The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-19
LITTLE LAsslEs OF TODAY.

How Much More Picturesquely They
Dress han the GirlSSof Years Ago,
1t happened lately that some women's
talk fell upon chi dren and their garments,
says the New York Recorder Said the
youngest of the five: 81 never see little
Kate Greenaway girl, with her short
wasted long gown almost tripping her at
each step and her little flower face nodding
flower wise with the weight of her big hat,
but l want to be G fairy godmother and
give her wings or coach. She is so
picturesque would not be without her like
for the world, but the dear little tots must
find their picturesqueness burden.
Speaking of children's attire" said an.
other woman, "pantalettes were the bane
of my youth. My invalid mother never
left her bed, and my elder sister felt that
our gentility hinged on the starch and spot
lessness of my neither garments. She gave
her whole mind and much of her spare time
to embroidering them in elaborate opens
work patterns. Three clean pairs a week
was my allowance. and with it | was ex-
pected to be always spick and span. We had
a great deal of company, and if had not
been on view there would have been O
pretty row in the neighborhood over that
poor neglected child My frocks were of
print, low-necked and short-sleeved, with
belts that made life torture, and full skirts
ending half way between ankle and knee.
After them the deluge-otherwise my
pantalettes of white linen, wide, stiffly
starched and coming quite TO the instep.
l.
The little maid Of 81
Has just the "bestest'' kind of fun.
She trips around in greatest gee.
From top to toe dressed gracefully.
o. the little mail of 81
Just carries off the sweetest bun.
II.
There's another I'd have you know
Who fiourished thirty years ago;
With stiff curls fixed in primmest sets,
With hOmely gowns and pantalettes
The little girl of '6l,
She couldn't even reach the bun.
"Then. too. l lad long curs tumbling
over my shoulders, and was expected never
to go outdoors without wooden gloves and
deep sun-bonnet. Add that | was born
tomboy, whose soul yearned to go fishing,
swimming, hunting, 70 ride the colts bare
back in tue pasture of saplings on the hill
side; that all the apple and peach and cherry
trees invited me TO climb them, to say moth
ing OF walnuts and chestnuts in the fall !;
that to wade through dewy knee-high grass
was to me simply heaven; that all my stock
ings were white and my shoes low-cut
bronze you can have some idea of what
endured
A beautiful white-haired lady took up
the discourse, saying: when | was lit
tie girl, many years ago, we wore panta-
lettes of the same stuff as our frocks. | had
a pair to match every dress. They were
wide and full, and tied on above the knees
as stockings are gartered nowadays.
Drawers, nobody wore them-at least
not in the inland states, where every bit of
cloth not spun and woven at home had to
be hauled in wagons from the seaboard and
fba mountains at lAaSt Hl0 milQg
Clothes were clothes then, and il you had
two store frocks season you were exceed
ingly lucky.
"How we would laugh at them now! NV
| dress was white embroidered muslin, high
necked with short sleeves and enormously
| full in the skirt. Indeed, it stood out al
most like ballet dancers, for, besides their
own stiffness, l wore under it three petit
| coats, starched and dried over barrel TO
| insure their standing out properly. Under
! them wore pan alettes of the same en-
broidered muslin. tied on with green ribbons,
! though the ties did not show. l had green
sash, green parasol, and thimble-crowned
Navarino bonnet, strimmed with white
locust blossoms and green ribbon. When
my father saw me on Dolly Madison's back,
am sure Queen Victoria in her coronation
robe never felt so fine. then went to q
| camp meeting.
1.-THE meeting was a great success-dinner
| on the ground, two sermons and big crowd.
! After it we set off for home at a great pace.
| About half way there came up a thunder
shower that drenched US in inside OF three
minutes The drops were as big as walnuts
and came thicker than your lugers. They
| made me a sorry sight. Navarino bonnets
were paDer printed In imitation Of Leghorn.
| Mine melted. and came tumblng in a ring
/ about my neck. Green streams from sash
and parasol stained my white gowns. my
wkiter petticoats and egea my white cloak
stockings aud low prunefla shoes. While
! live shall remember how felt, and how.
/ as my father lifted me down, be said
cbeerily:
"'Msli. little daughter, pride always has
a fall"