Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-06-22

may be worn with almost any bodice,
and so the wise girl is the one who, to
wear with her black skirt, has two or
three bodices somewhat elaborately made
and trimmed. The fancy for sleeves of
contrasting fabric really makes it easy
to give bodice an air of elaboration. In
one of black cloth may be inserted sleeves
Of brocade, while for front decoration
there may be revers of the brocade and
full gilet of chiffon or Grape. A small
low bonnet may be worn with this, or,
better still, the fashion of going without
the hat may be adopted
The gloves should be fresh and pretty
and fit well without being too tight, and
if fan be carried it should also have
the charm Of freshness. If possible,
wear wrap that can be rolled up and
put under the seat; otherwise it will be
a burden to you the entire evening.
Do not have many little things to look
after. Some women (most Of us know
them) first drop their smelling bottle,
then their bonbon boxes, then their
fans, then lose handkerchief, and the
searchfor these articles keeps somebody
busy all the time and makes what was
expected to be an evening of amusement
really one of work and worry.
At a supper at a restaurant, or indeed
at any meal eaten there, many women
commit most dreadful solecism-that
is, they wear their wells, raising them
just enough to permit their. lips to be
seen. They would consider a man lack
ing in good behavior if he attempted to
entertain them with his hat on, but in
wearing their wells they are committing
an equally ridiculous piece of rudeness.
The excuse usually is that theveil is diff
fcult to put on, but that is no excuse.
1t should be taken off even if it is not
again assumed. By the bye, no meal is
SO light that it does not require the re-
moval Of the gloves, and for this reason
wise women select an easy fitting glove
that may be taken off and put on with
out much trouble.
Ihave spoken Of men as the critical sex,
and really believe they are. A man is
Mortified at the overdressing of a woman,
either in her home or away from it, and
he is much apter to be pleased if when
she is out she is quietly gowned, or, as he
puts it, "shows she is LADY," and he is
equally delighted when in her own home
all the fritters and pretty frills are put on
for his delectation. He is the first one
to suggest that a woman is overdressed,
and he still has the idea, which he inher-
its from his mother, that hostess, con-
sidering her guest, should not wear the
best gown in her wardrobe. At the same
time he comprehends that she must do
sufficient honor to her visitors by being
carefully dressed, for to him an untidy
woman is decidedly suggestive of an i'm
moral woman.
If you should want somebody to have
cup of tea and a bit of cake with
you or to come, taste and approve your
luncheon and yet you have neither the
time to make nor the money to have
made special house gowns, then wear a
pretty walking dress and give of that
which you have gladly. You may as
sumo low shoes or slippers, and these
last, by the way, must not be satin ones.
The one thing for you as hostess to
avoid is overdressing; of the other you
need not be afraid
Most of us have the desire to have our
friends about us. As nation we arehos-
pitable, and that hospitality is best dis
played when we ask people not to din
ners nor suppers in restaurants, but to
come into our homes and partake of that
which is really and truly our bread and
salt. Sometimes it may take the form
Of cup of tea, again it may be in the
shape of a dinner, but whichever it is
one wants to make ones visitors feel
that it is to the home they are invited,
and surely no hostess could give this
feeling if she followed the example of
very i'll bad one, who, because it was
becoming, chose to wear an overelabo-
rate and ridiculous dress.
The house gown, usually worn in the
late afternoon, seems to say that the
time for idle chatter and the veritable
loaing Of ones soul has come, and that
is really the impression that should be
given. People come into homes to rest,
people who are weary in body and mind
of the big world without, men and wom-
en- who are tired Of life in boarding
houses and hotels, and it always seems
to me that if one woman can convince
some others that to make home is the
best thing possible she and her tea gown,
and her cup Of tea, and her glad, sweet
self have done good work.
You think am exaggerating the pos
sibility of dress? am not, for do be-
ieve there are women who, once they
were convinced that they could only
wear certain kind of gown in homes of
their own. would make them for that
special purpose, and if the innumerable
women who are either too lazy or too in
different to make homes for men are
driven to it by any reason, that reason
would be good one.
A sermon at the end of a fashion ar
ticlei Well, the preacher Of the olden
days frequently used the folly Of the day
for his text, and II am only reversing
the situation, urging the beauty of the
home dress for the encouragement Of
homes. ISABEL A. MALLoN.
Dull Boys ;tiiI Mechanical Ability.