Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-10
WHAT DRESS COSTS.
OUR YOUNG LADIES COME HIGH, BUT
THEY MUST HAVE PRETTY THINGS.

Pa, I want 5000 for my patrisrchs ball
dress"
"Thunderl my dear Didn't you get new
one for the Assembly balll DO you want a
new gown every weekl When your mother
was girl she wore white muslin frock to
every ball Of the season.
eyes, papa dear, but you know Shake
speare says, Costly thy habit us thy purse
ear buy. and ITS my first season, and You
wouldn't have me look like fright"
"Oh, yes, that is very pretty, but doesu't
the same gentleman remark somewhere that
Our purses should be- proud, Our garments
poor"
''But he didn't live in New York, papa, and
go 10 Delmonico balls" And then poor papa,
being nothing but a meek American million
aire, grumbed and fumed little, and
finally put two crisp greenbacks into little
rosebud hand, and, with kiss as light as
thistle down and after calling him you
darling old dear sho ran away.
An unwilling but interested listener to the
interesting conversation, | began to WON
der what it cost to dress a young lady of
fashion. At tho rate of 500 week it would
be over $4,000 year, aud as my income was
only half that and my lady love IA person of
fashion pond cred asked a Young mar
ried man at the club how much his wife
spent year on her clothes | know put
the question meelly, but he howled at me to
Ego to thunder with my impertinence,"
and so | went-or, rather, | went to visit
an aged female relative. She told me
that clothes had gotten beyond her, and said
all she knew was that her granddaughter
could dance n $500 ball dress to ribbons in
a night Then became frightened, and so
consulted u nice little debutante who volun-
teered TO post me on clothes.
"Of course there is no limit TO the amount
you can spend on Clothes she began. If
you want 10 so TO Worth and Pingat, or, in
fact, TO any of the fashionable Paris dress
makers, you will be obliged to pay pretty
reasonable price. | have a very nice ward
robe this year, and it cost papa just S, 600
When We came home from Europe brought
just two Paris dresses, BECAUSE don't you
know, If you can't say, Some of my things
are imported you are really nobody One
was perfect love Of ball dress, you know.
wore 1t the other night, that pale yellow
tulle. all embroidered in silver, with the big
yellow sash and satin bodice. 1t looked very
simple, but it cost me $500, and then papa
had lots of duty 10 pay on it, 1t was made
from a special design and the design de-
~s'SlNNf ~ ei4ub ~ NOuit llpt Ds uupllCaLeu.
Then brought over carriage dress. l
haven't worn it yet--lm waiting until the
other girls wear theirs, then / shall come out
in miDe. 1t was quite a cheap gown; only
cost $780, 1t is in four shades of fawn and
OF silk and velvet made in one of those long
directoire redingotes that are so much worn,
with a sash OF crimson. 1t was made for the
Princess Somebody, believe but she would
not pay her last BILL 50 they sold it to me for
half price. You need not say anything
about that, though
Here she paused for u moment and / asked
her IL her dresses were as costly as those of
the Misses de Batteur up the avenue.
Il should hope sol Why, those girls en-
ploy s. dressmaker, and do all the plain
sewing themselves. and their father dresses
the whole five of them on $1,000 a yearl 1
do not think | am Mt oil extravaganza, but
could not dress on $500 a year.
~usn-we came back to the subject of her
clothes and what they cost.
"Some sweet little dancing gowns, one for
each of the DelmonIco balls, only cost me 500
each. | have a specially nice one for the
Patriarchs to-moTow-a white silk crepe
leise, with an accordion plated skirt all
tucked with white satin ribbon, and jar
diniere OF lilies of the valley down one side
and about the waist of the brocade and an
empire sash of cloth of silver Ghormley
made that.
Then there is one for the New Years ball,
OF light red Brussels net, all caught up with
tiny black hummiug birds aud one for the
last assembly, of rose pink gauze, made a la
Grecque-awfully sweet gown | have Just
seven OF them. l need fresh one for each
ball, you know, and then | wear each one
four or five times at small dances and the
opera and dinners. With my imported
dress, that makes only eight ball dresses
not at all extravagant, do you thnklo
After assuring her that would not do such
thing, we proceeded.
"Well, you see, | needed two new street
costumes, so | went down to Redeem. and
he turned me out two beauties for $50 each,
both with hats and jackets to match One
Is that dark green and black cloth gown that
fits like "a glove. | wore it Yesterday, YOU
remembering buttons down the front
and long, straight flaps to the polonaise.
Directoire, you know Everything is direc-
toire and empire this year | have a plain
cloth jacket with that and a little velvet
toque, with princes feather in it. This
blue cloth, touched up with the silver braid.
Is the other dress. / wear it with a long boa
But when asked about the coat to go with
1t l was informed that none was required.
because the gown was lined all through
with channels skin, and was as warm as
sealskin without the bulk of the lat
ter So do not imagine when YOU see one
OF your feminine friends walking about with
out jacket, and the thermometer down to
zero, that she is silently freezing. She isn't.
II she hasn't chamois lining to her dress she
has one of cotton batting; but this latter
only in case she is very thin, when it serves q
twofoid purpose of giving her warmth and
rounding out her angles.
My tea gowns were marvelously cheap.
You know that green and pink brocade, all
bordered with bummmg birds wings, SO
bizarref continued my tutor. "Well, /
only paid $50 for that. A perfect bargain
call It. Then i have that morning dress of
pink and white flannel made Marguerite
fashion, and the one of pearl gray cashmere
Ihey cost me $50 each. had them made at
nome. should like two more tea gowns. /
near one OF the Van Vantry girls has seven,
but i cannot afford it this year, shoes and
stockings cost so much, you know"
It was quite shocking to hear that hall
shippers OF satin were Sl2 pair, and you
could pay more for them if you wished.
Swell walking shoes, with patent leather
tips, were either 50 or IS, and house slippers
81, and as for silken stockings, SO aud 81
were the prices always paid for plain ones,
and was told you could dance hole in the
heels in one evening without much trouble.
A church dress is quite necessary. 1t is
the fashion to be very plain at church, and
the women, L believe, try to see who can
dress the plainest. A black alpaca, with a
very quiet short seal Jacket or "a cloth with
scroll braid, is the correct thing and small
velvet or cloth bonnet, without strings. This
rig, without the sacque, can DO procured for
something like $50 New York Herald
The Time to Slow Up.
1 heard professional gentleman giving
utterance to singular theory few DAYS ago
that will strilra tho unrn.r d.. "a - -.