The Washington critic., 1889-02-18
MATTER WORTH READING.
Dccoiletc Gowns at the white Hons,

brought up the subject In Washington.
The general opinion is that she is sansi-
bic woman and brave one to resist so
potent q being as man dressmaker, Mrs.
Harrison, when here as a Senator's wife,
never wore decollete dress, though people
who knew her well say she never expressed
dsapproval of them. From Martha Wash
ington down the mistrcsses OF the White
House have worn decollete dresses. Even
Mrs. jackson had n half dozen evening
dresses with low bodices made to wear when
she became presiding lady. A candid
friend did say that II was blessing that
she died before the Inauguration, as she
certainly would have brought ridicule upon
her husbands party by appearing in such
guise.
Mrs. Madison was little too much of
Quaker to adopt the custom generally, but
she did what seems to us much worse.
Dolly Madison rouged The lowest neck
dresses were worn in the Buchanan Admin
istration, when the mistress Of the White
House was beautiful young woman who
had spent several years at the Court Of ST.
james, and, returning, brought the fash
ions with her In Harriet Johnson's day
the dresses were what we now call the old
fashioned low neck, cut from shoulder to
shoulder, and usually finished with tiny
founce of lace.
This has been four years Of decollete
drcssee, and II Mrs. Harrison conquers her
tailor the change between the next rcceiv-
ing line and theprcsent one will be marked.
Mrs. Cleveland never wears her gowns low,
and she always has a sleeve that is come
thing more than strap. Next to Mrs.
Cleveland, Mrs Whitneyhas the finest mock
and shoulders, and she does not hesitate,
if she chooses to, to go below the line that
Miss Rose Cleveland so indefinitely defined.
Mrs Dickinson can almost equal the wife
of the Navy Secretary in beauty Of form,
and Mrs. Fairchild hasa wonderfully pretty
neck.-[ Chicago Tribune.
A Dangerous Thing.
A dangerous thing to do unless you give
your full mind to It is to examine the
Photographic album Of person you don't
know very well, when that person is at
your elbow.
Recently young man Of my acquaint-
ance found himself at loss to carry on a
conversation with his hostess, who Is q
young married woman, and he himself had
the daring to take up photograph album
and commence to turn the pages. His
hostess sat near enough to see tho photo.
graphs and naturally enough she made a
running comment upon them, explaining
who the people pictured were.
IL the young man had kept his mind as
well as his eyes riveted on the book there
would have been no trouble But his at
tention ran off at the beck Of some recol-
lection, and he turned over leaf after leai
mechanically. Presently he came to the
picture Of a pretty girl, and he ventured
half absent-mindedly, half intending to pay
compliment: "Your sister, presumes'
; "No, sir," was the quiet reply, 'that'f
baby's nurse. We put 1t in to please baby"
This ought to have warned the young
man of his danger, but. It didn't. The
next page but one disclosed the picture OF
young man with self-satisfled smirk Oh
his face and banged hair.
"a face like that" remarked the young
man, struggling to hide yawn, ''always
makes me think OF gents furnishing store
He seems to be saying: Those are our very
best at $685."
All the young matron replied to this woo
"1ndeedl Do you think so ?"
By(stealth, later In the evening, he
brought friend to the album and asked
him who the young man with sTnirk and
bangs might be.
"Why, don't. you know your hostY That
photo was taken before he was married.
was the unsatisfactory r0ply.--[ Pittsburg
Dispatch.
Undressing Was Not Bathing.
In 1868 President Lincoln sent force
under General Henry II. Slbley to punish
the Indians for their barbarities In Mime
sofa and Dakota and drive them back tc
the Rocky Mountain plains. Among the
many incidents of the Sibley expedition
says the Fargo argus, against the Sioux
which are still afloat In Dakota is the fol
lowing: On the return the camps were
usually made on the banks of lake OF
river, and frequently when the men learned
where the camp would be, some of their
would rush forward and have, bath
This spoiled the water and made II
unfit for camp purposes. This actor
SO ineensed General sibley that. he is
sued an order prohibiting bathing until
the officer Of the day should announce that
VAC na" ooon 'eou'eu ior camp purposes
anu we s'ooA naa peen wa'erea. one
n,sn' sne u camp n'u oeeh I''',ae on 'ae oanR
VI sn''iia iaNe, oaP'ail iio,ace Aus.'r
," ""' snv o'no.' " 'ne uny' anu ho seh' u no
an, ,i 'no ."Ns ~ nAso VI oeisoan' o. :
Sni'us' S now oi nAnAa'o, 70 see .hat tne
peio'ais Q o,uer was opeyeu' ohi,us saw
man ooii'e oo"h W 'ho iaNe anu neglh uh-
1, u,ss'ae, . soon nc was aisropea anu
""'Aeu W 'ne euse Vi 'ne water anu uiPpeu
mo ioo' III /" W see now coiu IL was,