The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-07-09
AS TO BUSINESS WOMEN.
SHALL THEY WEAR A DISTINGUISH
ING STYLE OF DRESSf

copyright, 1891, by American Press Associa,.
ton.
what do you think of the proposal to
invent distinctive dress for business
women? Would you wear it?"
ooh, / won't commit myself. I'll wait
and see what it is first" was the laugh
ing reply.
eyes; there is proverb about taking
horse to water. l should certainly re-
bel at a divided skirt"
We were in a down town restaurant
in New York where there are "tables
reserved for ladies, and where hundreds
of business women take their lunch every
day-a good place to observe the charac-
teristics of the species, in dress and other
matters.
A glance around the room inclines one
to believe that business women are not
particularly different from other women.
Colonel Tredennis might have picked
out "the woman who supports her fam
lily on her salary and the one who buys
her ribbons with it," but as rule they
do not acquire any of what George Eliot
calls "epicene queernesses," and they APP
pear to dress in good taste and to like
pretty things when they can get them as
well as other people
And why not2 Pm sure the business
woman needs them quite as much. Her
surroundings are not generally festive,
and are often gloomy and ugly, and she
cannot take it out in looking at other
peoples pretty things, as saleswoman
might, since her work generally takes
her among the half of humanity that is
doomed to cropped heads, stiff collars
and derby hats
ut strikes me" says Prima, stirring
her chocolate, "that the light of nature
is as likely to dictate sensible dress to a
business woman as to any one else"
eyes" says Secunda, "but if they
could invent something to keep the mud
off ones skirts, for one should be CRATE
full. 1t hasn't been so bad this season,
but do you remember last, when it rain
ed every day? How sick and tired /
used to get brushing mud off my skirts
I'm sure ! carried home enough to make
IL small farm, and when | reflect that
real estate in this part Of the city is al
most worth the gold that would cover it,
/ have an underlined feeling that ought
to be richer than am"
But, my dear, why can't you hold up
your dress?"
II don't know why, but can't Some
people have gift that way-I haven't.
And then it is such bother to carry a
waterproof and rubbers when it isn't
raining that often go without them and
run the risk of being caught"
"Then what you want is a rainy day
bag. Any one who has had pair o.
muddy rubbers on her hands to gel
home when it has cleared up in the af
ternoon would appreciate this. TIL,
pockets you get with rubber cloaks are
not big or durable enough, and, oddly
they generally come with the cheal
ones, not with the good, but these lattel
commonly have hood, which you hav,
probably discarded as absurd TAX
this and rip it up, or cut it close to tn,
seams, and you get yard of striped
rubber cloth to match your cloak Max
bag about twelve inches square. Pu
piece of black ribbon or silk across tn
top for finish and to put casing in
Put strings of cord or narrow ribbon
When you want to dispose of your rub
bers it is such comfort to pop then
into this and roll them up, instead of al
awkward parcel with two or three thick
nesses of paper. Ordinarily you keep i
packed with your rubbers and cloak
your elastic strap and some safety pin
to hold up your dress evenly, and
thick veil On threatening mornin
all you have to do is to slip it over you
arm and it leaves your hands free, fo
there is room to crowd in a book or pal
Gel. hate to carry things in my hands.
But, pray interrupts Tertia, "doe
this remarkable bag hold your umbrell
into the bargain"
mot quite, but have chain for m
umbrella and it hangs from my belt,
carry a small one, for, after all, an un
brella only keeps your hat dry"
"Well, for my part wouldn't give
fig for waterproof. | think they al
hot in summer and cold in winter, an
clumsy always. Stormy weather is ger
orally cool enough to make an ulstt
comfortable. pin my skirt up undo
my ulster, and my ankles are still veile
from vulgar eyes.
Somebody explains, speaking of elast
straps, that they are no good if they al
loose. Three-quarters Of yard is gel
orally enough, of stout, inch elasti
Have it well up, not down around IL
knees; pull the skirt through evenly an
pin it tc,be fiat.
There is great comfort in an exit
pocket or two. This sounds impossib
to people who are contented to go wit
out any; but make up your mind
have them, possible or not, and SER
notice ON your dressmaker to that effec
Have pockets in your understands at al
rate, and you can carry your oversize
in these if you are despiser of waite
proofs.
By many business women sateen
voted the dress par excellence for sui
mer wear. 1t is delightfully."- cool al
light, sheds the dust and makes up in
wonderfully pretty costumes witho
being too dressy. Another material tn
possibly outranks it is " at was afol
time known as debeige. | suppose t