St. Paul daily globe., 1885-07-19
THE LADY RA1IBLER.
High Art i'm the HOme--ThOughts on
Sunnmcr Dresses.


High Art i'm the Home--Thoughts on
Summer Dresses.
That exceedingly veXed and vexatious
question of household furnishing and decor
alton is by no means settled, despite the
books that have been written, and the
lectures that have been delivered upon it. but
still agitates the mind of the ambitious
aspiring and mtiring hOuSekeeper. Mean
while the nominal head of the family has
given up trying to understand what his
better half is striving to accomplish. and
allows himself to drift with the tide of her
enthusiasm. II seems to him but Yesterday
that the aesthetic craze took possession
of his wife and daughters; that his
Old household gods We're Tudely dethrOned
and new idols established in their stead:
that he was nearly breaking his neck i'm his
Slppings and slidinCs over polished floors
and disiOcating his spinal column in straight
backed eaStlalle chairs; that sun flowers
and cat-tails DlOOmed and nodded upon all
the curtains and portieres, and decrepit
StorkS stared vacantly from every available
space; and to-day the eastlake chairs are sent
TO the gaTTet, the cat-tails and sun flowers
and lilies DaniShed To their native soil. and the
StorllS retired from active service; good
Queen Anne is no longer regarded as high
authority, and as for poor Oscar Wilde, his
very existence is forgotten. Pater familiaS
now hears that Marie AntOinette displayed
extremely good taste both i'm dress and fur
niture, and as he sees the wife of his bosom
fitting up her bOudoir in exact imitation of
that occupied by that ''too lovely Marie
Stuart, he wonders if the charming. un-
fortunate queens fOndneSS for explosives
and midnight assassination is also TO be af-
fected by his loving helpmate. He
gaZeS at the parlOrS i'm helpless be-
wildement, for milking stools jOstle Sedan
chairs, painted and be-ribbOned snow
shovels lean amicably against japanese
screens, fans that are not To be moved and
luteS that are not to be played adom the
walls; and as he pays the $40 bill for an
antique Spinning-wheel. fresh from the
hands of the manufacturer, hears his eldest
daughter go into ecstaSieS over that sweet
Russian sleigh that fills the greater part of
Mrs. Flighty's drawing-rOOm. and his
youngest girl sigh for a gondOla to put i'm
the library, he is constrained to doubt
either his own sanity or that of the rest of
tine community.
-
And, indeed. one would naturally sup
pose that instead of furnishing our houses
for comfortable abiding places, we live for
the sole purpose OF furnishing and decor
ating. They who are blessed with wealth
and leisure devote their energies to the
Transforming of their homes into museums
and curiosity shops, while the unfortunateS.
with time fully occupied and pOcket-boO Ks
depleted, cast enviOuS glanceS at the treas
ures of their neighbOrS. and lament
their own poverty. Rather uphill work
tho atfaunrNf 70 mai
an ordinary tenement into a bower of
beauty when one is compelled 10 furnish
ones rooms as Il. Wilfer obtained his ward
robe, piecemeal, 50 that when a new car
pet appears tine curtains have become
shabby. and by the time the curtains can
be renewed the table covers have reached
the last stages of dilapidatiOn; and to aim
at the highly artistic under such cOndi-
tons Is TO make ones life a burden. Why,
then. if life be as short As the moralistS say
it is. not change ones ideal and strive after
a little more comfort and a little
less art? Let madame keep her
milking stools and spinning wheels. and
add 10 her collection, If she desires, chums
and pitchforkS and all the other accessories
TO an old-time farm house. and give us
chairs in which we can lounge. and tables
that will bear the weight of a teacup. hang
-ANh N4A-AdNAA4-o uifNll uUl Wills anu UIO-
vide plenty of books and the latest maga-
zines; and then. even if the curtains and
carpets do not harmonic as our artistic
souls might desire. if there is no hammered
brass TO be seen, and pOrtiereS are cOnSDic-
uouS by their absence, our homes will still
afford us rest and refreShment for mind and
body, and friends and guests will also feel
their charm.
-
The canvas belts that are so much worn
with wash dresses can be embroidered in
crewels with good effect; one of white with
red clover done in KensingtOn stitch was
observed as being extremely odd and pretty.
-
Lovely maidenS are now at their lOvelieSt.
arTayed in the daintieSt OF mullS and lawns
and cambricS and the airieSt of laceS: while
their gentleman friends. who have all the
year been holding forth upon the vast SUI
periOrity of masculine garments over fem
inine raimentS. change the subject as they
attempt TO appear cool and comfortable,
clothed i'm hot iiannelS, or wearied by the
vain pretenSe, subSide into coats of ging-
ham that seem direct copies in form and
color of the garments worn by the wooden
jumping-jackS of our childhood. All. young
ladies. revenge, after all, IS sweet, isn't it?
-
l would like to remind the girls. how
ever. as they adorn themselves preparatory
TO going forth to see and be seen. that
gowns of transparent material are just as
attractive when worn over petticOatS of
their own length as when there is plainly
visible TO the naked eye an unOccupied. six
inch space between the bottom of the frOck
and the lower edge of the petticoat be-
meath.
-
And then those Open-wOrk yokeSi 1t
does seem that for street wear some of them
might with advantage be made little less
suggestive. Our young ladies may rest as
sured that the general public has an imagi-
nation Cannot they be magnanimous
enough to give it opportunity Tor free play?
-
The discussion over the propriety of
ladies when unescorted making use of The
hansOnlS reminded Airs. Blank of tilt she
had with prOpriety when ST. Paul society
was in a more primitive state than at pres
ent. In those old days. private convey
ances were so few that certain elderly
gentleman who owned a twO-seated vehicle
found considerable profit in letting himself
and trap ont by the hour to ladies who
wished TO shop or call in elegance. Mrs.
Blank being one of these ladies, and find
ing the seat occupied by her aged chariOteer
much the more convenient of access, saw
no reason why she should not make use Of
it while on her expeditions, but on attempt
ing TO do so was met by stern refusal 70
drive ON until she had taken her proper
place. for ''you know, ma'am. people might
talk" 1t is needless TO say that she meekly
submitted. for oh. Proprietyl thou art
dragon, with fiery breath that blasts the