St. Landry democrat., 1885-06-20
The pREssMAKER.

things, and Will tell you about the
dressmaker; creation which you have
all heard of, no doubt, but of which it
is not possible you can be fully in
formed.
A dressmaker, then, is an individual
of the female persuasion; age, uncer-
tain; habits, migratory.
1t is the custom of the dressmaker to
roam about from house to house, os-
tensibly for the purpose of fitting
dresses to her victims; but this is an
error. The dressmaker was never
known to be guilty of such an indis-
erection. They who have spread the
report have injured her grossly.
No; the dressmaker does not fit
dresses. She has better business on
her hands than any such triHing affair
as that. Her mission is a high and en-
nobIing one All such commonplace
matters as cutting and fitting dresses
she relegates to the inferior intelligence
OF her customers.
But let me tell you just what the du-
ties of the dressmaker are.
To-day she is engaged to spend the
day with Mrs. Smith Mrs. Smith re-
ceives the dressmaker with open arms
and some twenty or thirty yards OF
silk. The dressmaker is kind enough
to look at the silk, and kinder still to
sit down and cut it into patches emil
nently suitable for insertion in a crazy
quilt; in the meantime RECALLING Mrs.
Smith with full and accurate account
OF domestic economy as practiced at
Mrs. Browns.
/ While the dressmaker is engaged in
this tWo-fold operation of dissecting
Mrs. Smiths silk and Mrs. Brown $
household affairs, Mrs. Smith is kept
very busy. Listening to a recital of
ones dear friends eccentricities al
ways delightful occupation and
experimenting the preparation of din
ner are quite a strain upon even the
/ strongest constitutions.
I But in process of time dinner is ready,
the silk is divided and subdiyided to
the satisfaction of the dressmaker, and
the whole story of Mrs. Browns
domestic economy has been told.
That is to say, it seemed to have been
told But the appearance OF the sew
era1 articles of food upon Mrs. Smith S
table reminds the dressmaker that she
has omitted some very important items,
and straightway she proceeds to COM
pare the respective bills of fare pro.
7ided by her hostess and by Mrs.
Brown, much to the disadvantage OF the
latter.
Dinner over, the dressmaker pins and
bastes and ties upon Mrs Smith all the
pieces of silk, big and little, that come
convenient; all the while, of course, en-
: tertaining her hostess with most i'm
proving conversation upon variety OF
, Subjects, embracing almost everything
under heaven, from the last novel up to
the way Mrs Gray s servant acted when
Mrs Gray's baby came down with the
measles.
i The afternoon is consumed in this
way, and supper time and Mr.. Smith
come before the trying-on process is
fairly completed. Mrs. Smith retires to
make herself presentable, the dress.
maker meanwhile gracefully flirting
with the lord of the manor.
II AT the tea table, the dressmaker,
now having an enlarged audience, re
peats with additions and improvements,
: her essay on the comparative merits o.
: the Smith and the Brown cuisine, ane
at the close of the meal the dressmake1
) retires from the field with the PROUD
| satisfaction that she has she'd q radi
ance over the Smith household for one
j dav at least, besides amply earning thu
five dollar gratuity for her distinguished
| services.
The dressmakere and the dress hay'
no interest in one another from thi
: moment, but during the ensuing tire
weeks that Mrs. Smith is engaged Il
f sewing, ripping, re-sewing, undolng
8 rearranping and altering that dress, it i
2 to be presumed that the dressmaker
ever present to her thoughts.
f How pleasant it is thus to live in thu
/ memory of those whom you have bene
fitted!
! 1t is needless to follow the dress
maker on her mission of love and use
{ fitness. Tomorrow she will be irradl
: ating the household and seveflng tn
silk of Mrs. Black. The only difterenc
. in the DAYS duties will be that instea'
) Of Mrs. Browns domestic affairs an
Mrs. Browns cookery, it will be Mrs
: Smiths home economy and Mrs
Smith cuisine which pass in review
) / think I have said enough, children
/ to show you that the dressmaker doe
# not fit dresses much less make them
n If YOU have any doubt about the trut
3 of what have told you, however, yol
e would better ask your mammas, VII
a are amply able to satisfy your uacel
tainity. Boston transcript.