Savannah morning news., 1886-06-10

were introduced to hide the defects of a
hum pbacked woman. If there Is any
thing beautiful in nature ii is the grace
ful curve of the neck and shoulders or a
pretty woman. Therein lies the secret
OF Mrs. Laugtry's beauty. Her features
are not especially good, her figure is not
in any way remarkable, but her neck ana
shoulders are simply perfect. The grace
ful curves of an antique statue are there
displayed.
Then she studied a becoming manner
in which to do her hair. She had we'll
shaped head and she determined TO make
the most of it. The result was the Lang
try coitture. 1t was straightway adopted
by women of all shapes, styles and sizes,
and know of nothing more distressing
to one possessed of fine sense OF har-
mony than the sight of short, dumpy
woman with round head and her hair
done la Gree.
And now evening dresses are becoming
beautifully less in extent. 1t was at a
large wedding the other evening in that
no0edur richie circle of society where eX-
tremes Offashion are observed, and | was
surprised to see how little is worn above
the waist. Women with great red arms
which looked as if fresh from the wash
tub, and coarse, fat necks, bare them
ruthlessly to the gaze of an unsympathe-
to know better appear IN all the unat-
tractiVe glory of match-like arms and
parchment-cOvered neck and shoulders. l
ike breYity, but judgment should be used,
and unless woman has really fine neck
and shoulders she should beware how
she makes her waist too laconic. l al
ways had wild desire to drop cold
cent down the spine of some unusually
unclad dOwager on such occasions. | al
fO o,,iII hnr
shoulders or to splash my champagne on
her arms. l suppose it is because know
they should be covered with something.
Perhaps it is because my conscience tells
me that they should be punished for their
lack of modesty.
Did yOu ever notice the difference be-
tween winter and summer mOdestyY
Last season l spent a most delightful
month at the seashore, and met
many of the people | saw at the wedding.
The young ladies arrayed themselves in
bathing costumes, glorious in their brew
lty, but the brevity was at the other end.
They would lie on the sands and kick up
their heels, and run up and down the beach
clad in bathing dresses, which showed of
their limbs to the fullest advantage. 1t
was sort of matutinal "BlRck Crook"
which few of us philosophical old bach
elors were in the habit OF taking in every
lJlCnOOus Anu bub utdI creatures WtIG
not in the least embarrassed, either. They
pattered around on the sands in the happy
consciousness of straight, well-formed
limbs, and rather gloried in this freedom,
lfancy. But if wayward button hap
pened to get lOosened at the neck, what a
pretty confusion ensued. A square inch
of white skin was for an instant disclosed
and the cheeks were sutfused with
bushes. Now, in the winter, mOdesty
has gone downward, and clings coyly
about the ankles. The neck and shoulders
are literally exposed to view, but if more
than tip of the tiny slipper peeps out
from beneath the skirt the heart OF the
timid maid is filed with horror.
We, the philosophical ones, study the
anatomy of our wOmenkind in sections.
In the summer we see one extreme. in the
winter the other / shudder with horror
in anticipation of the time when the eX-
tremes shall meet. We cannot, however,
be expected to be very much shocked at
the display upon the stage when we see
its parallel every year in our best society,
Fashion is, in any event, a curious thing.
and 1t must be some one more astute than
| to account for its vagaries. In the
meantime married men deplOre and
writer's satiriZe the extremes. Lovely
woman goes on according to her own
sweet will, and the cynical old bachelors
lounge in the smoking room and dis
cuss the question over their cigars and
eOOnoe