Evening star., 1886-11-06

Fsshie.'s Fickle.e.. In the Matter es
walking sticks.
THE HEAVY CANE WHICH NOW GIVES THE DUDE
ExERcIsE-A TALK WITH DEALER rN vARrK.
TIEs-rHE LoRGNErTE TAKING THE PLACE OF
THE EYEsLAss FOR LADIES.
"It Is really quite a marvel this matter OF
fashion is" observed dealer I'm varieties as he
stood looking through his glass door and talk
Ing with a STAR reporter. "Canes, Now. YOU
would not think there was any room for n
change OF fashionf No! Well there are few
things in which the fashions change more fire.
quently. You didn't know that. Certainly
not you are carrying silver head. That's last
years. What you ought to have TO be in proper
form is natural wood stick, with a crook to It.
1t should be large; just as large as you can
carry. As big around as your arm would be
just the thing, If you could cSrry fkgracefully.
Our latest stock are q little Smaller than saw
logs.
dudes now used TO carry little r3(fans, which
gave gracefully when they touched the ground
Ihey used TO stand aud tap them nervously
against their Doot-heels, and handle them with
quick motion like IA foil. Some of them, too,
had swords or knives i'm their handles. They
were ali slick and slender. Older men carried
heavier sticKs OF ebony or rosewood, with fancy
gold and silver handles. Or sometimes they car
ried hickory or cane with buckhorn handles.
in Jacksons time, aud the buckhorn handle
Was popular again when Buchanan was in the
IA year or SO ago the heavy rattan with a
silver head, hammered or antique, got to be
very fashionable. Then followed the b uck-
norm handle with silver head which is just now
running out An immense number OF each OF
these styles have been sold during the past two
or three years. Some OF them were very ex-
travagaut In their style, and sold as high $S
or $lO. A man who really keeps up TO the
fashion In these things Will not carry either
now. he Changes his cane almost as often as
the style OF his coat, or as a woman does her
bonnet. Some young men have "A great collec-
tion of canes, in which they take pride.
The style now is,as have said, natural wood
and very large. Ii must also be cut in England
or be OF some foreign wood and Of English
manufacture. Most OF them, OF course, are
English, You know Now. @ may e be you ' would 70 Id
not believe 1t, but we have always on hand,
changing and keeping up with the fashion, a
canes. They range IN price from dollar aud a
half to fifteen dollars Now that think is a
pretty good trade in sticks: Probably four or
i've thousand dollars worth.
The manner OF carrying cane changes often,
also. sometimes IL is carried straight up and
down. sometimes under the arm, and some
uines as IL was year ago, grasped tight In the
middle and never touched 10 the ground. The
latest cane, being SO heavy, is lifted aboriously
aud placed solidly on the pavement directly in
front Of the dude, who then walks around il,
leaving his hand on Its head. IL looks q little
AS II he were winding himself up to it. Some
IL,
around their sticks with grace and a dignified
deliberation."
People have a great many fancies," contin-
ued the dealer, after q short pause, during
which an underground smile crept down from
the corners oI his eyes to his chm without ever
quite coming 10 the surface. at Is my business
W follow these fancies. am a vender oI varie-
Ties, SO to speak. / cultivate them. There are
a league OF us. Some are inventing and con-
something new while the rest OF US sell Them
THE LORGNETTE
"There is one of the latest things in the ladies'
line" He took from the case piece of carved
tortoise shell, shaped something like a fancy
paper cutter. He opened ii and there was a
pair OF eye glasses held by the long carved
handle. IL Was tortoise shell bar for the
glasses, but without spring for the nose or bars
ior the ears. They are 70 be held to the eyes
with the hand.
"Iuese,' said the dealer, "are Iorgnettes.
They are something like what our great-grand.
mothers used only more elaborate. They are
exceedingly fashionable just now, because they
are supposed TO be English; and, rs a matter vi
IacL they are French. Ii is quite the proper
thing Tor young ladies 10 use them, particularly
at the theater. II is not necessary that they
should need any assistance To their sight. They
are not worn for that mostly, Uut because they
are the thing Most ot them are iIted with
plain giass, SO as not TO affect the sight II Is a
mere matter oil atfectation generally. They are
carried at the theater, ana when driving par
ticuiarly, but you See them even in the street
cars. They take the place of the fans some
thing TO ho.d in the hand, ana their use Is sup
posed to add grace and elegance TO the
bearing. The head thrown back and one
OF these held up To the eyes is
thought to be very graceful and
stately posture. Then, too, there is a little of
retaliation in the fashion. 1t gives a young
lady a chance TO quiz back at the man VINO
sits In front OF her with one glass screwed into
his eye. They are used with great effect to
emphasize conversation, or to repcl any un-
desirable advances by the opposite sex. They
may be used also to cover up embarrassment.
lady will draw one on you and look you over
with the coolest selfpossession. They are used
III every way that an ordinary eye glass Is, and
take the place Ol an opera glass as Well. All the
fashionable young ladies carry them Tortoise
she'll is the favori;e, though some are made ol
silver. The proper thing is carved tortoise
shell. They are made generally with very
long handles and are elabOrately carved. Cost?
Well. some cost 81, some $l4; others trimmed
with gold are more expensive. They are about
the latest craze"