The morning call., 1890-04-13
A CHAT WITH A MILLINER.

| Op'aiheu-Clever FEMININE RuseS.
ZSE1HERE were many feminine hearts that
| SHN were bitterly disappointed because
| JASC Easter was a rainy day." said prom
| lnent modiste to writer for the CALL II
may say" she continued, 'that not for
| several seasons at least have the spring
| hats and bonnets been so pretty, stylish
and becoming. And to lady who has paid
| high for the privilege of securing pattern
bonnet nothing could be harder to bear
IN one way, than to have to go to church in
ones old clothes in Easter.
You know the old superstition about
Easter day? No, why it is that no one
| should 60 to church without some new article
| of wearing apparel Those who can do so,
| generally manage to don new bonnet, Tor
might as well admit it, the feminine mind
| is somewhat given to show, and bonnet
| VIII make more show than anything else.
| 10 give you an Illustration of this very
| point: The other day | was riding home
| IN one OF theecable-carS and l CHANGED TO
| oVernear a conversation between two young
ladies whom | have known by sight for
| long time. From the regularity with which
| they go down in the morning and return at
night l came to the conclusion that they
! in some way earned their own living.
| Well, as | started in to tell you, they were
| talking earnestly. Finally one of them
| raised her voice and l caught her words.
| have been studying you for long
| time, she said to her companion, and l
| nave made up my mind about one thing.
| gu always appear to be SO we'll dressed. l
| did not know until lately that you do not
| spend much on your clothes. AT last have
| solved your secret. Your dresses are all
| black and you do not have new one very
| often, but you do spend what first thought
was an awful lot on your hats. have
| now come to the conclusion, however, that
| that is the most sensible thing to do. With
dresses neat and of good materials, one can
| 60 long time without new clothes and yet
| look as you do, so well dressed, simply by
wearing bonnets or hats of the very best
materials and of the latest fashion,
u smiled TO myself" said the modiste,
| who had narrated the incident with much
characteristic effect, "and l said, inwardly
| CT course, now If l were to say such thing
| as that, everybody naturally would declare
| that was trying to puff my own business,
and yet it is one of the truest things that
| has ever been said. Gloves and head-gear,
they are the essentials in a costume. | have
seen elegant dresses rendered positively
dlstasteful to the eye because the hat or the
| gloves did not correspond.
1T is always a satisfaction to an artistic
| whose heart, as we'll as her pocket, is inter-
| ested in her business, to have her efforts at
| elevating and shaping the taste for what is
| truly artistic in millinery become so we'll
| appreciated as mine has been. And yet the
very fact that l have achieved succession
| of triumphs in that line brings with it a
| series of annoyances which are often almost
more than my patience can bear"
| What are your grieyancesP" Queried the
| listener.
at is twofold," was the reply, "but both
| branches of my complaint grow from the
| same root, the innate dishonesty Of some
people"
would you think it possible that ladies
would ever do such things? Aud yet after
every opening day, reports come to me IN
this wise. Some one OF my patrons will
come in, and, after few moments chat.
Will say, Madame, l saw Mrs. So-and-So
| yesterday, and she told me that she had
bought her bonnet from here Mrs l
| repeat, : l do not remember that sold her a
bonnet The lady who is telling me then
| says, Do you know, when she told me
where she got it thought that it did not
| look like your work. Then l call upon the
book-keeper and ask her if Mrs. So-and-So
| was among our recent patrons. Her name
| is not to be found on the list. Now you see,
| don't you, what that woman has done? She
| has not felt financially equal to buying a
| bonnet from me, and so she has gone to
| some second or third-class milliner and
| bought a bonnet from her. Ten to one, she
| had been in here on my opening day, trying
| on all the bonnets until she had made up her
mind how she wanted hers trimmed. Then
| with the ideas which she had distracted
! from my display, she has given her direc-
| tons with the results as already described.
1
| her head looking like first-class guy she
should go around proclaiming that she
| Bought the caricature from my establish
| ment. Why" continued the modiste, in an
| excited tone. Z" l have known ladies TO buy
| hat elsewhere and then put one of my
| Innings in the crown, taking it from an old
| hat for the purpose. In this way one lining
| can do duty for several seasons. Then, if
| by any chance the hat is left lying on the
bed, or in a dressing-room, the lining will
| give the lying insinuation that the hat came
| from me-"
No wonder that you feel strongly upon
| the subject" said the reporter, very po-
| litely, but didn't l understand you to say
| that you were vctimized in two ways?"
| You did. The second is akin to the
| first, but, if anything, it is more exasperat-
| ing to my pride in my work. 1t pays me
| the high compliment of appreciating my
| work, and eXaSperates me by refusing to
| give me my proper credit. In other words,
| ladies who have recently returned from
| Europe, do not bring a single thing with
| them in the way of clothes, realizing that
| they can be served just as stylishly at
home But they have not the courage to
say so; therefore, they get their bonnets
from ME, and give it out that it is an i'm
| ported bonnet which they bought while
| they were abroad"
| GU have my SYMPATHY