New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-16
HOME AND SOCIETY
NOTES FOR WOMEN.

he average small retail shopkeepcr, fully believing
ev.th Barnum that the American public willing to
kav To be humbuggcds is making the most he can out
& the tariff or. rather out OF his customers ignorance
81 me tariff There is probably nothing sold under the
sun In ash aesh fowl. vegetables for the table. the
clothing we wear or the furniture Of our houses en-
which some tradesman has not attempted to extort
bew more pence In the name OF the tariff bugaboo. VI
felt indignant said old housekeepcr the other day'
when ] found my fisrmonger had raised his priers'
and he began to mutter something about the tariI.
u hope you don't import your fresh fish, answered.
hut have no doubt that fellow charged his next Gus
toner II she looked chdlike and bland, cents ezoS
pound because Of the tariff on Long Island Souiu
blucfsh.'
The greatest trouble in this matter is the comp,0o
ignorance Of the average woman shopper as to wna'
affected By the tarin what changes have been '"'
In this ignorance the average dealer has supreo .u
Science, though he sometimes meets with paniui 'n ~.
prises, salesman Of responsible piano MUS ..
not long since, when he urged a wealthy cas'ou'e. ~
complete her negotiations for an expensive lns1n
ment on the ground that sit would cost SIoo no0
hext week ON account Of the tariff by 'no'c W." =,
will not cannot read the tarin unders"n''me-'
should be remembered that the duty IS TAKEN =" '
things, and that where it Is raised u VIII o'N o." .
few cents on the dollar. The percentage % "''
not estimated on the price Of goods as tney ao m
in this market but on the price paid for the' III Du
a. the factory or elsewhere in the distant coui'rs
where they are bought To this is added INC pri00
transportation the profit Of the wholesalensn o,' VI
tho middeman and finally the pront OF inc ie's. A'
(which ell 20 b. make up the retah pr''o' ~
comes about that mating which re'ils aV ~ 'o"''
a yard and under the new tariff is put on .he INV
fist, is only cents yard cheaper ''ous" '''o ,o
tariff 30 Der cent or oneffth Its cost bas tDeoh
removed The American tradesman too often exhibits
a strong tendency to take yard profit II he Is gwen
an inch Of excuse for doing So Ihere wouIo oe no'
The slightest complaint OF the tarfb among ietau
BUYERS IL shops would treat their customers fairy ana
not take advantage of ne moment to raise ther goods
two or three times much the tariff raises them.
OF course competition must soon set Things right
In the meantime wise shoppers will wait wherever they
find goods raised appreciaby unless they are In pres
emit need they may be sure that the shops VIII re
cover soon from their tariff fever
A great deal has been said about the high tarih
which has been placed on household nnens' anu ho
noubt housekeepcrs have imagined that tere was
an immense rise in all linen goods. At such mo-
nen. II is pleasant to hear to the contrary from one
of our merchants who must be regarded as the highest
authority on linens. Mr.. James L. McCutcheon sald
ecantly in conversation with the representative OF Inc
rribune The amendment to the Mckinley Dill passeu
IN The interest of the Troy shirt and collar peopic
has virtually included all linen goods, except inc
coarser grades. This amendment e1empts all linen
ds of over 100 threads to the square inch from the
n dozen at exactly the price they were towers
worth SO dozen and under are raised 10 per cent
No table damask worth az or 30 cents yaru Is
raised BY the tariff. The cheaper grades winch arc
sold at these prices and under are raised ~ Per
Ten quarter linen shecngs, which sell at " ya"' arc
in some cases affected by the tariff and In some cases
remain they are; 1t depends upon "e'e"'' '
finer sheetings are ahected"
Handkerchiefs have been advanced IL per cent IN
price under the clause advancing hemsutcheo anu
embroidered handkerchiefs. So that hanohechici
which have been sold at SO dozen viii cost ~ 40 .
Dozen and a handkerchief sold at S6 now costs % w
under the new rate. Hemsttched linen Sheets shans
and pillow cases remain at the SAME price theS "ero'
unless they of grade not exempt as linen ol only
400 threads to the square inch or under.
In order 10 be really what the French call chc,' it
nppears that nowadays one must be as Russian as
,.c,ssible, This craze began in Paris with the I'M
nor+ation frpm Petersburg of what is called Czartna
underwear This new and costly Lingerie IS MADE
of the finest batise, buttonhOled with pure god
thread which washes without getting tarnished' bed
Inen end table linen also made in this way, wl1h
road monograms embroidered in the middle OF Dhe
piIlow-cases on the upper edge of the sheet and on
the ta3ecoths and napkins. Breakfast and afternoon
tea cloths are composed almost entirely OF Russian
lace embroidered in blue and red with heavy Grim
son silk lining
Another Muscovte innovation are the tissues manu-
Yactuea from the fbres of peculiar faDdrous stone
nom the Siberian Mines This stone is dovecolo9ed,
gerry brilliant and satn-like in texture. BY some
Unknown process il is shredded and spun into fabric
which although soft TO the touol and as plable as SILK,
is of 80 resisting a nature that 1t never wears OUT.
When dirty il is thrown into the fire and when reoio'
plunged into cold water, whence it energies absolutely
rlean and ready for use.
In the chateaus during the hunting season the table
Is now set for dinner in Russian STYLE The paoes
and dishes are Tolsk pottery, namely not decorsted
with fat painting like dinner sets generally are
but ornamented with figures and designs executed IN
coloed relief resembling In cruder way the Bernard
de Palsy genre. The wines are served IN superb
ewers of niello silver enriched with raised ornaments IN
bold relief and the spoons knives. forks, salt cellars
etc etc are OF Tula silverware. The tumblers and
wine glasses are of that peculiar Opaque glass gen.
orally known as "schmelz,' Russian "schneiz"-that
is to say in mixture Of shot sea green and purple
and the Iqueur sets Of mosaic crystal studoeo
with turQuoiscs, lapis lazu and malachite For theS
dinners flowers not arranged In the Ordinary way
hut a low ardiniere of Labrador anoher Russian stoiie
of soft gray tint with blue and silver simmer rraa
terefrom, occupies the centre Of the table In THIS
are planted Russian vioets, leaves, blossoms Duds
and all intermingled with a Queerl0oklng feathery
specics of dwarf reed which grows on the steppes OF
the Ukraine. on a side table, covered with thick!
cmbrSdered oolored CLOTH disposed piles Of caviar
sandwiches picked serlet barch IA clear soup made
~ tse4roots and hops), served in lula cups big
walden bowls heaped with walnuts AMI rosy checked
sun,es and bottles Of kwsss native beer and kumme
when the guests enter the diningroom they gather a.
&c done IN Russia, around this table and make their
choice from these various appetizers So completely
have Muscovte fashions been adopted in France that OIL
the arrival at the chateau OF new guest 'e most ano
o,ass meet him ON the steps leading to the great hall
holding in their hands gold plate with the traditional
bread and SALT in sign of welcome and hospitality
Nay Partisan elegsntes have gone so far as to discard
the crucixes of their oratories TO replace them by
Russian Tcones or images Of saints painted on golc
ground or made Of champlere" ana translucent
cnspels, before which gold lamp is always burning
n the acme of Russian elegance is TO be attained
The walls of bedrooms libraries. halls and passages
should be hung with or less costly cioth OF goio
and silver like that used for the ecclesiastical vest
ment Of the orthodox Church with various aAaptato
Of the Christian symbol bTocaded thereon OF isiihs
,,s amir iderad cotton stufs of red yellowsh tint
.aa L.