Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-18
Color i'm Dress.
From the Magazine of Art,


We frequently hear 1t remarked that people
never looked SO well rs in black; that although
it is not desirable that all the world should lay
bright colors by, nothing is so becoming al
black to the individual wearer IL is quite true
that black, being negative. does not j,u-er with
compilations of any tint. and. well relieved with
white, forms the simplest arrangement Of light
and shade We can command. To the fair skinned
European races indeed. black and white dress
is naturally becoming; for the delicate tones OF
the skin form middle tint between the two.
On the other hand If we come upon a negro
dressed i'm black, the features and the pupils of
the eyes which we wish particularly to see,
have vanished; we cannot get rid of the whites
of the eyes, which are forced into startling and
unpleasant forwardness. and which, under q
normal state of circumstances. are intended
only to enhance the dark pupil andiris. A light
dress which brings out the dark features ard
tones down the white of the eye. il the proper
wear for dark races. In fair races the rule
with individual exceptions of course-is that
the dark eye harmoniZes the fair skin with the
dark dress. or is a telling point of color when a
light dress is worn. To my mind people of
beautiful coloring-not at all uncommon I'm
England-look best attired with equal attention
to the tinting and the light and shade of the
complexion; but the effect can never be CON-
piete without the mediation of some neutral
coior-white is best-between the face aud the
hands and the dress. The white NAV be slightly
toned. like old lace. We want the suggestion
of clean linen as well as the actual color of the
white. For most people pure white linen
and muslin look better than anything else. A
very pale dress often looks the better for the
accentuaton of a darker color though sometim, 3
hair and eyes of the wearer are enough for the
darkest tone. Dressing. In truth is much like
composing picture. and as we are not all artist
We are not happily attred. Ii must be owned
too, that we have to contend with good many
unfavorable circumstances, and that we are i'll
placed FOR knowing what is right, much less for
doing it. All qualities-of color, light and
shades and form-are beautifully perfected i'm
the peasant costume Of various countries; a re-
suit, no doubt, of centuries Of elaboration.
Now We suffer constant changes. and every one
has TO choose for herself; and, as We have found,
it is very easy to make mistakes.
housekeeping an Indictable Offenco.
From the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
1t is, perhaps, not generally known that,
under the laws of Pennsylvania eavesdropping
is an indictable offence. True a grand Jury In
recent case ignored the bill; but any over curl
Gus individual who should presume upon that
fact might have serious reason to regret his
haSty action. In the case i'm question the bill
was based on the affidavit of a pretty Young
widow. who though she has some property, has
to toll industrously for the support of her two
cellent character Her diligence enables her TO
maintain comfortable home for herself and her
children. and to keep up appearances i'm every
way. her style of dress being that of lady of
some means. These indications of prosperity
excited the suspicious of gossiping neighbor,
and he resolved To verify them. He commenced
operations by scraping acquaintance with the
widow This it was not particularly difficult to do,
for half of the neghborhood were her friends,
and quite number of the jury of the vicinage
We're his acquaintances. Having once obtained
admission to the lady's parlors. the Curious
One" availed hmselfOf his advantages with such
surprising tact, delicacy, and good taste that he
succeeded in getting himself ordered out OF the
house by his fair hostess, who declared that he
had insulted her. After this brilliant triumph
he judiciously went on to aggravate his offence
by loungng about the outside of the house.
watching the corners and goers listening to
whatever he could hear, picking unconsidered
trifles of chat, which he dOvetailed into very
pretty piece of patchwork and circulated
through the community, seriously to the detri-
ment of the lady's reputation. The widow, at
the suggestion Of her counsel, then made an
affidavit before magistrate and an indictment
for the criminal offence of eavesdropping was
drawn up and laid before the grand jury. That
body was considerably puzzled by the unex-
pected cropping up of an offence at law SO old
that it had become entirely new.