Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10
YE FANCIE FAYRES
Of London Described by Sir MOrel
MackenZie'S Daughter.
ENGLISH CHARITY BAZAARS.
LabOuchere's Curt Reply to Fascinating
Beggar.
FAIR ARISTOCRATs AS STALL KEEPERS
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE p1spATcHI


LONDON, November LIN taking mp my
pen to write on Fancie Fayres, I feel like
the critic of fashion that is gone by, Iol
surely the day of the bazaar, plain or fancy
isover; it is an institution worn out and de-
caying. 1t is possible that next season
some enterprising individuals, in despair Of
getting money for some cherished scheme
will venture a forlorn hope and endeavori
with the aid of some startling novelty, tc
galvanize the dead custom into stimulation
of life; but the wise will recognize that the
attractions of the Fancy Fair have died OF
repletion. Let US not mourn for them; fol
in spite of the eagerness which pretty
women have always shown in this particular
cause of charity, they must, as a rule, have
been productive of anything but unalloyed
satisfaction to the fair stall-holders.
~ Acknowledged beauties find it irritating
to hear everyone remarking how extremely
we'll a rivals dress becomes her, or that
money has been pouring in at neighboring
stall, while she has only succeeded on be-
quilting paltry 500 out of the pockets OF
the passers-by, and is conscious of the fact
that her own costume does not suit her as
well as it might. It is all very well for her
to console herself with the thought that Mrs.
A. has stopped to take the trouble to fascln-
ate Unfortunately, and that is the reason
she has succeeded in disposing of her very
inferior wares; the sting Of rivals triumph
still remains.
The embers of this fading institution flick
cred almost into animation during the past
season, and the arena at the Albert Hall
was perpetually enlivened by groups OF
gaily-dressed stall-holders; but it was only
the death struggle, and it is very doubtful
whether any of them were successful enough
to cover their expenses. Let the charitably
inclined take heed of this fact, and not at
tempt to disturb Fancy Fair as it lies, unre-
GREETED, save bv a few.
SOMETHING NEW DEMANDED.
The truth is our jaded appetites require
some newer stimulant to charm from US our
hard-earned gold. We are weary OF old
English and Irish villages. al fresco fayres,
Shakespearian fetes and the union ofnations.
Perhaps we are even growing tired of see
ing the same pretty faces in variety of
costumes. Something very wonderful
would now be necessary to attract us into
visiting this or that hall or riding-school,
transformed by the aid of the scene painter
into thing of beauty, and tenanted for the
time by some of the lovelicst women in
London.
Since first this form of charitable begging
came into fashion, the title bestowed by the
promoters of "the fair" has always been a
great feature; and over and over again
Juliet's reasoning as to the little worth at
taching to the name has been disproved,
while another important item was found to
be the spelling of that title. A halo of
''The Good Old DAYS" had to be shed
around the bazaar, if it was to be popular,
no matter whether it was an ice carnival, q
japanese tea garden, or a Midsummer
Nights Dream" and unless the spelling on
the announcements was essentially early
English's-the more eccentric the better
people would imagine it to be a kind of sale
of work by Dorcas Society, and would not
trouble to read the list of patronesses, even
though it might contain the names of all the
beautiful peeresses and lovely Americans in
the town.
AS rule, the spelling was the line drawn
between the fancy fair and the bazaar, for
they are very different things nowadays, the
latter term having been appropriated by old
ladies of the "Tabby' type, who hold func-
tions in back drawing rooms, where under
clothing, dolls and knitted articles are the
chief objects offered for sale, and who draw
themselves up in virtuous indignation at
the very mention Of a "fayre," and who
would probably leave the room at proposal
that they should give their aid to the good
cause by appearing as the Nurse in Romeo
and Juliet" or an old Irish peasant, even
under the cloak of that charity, which
covers such multitude OF sins.
BEAUTIFUL MARTYRS.
The list of patroneSses was, of course, an
other matter Of Importance. But from the
regularity with which the names of fashion
able beauties appeared as stall-holders, it is
to be concluded that this did not give great
trouble. At nearly every fete this year We
might have seen the same ladies making
martyrs of themselves and standing day after
day for several hours in the hope of extort-
ing gold from public who seemed as rule
possessed of a desire, very unnatural at a
bazaar, to have their full moneys worth.
1t cannot possibly be for pleasure that
these danes of high degree sacrificed their
time nor for the satisfaction of donning an
effective fancy costume; for duriug this
season very many ladies, disregarding the
fact that it was q fancy fair, appeared in
ordinary attire. Therefore, it can only be
that these leaders of the upper Ten" pos
sess larger share of good nature than their
more humble sisters.
There was, too, as a rule, a certain regu-
laritv in the arrangementof the stall-holders,
the refreshment department being usually
managed by bevy of fair Americans. Lady
Randolph Churchill being especially ener-
getic, while the Duchess of Marlborough,
Mrs. de Roode, Miss Thackeray and Mrs.
Fackler all helped on various occasions.
At the Ice Carnival, that most tawdry
and much abused of bazaars, the two great
sensations were the wonderfully effective
and novel elegaic rose worn by Mrs. Ron
aids, and the ess, perfect in all its details,
of Miss WaltV. hitman asPocdhontdS, though
Nine. Nordica's stall sat the North Pole"
came in for large share of admiration. In
deed, at this so-called Ice Carnival our
american cousins had it all their own way,
in spite of the rival attractions of Lady
Carew, who, as usual, presided over the
fish pond, and the Ladies Chomondeley,
working as hard as ever, the Countess de
Mosella and Lady Feodore Sturt. An
other name which is always on the list is
that OF the good natured silver Queen,
Mrs. Mackay, who never minds taking
trouble for good object.
sNUBBED BY LABoUcHERE.
Still, although our pretty cousins from
across the Atlantic very frequently under
take the dispensation of fascinating cakes
and refreshing drinks, it was not an Ameri-
can who received the well-known snub at
the hands of Mr.. Labouchere, but an En-
glish professional beauty. Soon after the
Of the lancy fair, it became
customary for ladies, with shame be it said,
to enhance the value of such wares as but
ton holes, cigars or drinks by putting the
flower in the purchasers coat with their
own fair fingers, by biting the end of the
cigar. or by putting the glass to their own
lips The story runs that Mr.. Labouchere,
having been beguiled into one Of these
g. II