The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-08
COURTROOM COSTUMES.
rlno Clothes Employed to Influence tho
Judge and Jury.


Judge and Jury.
Although woman's gowns frequent
iy deserve md receive honorable men
ton, like n brand of bal<ing-powder Mt
u national exhibit. there are only three
times in her lifc-it may bs four if she
is Amcrican-when they ara entered
for the blue ribbon, says writer in the
New York Recorder. These arc i'm
portant occasions, and these gowns are
the result of anxious thought and la
borlous research In the fields of gown
literature. First, the dress she wears
us dcbutantc; secondly, the wedding
gown. The third gown is worn by tho
young mother when she receives the
relatives and friends who have como to
offer their congratulations to her and
their gifts to her firstborn child. De-
hutantc, bride and mother! a woman
may be all these, and in America she
frequently is something morc-n di-
vorcec. Here irocl1s arc not unimpor-
tant factors, and nm irrcsistibly re-
minded of n trunkful of dresses l saw
last week which arc toplny IL prominent
part in big divorce case soon.
What IL heap of pretty frocks,"
said.
Yes" my friend replied Horribly
expensive, and 1 couldn't we'll afford
them, either, but business is business,
you know, these arc my stock In trade
They're very sympathetic gowns, must
say. The designer caught my eye per-
fcctly."
Sympathetic gowns! Stock In trade.
What do you mean?" gaspcd.
What do mean? Why, stupid, these
are to wear at the trial.
"Oh, dear me. All thosc!"
eyes, all those. Now, here's this
black one" said she, talking like Rosina
Volscs in one of her soliloquics. II
shall wear this the first day 1t mikes
me look pale, and has n crapy, mourn
full air about it that will make favor
able first impression on the court
wish them TO understand that the de-
PENDANT has wrecked my young life.
See?
"Wcll, this rcd gown! Doesn't this
bristlc all over with determination?
Isn't win or die fiuttering from every
fold? I shall wear this the day we
mako the biggest fight 1t looks so az
grcssive.
Now here's this white cloth Very
simple, you observe. Silver girdlc
Broad hat with feathers. Fluffy boa
Sweet simplicity. Girlish. loneliness
That's for the day my counsel sums up.
That gruy-sad, dovc-colored, Ouale-
crish looking. shall wear that-with
tears-in case we seem to be getting
beaten.
This is n brown cloth to wear upon
all the common, ordinary occasions It
is made in u sensible way, with this
business-lilSe jacket. There is set OF
silver tablets goes with it, also vinai-
grcttc. The tablets for any rand ON
ideas might have which should be in
stantly jotted down, the vinnigrette in
case should faint. 1t may be necessary
to faint, you know. Some Judges ure so
obduratc.
This notebook fancy will make o
great hit with the jury. Yes, it did
cost pretty penny, but l hope the ro-
suits will more than compensate for the
outlay.
"You see, one of Tcds strong points
of defense is that was so cxtravagant
he couldn't stand it. The idea! Well,
now, any jury of average intelligence
seeing me with this little book will
say: Dear me! She couldn't be SO aw-
fully cXtravagant Such methodical
business-lillc habits don't go with ex-
tvagancc. No, indeedr
'Thats what the jury will say, and
shall come out with flying colors and
victory pcrched upon my banners. And
why? Well, of course. the fact that my
side is right and Ted's is wrong has
something to do with 1t. but chiefly,
my dear, chiefly because of my gowns
"Thc jury won't know It; the Judge
won't know it. When did man know
anything about n woman or her strate-
gies? And, between you and me, the
less they know the better. What they
don't know won't hurt them. and it Is
really. selfish of woman to worry q
man with trivial matters when he has
such grave and important cases on his
mind.
Going? Well wish me luck with
my gowns. This is my way Of casting
bread upon the waters"