The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-02-19
LITERARY WOMEN WHO DRESS WELL
Writers Resent the Assertion That Lit
erature Makes Them Careless.

Writers Resent the Assertion That Lit
erature Makes Them Careless.
There was meeting in the Woman's
Press club the other day, and naturally
the question of woman's dress came up.
One of the ladies complained that some
one else had ungallantly said that wom-
en- writers as Il rule were the worst
dressed women in the world! The APP
pearance Of the ladies present, however,
proved that the contrary was true.
There was long discussion, of course
informally, upon the subject by few
members who sat in one corner of the
club room and slipped tea. A dashing
little blond, who is well known on
Newspaper row, tossed her pretty head,
and then surveyed her own pretty gown
with satisfied sort of air. A woman
who has the face and form of Juno de-
clined to even consider the subject,
while all the others sneered at the writer
Of the rude paragraph, looked at them
selves complacently, slipped their tea and
-chattered!
To be perfectly frank, however, women
who make living by their pens are, as
a rule, pretty and well dressed. Take
for example Mrs. Frances Hodgson Bur-
nett. The author of Little Lord Faunt-
leroy" has superb taste in dressing. Her
gowns are original and depart in style
from the conventional, but they become
her. and that is the true art of dressing.
saw her once in gown that was some
thing between a Mother Hubbard and a
Greek tunic. Not every woman could
beautiful drapery.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox never wears a
tailor made suit, but invariably enrobes
herself in a loose, flowing gown, that
gracefully Grapes her short, plump fig
ure. At the opera have seen her wear
a V shaped corsage, cut moderately low
at the neck, and looking better dressed
than the wives of many millionaires in
the surrounding boxes. Take Elita
Proctor Otis, who is as clever Il writer as
she is an actress. No one has ever seen
her unless she was attired in the most
becoming Of costumes. She is remark
ably handsome woman, and she is too
wise, and too busy also, to spend much
time on dress, but her gowns are the
envy of all her women friends. Her
dressmaker is a jewel indeed. Nine.
Clara LAMA has excellent Judgment,
especially in dressing. She wears ex-
quisite dresses.
Jennie June Mrs. Croly) is not much
on dress, but that may be because she
has arrived at that age when a plain
gown becomes her best. Laura Daintry
has a highly aesthetic way of costuming
herself that may look a little queer at
first, but after you come to know her
you get used to her innovations in dress
and cannot imagine her as ever dressing
differently. Mrs. Wetmore, nee Bisland,
is noted for her modest and becoming
way Of dressing. She is beautiful and
everything she wears has an artistic set
ting that only enhances her good looks.
Amelie Rives Chanler is inclined to
drape in flowing robes, but she knows
how to dress well. Mrs. Custer, widow
of the gallant Custer, is certainly neat
in dress; Mrs. Serrano, who translated
Marie Bashkirtseff's diary, has French
chic in dressing that is decidedly hand
some; Mrs. Louise Chandler Moulton is
incompatible in evening attire, and Mrs.
Frank Leslie Wilde is noted for her SUI
perb gowns.
There are few better dressed women
in New York than "Bab." Mrs. Annie
Jenness Miller is noted for her fine cos
tunes. Miss Mary f. Seymour always
dresses richly and in good taste. Mrs.
Julia Hayes Percy is as dashing and
well dressed as any woman need care to
be. Mrs. Fannie B. Merrill's gowns are
OF rich material and fit perfectly.
There are others, too-a long list, in
deed-that would include Laura Gid
dings, Mrs. Maude Howe Elliott, Mrs.
A. ID. T. Whitney, Sarah Orme Jewett,
Mrs. Burton Harrison, the widow of
Admiral Dahlgren, Miss Molly Elliott
Seawell, Mrs. Alexander, Margaret Sang
ster, Julia Magruder, and-well, others
too numerous to mention. The ladies
here named not only dress we'll, but they
are without exception as beautiful as
they are talented. Foster Coates in New
York Mail and Express.