The Faulkland quiz., 1892-06-25
TRAILING SKIRTS.

L wonder. says writer IN HarpeT's
Basdar, If there is ever a woman
who is oliged to walk about in wet
weather who in her secret heart does
not rebel against the damp and mud.
bedraggled skirts that she is forced to
carry around with her.
We have observed all sorts of odd
designs and models for improved
garments. The ii, and intention OF
most of these is excellent, but the re.
suit is not exactly successful. They
are usually undeniably ugly, and tns
average woman will have nothing to do
with thpms But Is therS<ot sopaethine
that we'caa do? What5 glorions thing
it wonld be if we all would look back
for little while to the days when our
skirts reached only to our boot-tops,
and remembering the freedom and
ease Of movement then possible, and
how prisoned and confined we felt in
our first long frocks, would cease rack
ing our brains and straining our fan
cies in designing long. hideous, flap
ping s.trouserettes' or s'divided
skirts, !" simply sit down instead, cut of
few superfuous inches from the bot
tom of our skirts, put ON pair of leg
gings or high boots, and be happy.
Ii our modern dress reformers were
wise in their generation, they would
make friend and ally of Dame ash
ion. She is an adversary not to be
despised, and they should propitiate
her in every possible and reasonable
way. There are many useful lessons
that they might learn Of her as to the
manner in which it is possible to bring
about successfully any contemplated
change in dress. One of the most
important of these lessons is that OF
the way in which she gradually famil-
iarizes the eyes OF her followers with
her various extremes, instead of trying
to force them upon her votaries at
unce, and IN their entirety. Why can
not we get short skirts in that way?
Some years ago Lady Florence Dixie
proposed costume desirable, not only
ON account of its comfort and grace and
picturesque beauty, which are among
its possibilities, but because 1t is SO
easily attainable; the battle in its favor
is already half won, and, quite recently,
Miss Mary f. Seymour has been advo-
eating very similar style of dress.
The principal feature of both of these
reform gowns Is the short skirt. Lady
Florence Dixie's ideal dress consists OF
a flannel shirt, knickerbockers, kilt,
and loose jacket; the skirt of Miss
Seymour is plain or killed, as one pre-
fers, and the waist is made in any style
that is comfortable and becoming, and
is supplied with plenty of pocketsi
with both, long leggin 9 are To- b.
worn. Already such a ac5stume is worhl
as mountain dress and by many wo-
men who ish-ori hunt, and few boider
spirits are trying to bring it into the
cities as rainy-day dress all the year
round. The boating dress, the bathing
dress, the tennis dress, the bicycle
dress, the gymnasium dress are all de-,
partures from the everyday standard
in this direction. All practical and ac-
cepted efforts toward the freedom to
be obtained by the wearing Of less
hampering garments seem to tend hisu
way. The shirt waist and the loI
jacket, in the form of serge or fan
blazer, are already ''good form" foI
street or trave ling gown. although
short skirts that accompany then
the country have not yet ventured
town. Comfort can be had W
sacrificing either modesty or grad
Chill is about completing the highest
railroad in the world. This is the
Transandean Railway, which croaass
the Andes at Cumbre Pass, where taers
will be tunnel little over thfea
miles In length at an elevation Of TO-
450 feet above sea level, Tbs pass