St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-16
SAINT PAUL.
FEMININE FANCIEs.

Six weeks ago, at card party given
by well known society young lady to
about thirty of her friends, there oc-
Cured conversation relative to the
merits as an article of dress OF the
much-discussed divided skirt. 1t began
at one table between visiting Chicago
belle and her viS-a-viS, and, progressing
with the game, spread to the entlre
eight tables. The Chicago young lady
was very severe IN her condemnation OF
ANYTHING so immodest as the style OF
dress under discussion, and declared
that, aside from the immodesty OF the
exhibition, every woman would look
fright i'm such a costume. A we'll known
St. Paul girl, famed for the strength OF
her opinions, as well as for her great
personal attractivenesS, took up the
cudgels in defense of the division, and
argued well. This sort of thing was
kent I'D until another damsel chimed IN
with the suggestion that the parties to
the argument should play cinch, best
three in five games, the loser to wear
divided costume exclusively for one
month. ri.
Both the disputants are expert card
PLAYERS, and each thought herself able
to beat the other. After moments
hesitation the st. Anthony hill belle
agreed to the proposition. 1t looked
like a bluff, and the maid from the
Windy City determined to call it. She
had reckoned without her host, now
ever, for the other refused to retreat
from her position, and the game was
begun. Miss st. Anthony won the first
game easily, and began to look conf
dent. while a look of cOmical dlSmay
overspread the countenance of her adj
versary. The next game fell to the lady
from the lake shore, and things were
equal again. Now came the decisive
game. Each girl played her best. and
in the beginning the ST. Paulite had the
best of it. Later, however, the cards
turned ChicagowardS, and the VISITOR
went out an easy winner. The battle
caused a good deal of amusement, and
was regarded as Joke by all present.
except the contestants, who were IN
dead earnest, as events have proved.
A few days later the fair loser of the
queer forfeit appeared on parade with
bewitchingly pretty costume OF some
soft dark material. The skirt was
formed in all in6nity of putfery and
artistic gathering, and, in fact, the dress
WAS lllc VI ltt ~ W.
Still that style of dress is not fashion
able lust now, and the critics wondered
that She, the most precise of her circle
in matters of dress, should appear In 1T.
The secret is known only to those who
witnessed the game of cinch, and the
lady from Chicago smiles contentedlY
to think that she escaped, for but few
women could wear the dress with the
grace and elegance of the conscientious
little lady who is now working out her
debt of honor in that inyisibly divided
skirt.
There has been in the last twelve
months remarkable Increase In the
number of women who take their mid
day luncheon down town. This fact is
doubtless due to the rapid increase III
the number of the sex in all kinds OF
employment. The sphere of feminine
usefulness is being constantly increased
in quarters where ten years ago a
Woman's presence would have excited
curiosity. The retail stores and many
of the Wholesale houses literally TEEN
with girls, and many of these reside so
far from the scene of their daily labor
as to render a journey home in the mid
die of the day entirely impractIcable.
The proprietorS of the downtown
restaurants have come to regard their
female patrons as animportant element,
and special pains are taken to cater
to the fair lunchers and their
feminine fads. While women are not
all light eaters, most of them are partial
to dainty dishes. Where man would
order a. porterhouse and mushrooms, a
woman would call for a chicken patty
or wing. Each girl belongs to eoterie
IF Ior falInNr xUnrlyarc N tho 0ifU yNhO
meet at the same restaurant and lunch
together each day. These lunch. par
ties are quite pleasurable feature of
everyday existence in the city, and all
the best cafes have their special corner
for these parties.