The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-09
AFFAIRS WOMEN.
FASHIONS FANCIES THAT ARE
CERTAIN TO INTEREST THEM.

The Agitation OF the Gartsr Question
A Chicago Woman and Her Dog
The Trimmings for Gowns-Skirts
of the Common Sense Order
New Idea II Fancy Pins-A Piece of
Japanese Weaving.
The agitation Of the garter question. saws
the New York Sun, has begun afresh, now
that the lady superintendent Of the Os xego
Normal School mas thrown down tho eeunt-
let by forbidding her pupils to wear the old
fashioned garter. Every woman knows all
her reasons for such proceeding. Every
woman understands how circulation is hin
dered by the wicked tight bands about the
leg; how, if circulation is retarded, the
brain power is lessened by lack Of blood to
nourish it; how insufficiency Of blood nour-
ishment weakens the moral power to resist
evil and develop good-in short. how the
mistaken woman who wears a garter will
end in physical, mental aud moral rain.
For garters, though they look harmless.
are precursors of disease, idiocy and
depravity. However, that wasn't
the reason fair women abandoned
them, but simply because she found out
that they spoiled the shapeliness aud sIop-
ing contour of her slender leg, and so she
was quite willing to be hygienic and fix up
a gearing that should fasten about her
waist, her neck, over her ears, anywhere
to save the ugly depressions made by the
tight elastic bands above or below her knee.
If the lady superintendent would present.
that idea to her girl pupils, according to
the improved FORMAL methods, illustrated
by object teaching, she would have no
| further trouble with the garter.
| And improvements have been made upon
the first stocking-supporter idea, until now
you can buy silken straps made up with
| solid silver catches and clasps and depend
ing from a satin girdle with solid silver
buckle, the whole arrangement tinted in
| palest helIotrope, rose, or turquoise.
| These solid silver clasps would IN Ike the
method a success if anything could, but
| there seems to be as much depravity lurking
| In the sterling fastenings as in those Of baser
metal, and they perversely slip Just at the
wrong instant. There's many a Waterloo in
girlhood for which the treacnery Of the gar
ter is responsible. And that dainty little
girdle, how it will slip and slide, and the
stocking with it, until the latter twists off
the knee entirely, just as inconsideratey as
the cheapest muslin band that was ever
constructed.
But philosophic woman, with the wise
reasoningHOf a Newton, hiss devised a
double barreled arrangement whose chief
ingenuity lies in its simplicity ard which
may be depended upon with the certainty
OF rain on moving day. She anchors the
| whole business to her corSets, and the
average womans corset though dreadfully
| loose, YOU lsnow-so loose that she can put
her two hands inside it without loosening
the strings-doesn't slip much. From the
button which secures il to the corset fall
OH If fhn haaN ell Ys,rk>1N -
lengths easily adjusted to the length of the
stocking, and to this strap buckles tape
| holding the fastener. Now, the point Of oil
is this: If one treacherous buckle slip, or
| wicked clasp loosen, or faithleSs strap sever,
there's the other, taut and trim, to do duty
in its place. Its like the fifth wheel to an
artillery wagon-aiways ready for an
emergency.
I A young woman had just returned to her
home in this city from Chicago. She went
alone; she came back accompanied by a st.
Bernard dog, for which fine kennel had TO
| be goG up at once; two in fact-one in the
house and the other in the yard, for there is
something peculiar about this dog. There
| isn't another like him in New York. There
| isn't another like him east of Chicago. 1t
isn't because OF his breed that he is so rare,
for there are probably dozens of st. Bernard
=, dogs Sprinkled along the way from nero TO
Chicago. It's his significance that makes
him unique. He is what is known in Chi
! cago as an engagement dog. For it doth
appear that ChicagJ, with her customary
foresight and enterprise, mas been able to
add not only something permanent to the
sentiment the world but also to tighten,
with delca blending Of sentiment and
business which is all her own, tho hard and
| heroic way that stretches before him WIN
| fears his fate too much.
This is they Ia which it is accomplished:
| When a young man fiads;himself irretriev-
ably entangled in the destinations of some
one of Chicago's generous hearted young
! ladies, before risking the chances of a re-
| fusal and thus lowering his stock, vita the
| fair coming on, he sends the young lady as
an indication of his z thering affection
dog. Literally he tries it on the dog, you
see. From the reception of his specimen
of regard" as Chicago young lady 70.
comfy put it--and from the treat
ment which it receives afterward from
the fair hands Of the recipient, hs is able to
cast for himself possible horoscope of his
future. If the young lady is seen to appear
on the promenade with the animal in her
arms OF prominently and proudly towed
alongside by chain, he goes on to hope
and finally to declare himself If. however
this messenger of cupid languisdes in his
kennel in the back yard, the young man
considers himself informed in tne rnoit deli
cate and C Jnslderate manner po sible, that
his attentions are not quoted at their par
value.
Fur was nsver more extensively used in
the trimming of gowns and coats than this
season. not only in bindings and bands,
cuffs and lapels but many dresses have
entira sleeves of fur as well as waistcoats,
and fur is applioued in as part of a wrought
or braided trimming with great richness OF
effect. Persian lamb and Astrakhnn lend
themseives very readily to this form OF
decoration, which, it is safe to prophesy,
will never become vulgar through
too great popularity, and are seen APP
pliqued in with threads and trac cries Of gold.
Even in ball dresses the fur is frequently
employed with remarkably beautiful
effect a border for the co:sage, enhanc-
ing the fairness Of the throat and bust.
Coats are usually bound rather than
trimmed with bands, and have distinctive
pieces Of fur like the liar or pocket lids.
Tho favorite arrangement in fur for the
neck IS tho crnvat introduced last winter,
made of the eatire SKIN of the animal, with
the head stuff ID and orna nented with
precious stones in the place OF ewes. They
were only seen in Russian sable last year,
but thew will be brought out this winter in
all kinds of fur, both light and dark, and
probably will be formidable rivals to the
feather boas little later in the season.