The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-20
HER FIRST sUsPENDEas.
Francesca Wears Them and Comes to
Grief
From the Boston Globe.


So 1t has come.
Whatl
The wearing o'-not the green; women
have worn green for cycle OF seasons
this time 1t is suspenderS.
Suspenders Not hose suspenders, nor
suspenders Of any other kind whatsoever;
but the regulation over-the- shoulder sort
that in all previous ages have been the sole
properly Of men.
Francesca always said she didn't want the
earth, a I'd after she had taken advantage
Of all the 90 .cessions made by Mrs. Grundy
to the dress reformers and improvers, she
counted herself satisfied with femnin
fashions.
II any one had told her last Fourth of
July, or even up to last st. Patrlcks day,
that before the June roses were il blow she
would ue coveti ,g pair of suspsndsrs-
heaven forgive the fashion she would have
laughed to scorn the accusation.
She has bean laughing as it is, but the
laugh, 20 quote the old wives. has been ION
the other side Of her mouth"
Whom first she saw fascinatingly dis
played in the show window OF big shop a
jaunty bell skirt and natty silken bodice
cemented in one bond, as it were. by fac
simils Of the article with which men have
been wont to keep portion Of their attire
from falling off, she lsmeuted the sterility
of feminine invention and the frank imita-
periority OF invention.
But the effect OF dress skirt, being
mounted trousers fashion, was novel at
first, and Franoesca paused to contemplate
the mode-merely TO contemplate it, UNDER
stand.
Twas ever thus.
Having hesitated she was lost-iost to all
sensitiveheSs over following so openly in
maa's footsteps, lost to the possible indeli-
cacy of wearing, in the face and eyes of
everybody, the hanRi machinery which
man has always had the grace to conceal.
Well, Francesca invested some of her
shining sheksls in pair of suspende-s.
1t vas the case OF. the house that Jack
built-ths toilet that started with those
seemingly innocent straps set of with
buckle or 80.
Before Francesca got through shopping
| the suspenders led down to a bran new UNI
| brella extension skirt and up to fiue new
| blazer and this accession Of splendor made
| a new chapeau thing of necessity, whether
it was one OF beauty or not. and couple of
| orange leather shoes simply de rigeur.
Having got something new to put on, and
| being feminine, there is scarce need to tell
| FranceSca's next move.
OF course, she arrayed herself In her finerv
| and set out 20 see the world. or such portion
! OF it as could be comprised between lunch-
con and dinner.
1t was a July sun out of it's reckoning and
fallen into May afternoon that sla ted
| down upon that bit OF turban and the
feather and the lace, and the ribbon bow
upon it, and incidentally upon those sus-
| penders.
For, it being a stmmer-heated day, the
| cusaway coat had TO come off aud-well,
| Just at first Francesca had a feeling that
she would match with confidence against
! the sensations OF a man who is caught by
| company with his coat OFT.
But this shirt- sleevy feeling, SO to speak,
| wore away, and by the time the various
washout and turnouts and tearups per-
| United her pc sonally and electrically con-
Quoted vehicle to get downtown, Francesca
| had forgotten her suspenders, and was
| thinking only the thoughts currently be-
lleved to be carefully pigeoned-holed in that
| upper realm where all good Bostoniaus'
minds do dwell
But this is true story, and the conductor
| OF that cac will testify that when Francesca
caught her foot in the silken balayeuse ia
miliarly named mud ruffie) Of that blue
serge SKIRT and came near falling Off the
| platform, and did q pitching upon the
BISON Of the ct ut party who was trying to
| get on board, she said something under her
| breath that as very mundane.
That dust rutfie episode made her con-
scious Of her clothes, which An lie Jenness-
| Miller says no woman should ever be- and
| it did not adj 10 Francesca's equanimity to
lind she was bel g stared at.
was that rutfls trailing its slow lengthl
No, not that. Ali Her suspenders /!
People were looking at her suspenders.
| They continu d to look at them, and they
began to grow positively heavy the sus-
penders, not the people,. although the peo-
pie weighed upon p or F.'s mind.
Those suspenders!
How did they aotl They slipped off one
shoulder and then Off the other, and what
with clutchiug hrst at one strap and then
at its mate, balancing the tail OF her kite
| pardon, her bell skirt-in such wise as TO
keep above the inch-deep Dust and below
the tops of her CATERS looking out for her
coat and her purse, for pockets don't go With
bell skirts, and so forth aud so on-she
wished she could sew on those suspenders-
Francesca found her lot anything but a
| happy one.
And people did stare SO; that was worse
than anything else.
20, woe" was all the refrain abe could
hu to the hand organ which was playing
John and Mary block away
They had looked so small in the shop
window and they acted so now they were
out.
That was the suspenderA
| What was to be done1
] Francesca refused herself the right to