Smyrna times., 1881-11-09
Satins and Muslins.


:" want seven yards of the satecn,'
said the customer to the salesman.
:" Six is all that you need for the skirt, ;"
answered he.
But | want two or three rufIlcs." she
demonstrated, cor maybe four
You must have either three or five" :"
cried her companion, as one who saws.
" Destiny is inexOrable," and then they
discussed the question for quarter of an
hour, and made the salesman wish that
he had kept silent, and wonder why odd
numbers should be considered more proper
than even in ladies ruffles. OF course he
did not know what rufile was, but sup
POSED 1t to be the same as plating, a cas-
cade, a flounce and a frill, but he puz-
zled over the trifling question with foolish
earnestness, and at night, when he saw
the epretty dressmaker safely home through
the awful dangers of the street at 6 O'Clock.
he asked her about it.
"Why, you're silly" she cried. with
little laugh, that rule is Of no use now
adays. We put on as many rufiles as we
please; as many as we think are needed -
The salesman ventured to say that
ruilles were never actually needed but
was so ridiculed by the little dressmaker
that he fell into silence, while she des
cribed the beautiful teagown upon which
she was at work. The material was dark
brown satin, she said, and it was made up
with long princess train plated into
small space just below the waist. and
headed by bow of blue satin ribbon
across the front from left to right. and
down the left side was band of blue
satin covered with white Spanish lace.
and with a cascade of lace running down
the side. The cuffs were to be of satin
covered with lace, and a lace quilting was
to be set under the edge of the train.
And how much are you to have for
putting all this prettiness together?"
asked the salesman.
How should ! know" replied the
dressmaker. when the gown is done
and has been examined and approved.
shall be paid That is the way at our
our shop. One of the girls worked a fort
night on gown last month, and earned
eight dollars; another worked eight davs
and received eighteen. There is no set
rate as far as we can tell"
a man would not work On such terms.
yOn know"
Well, our forewoman does not emplov
men; especially men who do not know
anything about rufiles, so you need have
no anxiety about the terms" the dress
maker rejoined. THE last gown made
was lovely dinner dress of pale pink
satin, with finely plated underskirt and
smooth princess Overskirt, falling per-
tectly plain ali around, and made of alter
nate bands of plain satin and bands
wrought with pearls in oval figures. A
wide scarf of pale pink satin fell about
half way down the skirt in front, but was
drawn up high at the back, with tho ends
dropping low at the back and knotted in
large bow with short ends. The waist
and sleeves were perfectly smooth. the
latter having white satin cuffs and the
former having strips of pearl embroidery
down the centre of the back and front"
6 Did it look pretty?" asked the trades
man, as sympathetically as he could.
Did 1T lso-O,t p-r-e-t,t-y?" asked
the other, sarcastically. Eyes, it did ::
and the woman who wore it looked pretty.
too. She was about seventy years old.
and had the complexion of butternut.
Her daughter had a pretty dress made a
few weeks ago. The basque and train
were shaded garnet Pekin, and the skirt
of pink satin surah changing to garnet,
and embroidered down the front in flower
designs, and Ornamented in the centre by
a cascade of narrow satin ribbon. All of
this was not especially peculiar, but the
whole thing was changed into a Charlotte
Corday costume by deep cuffs and ker-
chief of white linen, of which the ends,
crossed on the chest, were passed under
the basque and then brought around under
the train in graceful curve. She looked
nice"
white muslin suits are the prettiest
things for summer" remarked the sales
man, recovering the use of his tongue
"And you should see the new white
gowns that we make to order Not the
kind that find their way into the sales
room, but those designed for especial Gus
toners. One of them had the whole skirt
cut into narrow tabs, each one frilled with
Breton lace, and with plating of white
silk undertaking all. The overskirt looked
like two aprons in front, each one drawn
back by double box plait at the sides,
and behind there was a mass of drapery,
The sleeves were two puffs with shirring
between them and rufIles at the wrists, and
the underwaist was shirred around the
throat, and the outside waist cut away in
front as far back as the shoulders, slOpinp
thence to q point at the waist, and there
was little plated ruiIling of lace In the
opening and at the throat. That was fol
young married lady. For girls we make
gowns with shirred underskirts and abso.
lutely plain overskirts, bordered by d
plating, and looped up on the sides I'd
show the shirring. We put big rosette;
with long ends on these gowns, and belt:
that are not placed at the waist line, but
just below it, and are pointed in front SC
as to give slenderness to the waist"
'fThat would be of no use to some per
sons, you know" said the salesman limo