The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-05
ron THE LADIES.
something About tho Adornrcnt OF
Children.
Providence Journal

~
There i nothing more beautiful than
the children OF these days as they appcar
o,,f Of doors and In the parlor. They toll
NOT. neither do they spin; vet Solomon In
all his glory was not arrayed Ike one o..
them. In one sense this Is a public bene-
faction. II Is not only the eyes OF the
parents and friends that are gratited with
The spectacle OF the fresh. young faces In
all the bloom Of childhood and the lissom
or teuderly toddling forms, set of with
ouaintness, q brightness, and an elegance
OF attire that adds 10 the grace and beauty.
and makes them figures Of delight and
charm. They arc blessing and a plea
sure 10 all who see them, adding to the
conteniment OF the fortunate. and, save
where wildly recalling loss with mo-
mentary pang OF recollection, soitening
the stings Of misery and despair. I'M
charitableness, greed, and the whole
brood Of evil passions, the INSCRIPTIONS OF
OCCUPATION and anxiety. and all that makes
life unlovely and painful, must yield some
what TO the presence and the sight OF child
hood, and they are blessing OF nature. as
the flowers are, softenipg, relieving, and
renewing the heart OF man. They were Ger.
falniy never so finely, artistically, and elc.
RautiN OItSsSu " HON. we tuuy iuli y
presume that the children OF this age are
not intrnsically handsomer than their
predecessors; but there certainly never
was time. within living memory. at least,
when so much pains, cost, and skill were
exercised In the fashion OF their garments,
or when they were the objects OF so much
aGorDmeut. The sobr:ety and plainness OF
attire which has fallen upon the male por-
ton OF maturer society seems 10 have re-
compensed itself by this efllorescence Of
briiliancy, II not gorgeousness, which has
broken out upon the children.
One might be almost tempted to write a
poem OF praise to some specimens OF chill
dren's attire, the result of the genius OF
the artist and the skill OF the miIliner, a.
to some particularly brilliant and lovely
flower, or at least TO utter an apostrophe OF
admiration, o. Thackeray did upon the adj
vent OF the Knickerbocker suits upon
English children. The public has not only
10 thank Miss Kate Greenaway for the
graceful products Of her pencil, as depicted
In books, but for the still more engaging
and charming reproductions OF the
qliaintness and beauty in living forms
and the publication of whole world OF
pictures, rs it were. And what is due to
her in supreme degree is due to Others IN
q less, and whole aggregation OF labor.
artistic skill, and care is occupied in the
delightful task OF the adornmeDt of chill
dren. Perhaps some future historian of
art will devote chapter TO this as the re-
naissance or the original birth OF the sense
OF beauty in the adornment OF children,
snd we may have hope and confidence that
its influence will not be lost, but be a
standard for The constant development OF
beauty under the restrictions of refined
taste and practical wisdom in this direc-
ton. 4 he parterre Of cbildren's loneliness
is capable OF almost infinite variety and
charm, and it Is as grateful an appreciation
OF the possible development OF beauty rs
the cultivation Of flowers.
1t seems ungracious TO add even word
OF depreciation when so much pleasure to
lie grateful for has been afforded by this
new development OF beauty, aad when
within proper limits it is such benefit to
the public in adding to the objects OF grace
and charm In daily life. Yet there is no
sort Of developement which is not accom-
panied by extravaganza, and which does
not need 10 be corrected by good taste
and practical sense. II must be admitted
that this new brilIiancy OF dress and
fashion for the adornment of children
sometimes leads TO violation Of pru-
dence in expense and desire for display
that results in painful rather than in agree
able consequences. There is less restraint
OF conscience in luXurioUsly adjoining a
child than oneself, and it seems like IN
unselfish affection, when il Is really an
indulgence OF vanity. Practically, there is
little check hut prudence to the combined
instincts OF affection and display, and this
is not always sufficient to prevent mate
rally injurious extravaganza and rivalry
Of the poor with the rich in this regard.
Furthermore, the danger must be under
stood, that the facie minds OF children
may receive Impressions Of vanity and
self-consciousness, which it would be
hard TO eradicate. They arc subject to
such impressions and influences much
sooner than might be supposed, and iniu-
rious bias might be given by the influence
OF too much adornment and admiration.
But there is so much TO he grateful for III
the new development Of beauty, which is
M addition to the worlds stock OF HARM
less pleasure, and ii is such real advance
ment In the cultivation Of taste like that
in any other branch Of art that it is inn
possible to really deprecate it, and Its ey-
travagances and drawbacks are the accom-
paniment rather than the results, and were
perhaps as evident In the days OF dullness
and bad taste rs in those OF brllliancy and
enlightened sense OF beauty.