye olde English
fayre" is the opening season of TIVE
objects.
This "fayre" we'll represents the
period of Queen Elizabeth. It's held
in the arena OF the Royal Albert hall,
which is transformed into a small
village, or, rather, a village that in
some countries would claim for itself
a mayor, a local press, and certainly a
couple of churches and three pomp-
GUS police inspectors. This village is
built up Of Electrically constructed
architecture. The houses are two and
three stories high, with pointed, long
gablcd roofs, timbered walls and APP
parent concrete structure. The win
dows are small and latticed. The
doors are narrow and peculiarly easy
of entry and exit. The lower floors
are converted into shops or stalls, with
overhanging awnings, like unto what
Stratford on Avon presented in Shaks-
peare's time, and some few evidence:
of which you may witness to-day
These stalls are stocked with every
conceivable article Of sale, for the
benefit of the said funds.
The vendors are ladies of title ant
distinction. Some p warehouses;
81 countesses, AZ miladies, l0S RICH.
honorables and some 200 less titled
yet not less prominent persons Of tn,
greater upper 10000 Of Belgravia ant
Mayfair are in various E~lizabethaI
costumes and characters here repre-.
sented. Not often has a village haC
such a shopping population.
An enormous canvas constructed
Elizabethan mansion occupies one enc
Of the arena or market place. Tit
high approaching steps, the terraces
and "pleasance," with real trees
shrubs. plants and flowers, give a real
istie effect worthy of the skill of the
architects and gardeners of distinc
ton employed. Fitting about are
we knights Grant and ladies gave
while military bands discourse ye oldt
English airs, sweet and some what sim.
pie Heralds, distafFs and pages
beef eaters and palfrey groOms, are
becomiIgly stationed in hooks and
corners, while the Raleighs and Lei
cesters, Warwicks and endless knights
and earls, with all the gay attendant,
Of 'ye merrie England" appear most
pompousIy and prettily. Everything
bespeaks Of the Elizabethan age, from
the cards Of invitation to the highly
Illuminated programme, the decOra-
tions and the dresses. Nothing j:
Victorian but the articles and pur-
chasers sold"