Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-15
DOmeSticana.
KENSINGTON WORK.

The summer season is very prolific in
embroideries as one who has VISITED
fashionable summer resorts might wei
suppose, for the chief occupation of ladic.
seems to be the cmbroidering of table
scarls, lambrequns and other articles o
use and ornament. This year there is
still the demand for the Kensington work
which has existed in previous years
Applique work is the only rival. Plush
flowers in conventional designs are used to
a great extent A peacock blue table
cloth has border of Scotch thistle.
arranged in clusters. The leaves are Of
brown kid. Handsome bags are made oil
broadcolch and embroidered with applque
figures A seal brown bag has desi On
OF beech leaves made of brown leather
and outlined with gold thread. Pongee j,
fashionable material for bureau covers
and pin cushions. A bureau set of ecru
pongee can be worked with designs OF
wild roses and forget-me-nots with charm
ing fleet.
Tides and scarfs are still embroidered
in outline with silk and judicious mix.
ture of gold thread. One beautiful tidy
was of ecru scrim cloth, covered with
large and gorgeous tiger lilies. For
screens, Saline with plush borders is suita-
BILE and elegant.
OLD SHOES AND NEw-THE TOE.
Among the many exhibitions held this
year there is one at Cuny, Paris, which
has not attracted much attention, but yet
which is found by the enterprising visitor
to be both amusing and instructive, 1t is
an exhibition of shoes from the early ages
oiu To ha &c
really a wonderful collection, containing
much food for thought to the philosopher
and many texts for the sermonizer to
preach on VANITY, vanity, all is vanity"
1t is said that specimens OF shoes PIE
served from the barbarous epochs are
much more sensible and aim much more
at convenience than those of later years.
The head of the tribe ordered his foot
gear for comfort, to protect from The
thorns and sharp stones, and cared little
for ornament. So he wore leather buskins
and sandals, soft and elastic. But as the
tribe enlarged to the nation and the chief
became the king with fashionable court,
beauty in shoes became more desired than
mere convenience. Every one has seen
representations of the long, thin, pointed
snd turned-up-at.the toe shoe of the French
court. Beaux and bellies had the points of
their Shoes connected by chains or ribbons
to their girdles, freak of fashion which
it is safe to say has no parallel in the
tancies of to- day. The boots and shoes of
the seventeenth century which are at
Cluny are marvels of ornate uselessness.
The heels are high and the boot cumber-
some, and the whole weight of the body
being thrown on the great toe pedestrian
ism became almost impossible except on
the fiat, hard terraces OF Versailles. The
shoes of the revolution are more sensible
and easy, for the high heels and pointed
toes disappeared, to be revived again in a
modified form as the second empire was
declining. To-day pointed shoes are
decidedly preferred to the square toed
shoes by fashionable DANES. Even here
in Boston fashion has usurped the place OF
comfort. to degree, and ladies cling to
The Chinese idea of beauty of small shoes.
With the glance at the foot gear of past
centuries, we can lind in our own styles
perhaps greater interest. The truth is
said that the feminine portion OF the COM
munity clings with conservative affection
to many of the shoe vanities of the past.
The chief wish OF many seems TO be a
beautiful shoe-bcautiful more than strictly
comfortable. Walking shoes have the
pointed toes of patent leather, and some
have the tops made of the material of the
dress. They are often laced instead of
butloned. Terra Gotta leather is much
used, plain or combined with black, with
good effect. French kid remains the pop
ular material for shoes. though SO t, line
goats skin is desirable for walking boots.
Ihe workmanship of the shoe is quite is
important as the material. and in Thu
most humble pait of the dress, rs in more
conspi cuous portions, the rule holds that
the best article is in the end the least
expensive Boston Journal