The Washington critic., 1890-02-08

From the side seams of the bodice
under each arm comes a quaint zigzag
design in silver thread In an irregular
design like forked lightning, making a
sort of half belt across the waist, fas-
tened by silver clasp set with pearls
and fine diamond clippings. There
are pins to match of pearls and dia-
monds thrust through the low knot of
brown hair, and fan is carried of slender
silver leaves in filligree powdered with
sparkling diamond dust. On one wrist
is quaint massive. looking bracelet of
silver set with rough pearls and amply
displayed below the lace ruffles of the
elbow sleeves. The gloves are silver
gray. The woman is 30, possibly, and
has the slow grace of one who has seen
good deal Of the world and on the
whole has not found 1t pay. She
stands before the cheval glass surveying
her tall figure with cold scrutiny, then
she glances idly at the other women
about her, touches lace handkerchief
to her lips and turns to descend the
stairs.
Her place is taken by petite bru.
nette in very bright Roman red ben
galine, who touches her band and
smooths down her draperies like a
twitteriug canary, if canaries were ever
red instead of yellow. Her full round
skirts just touch the floor and her
bodice is plated full on each shoulder
and crossed at the waist, under Span
ish girdlc of black velvet worked with
jet and finished with fringe of glitter
ing jet beads. Her sleeves are close
from the elbows downward, but ar
ranged in soft puffs high and full or
the shoulders. She tiptoes and tilts and
turns and twists, smooths out wrinkle
and pats fold, and all the time ovel
her shoulder the glass reflects another
figure, figure in bonnet so pretty
that it's sure not to be removed.
It's simple enough little toque In
silver blue lissc. with the brim raised d
between it and the hair filled in with
soft gauzc. There is no trimming bu
a little posy of yellow and white hya
cinths, one spray of which falls for
ward over the hair.
Here's another figure in a trained
costume of pale silver gray silk, with
touches about it of white and yellow.
And another in dark blue and gold bro.
cade, as rich in texture as severely sim
pie in outline. Another in golden
olive silk, decorated with pendants in
real silver and bronze, in designs of old
coins. And another in Russian green
and silver Louis XIV. brocade, between
the long straight breadths of which {
lace petticoat flutters. Each woman
as she throws off her wrap, glances, be
fore stepping up to the mirror, at th,
costumes of the other women.
These wraps, by the way, are a:
costly as the gowns. Here comes {
girl with the long fingers and dreamy
eyes that might have belonged to ar
artist ii they hadn't belonged to one o.
the 400 She wears pelerine of cop
per-colored velvet lined with yellow
1t has hood and a Medici collar an(
three capes in front edged with yellow
cord. En- suite with this is her hat, {
very soft copper felt with wide brin
turned up on one side and running
over with black ostrich feathers shad
ing off at the tips to yellow. Anothe
rich cloak is made of chocolate coloret
velvet lined with old rose and trimmed
with black, long haired fur.
A PRETTY HAT.
Rather a pretty hat is Just being lifted
from rather pretty head. 1t is sag,
green felt with no garniture but on
long, magnificently heavy sage greer
ostrich plume limiting here and there o
yellow. A summely. looking capot il
woven of mignonette and scrap 0
ribbon.
| Below stairs the air is heavy with per
| f,tv, hn snh& FalI
flower. shaded candles. Listen, what
Babel of noise, and nobody is sayinl
anything interesting. To talk enter
tainingly at o'clock, where you NEE
stranger after stranger, at five.minut
intervals, is more of tax on wit anl
wisdom than the conversational abilitie
of one woman in 200 can respond to
1t is not talking; it is shrieking to max
ones self heard above a din. 1t
screaming your opinion of the weathe
and you yes or mo" to the querr
whether you have or have not hear
the last musical or dramatic celebrity
But the tea is served in almost price
less egg-shell china and the passing au
Tepassing of richly-gowned wome
make picture for the eyes. The hos
ess wears yellow silk, with ope
throat, draped with black lace, and b
her side stands young bride whom sh
is introducing, and who wears a whit
crepe dc chine sprayed with gold, wit
a Greek scarf arranged over the bodiC
and falling upon the draperies. Ell
your cake when 1t is passed to yol
look at the roses on that bonnet an
don't listen when the music begins;
isn't fashionable. Talk louder, If po
, sible ELLEN OSBORN.
copyrighted.