Morning journal and courier., 1893-02-18

seems to be the rule of the manufacturer,
 and both designers and dyers exercise
 wonderful ingenuity in inventing and
 combining all shapes and hues that nature exhibits or suggests.
 Even laces this season are to glow with color. Black laces are jetted, beaded in colors and threaded through with gold. many of the dress goods, faces of deep ecru tint having Persian borders, and there are Persian edges on a network of gold or silver thread. These designs are wrought in colored beads, silken threads and span gles galore. Even the bewitching point de gene, pretty enough, one would think, to be let alone, is adorned with weavings of bright color, until 1t is hardly recogniz- able.
 Altogether, this Year of the Exposition, 1893, promises to be gay one, to the eye at least. With winter dresses, sombre tints will be laid aside and womankind will array herself in all kinds of cheerful and alluring colors, as 1t is eminently proper that she ehould. The season's greeting is, "Be cheerful, be gay even. if you can, and Rs tree and shrub and plant burst forth in glowing beauty of blossoming, so do ye, and array yourselves like the peach, the crocus, and the peony, making glad like them, the heart of man."
 STARTLING RUMoR.
 A most sensational report, which yet lacks confirmation, has reached the ear of the writer, who gives 1t for what it Is worth, and is not to be held responsible if it proves to be unfouuded.
 AS every one knows, since for months it has been dinned into our ears, and held before our eyes, in newspaper columns at least, we are threatened with the return of the crinoline. Stray specimens of stiffened and expanded dress skirts have made their appearance in public, receiving comments far from fatteripg, even though The Mac Alister has condescended to approve of them, retaining, as he says, Ca very agree able recollection of the crinolines of my younger days"
 This, and few other things, such as remarkable achievements, in literature, science, art, invention, exploration, and the like have drawn the eyes of all the or will she not? is question discussed sex that is born to vote.
 Jealous of woman's importance, and of the interest that attaches to even a bit of wire run into the edge of her skirt, dis tracting their minds from weightier mat ters, men are about to organize and push forward @ movement which shall center the thought of the world upon them selves.
 This brings us, after appropriate cir oumlocution, back to the remarkable rumor mentioned at first. It is none other than this: Men, of the fashionable world at least, have determined that they also will wear hoops. Trousers are to be made very wide, with gores at the top, and strong wires will be run into the hems, ,distending them and affording much ease and grace in walking. Spring overcoats and all frock coats will be made very long and from three to five yards around the lower edge. They will be faced with haircloth and furthermore strengthened with band of hoop-iron, causing the coat to sway to and fro with much defensive or aggressive force.
 It seems that men are greatly alarmed lest they should be driven from the side walks by promenading hoop skirts. They claim right to at least half the side walk, and doubtless it is important that for business purposes they should have 1t. They will put on hoops, they affirm, to en- force this right. They claim that in col | lision the lighter garments of women will suffer most, that they will thus in time drive away the hoop and the crinoline, and having done so they then agree to discard their own wiry defences and engines of war.
 This is very interesting if true. We wait with much anxiety to hear the report confirmed. HILARY.