Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-09-14
TURNED .nREssEs.
they Arc Safe From Comment in Polite So
ciety.

" = = --''
clety.
A pretty g--l whose allowance i
small, or who has no allowance anc
has to dress as she can, is often timic
about going into the company Of those
who have nndoubted position and un
limited purses, lest her dress may moi
be all that their dress is, and may ex.
cite their observation and their remark
or contempt But seldom is there
greater mistake made than this If her
gown is simple, among those who are
accustomed to have everything, it will
be supposed by them, if they even see
1t Mt all to dwell on it, that her tastes
are simple. If her gown is dyed OF
maze over, it is not those who never
wear made-over gowns or dyed ones
who will be any the wiser. Not famil.
lar themselves with the article that has
been freshened and remodeled. it
would never occur to them that such
could be the case with any dress seen
in their society; they would not sus.
pect it, would never look at it, and its
being made over is the last thing
that would occur to them. They know
nothing about turning wrong side cut
and upside down, about pressing be.
tween newspapers to prevent gloss
from the tlat-iron, about making vest
and collar and sleeves and belts of an.
other stuff when the old has given out
of covering rows of old stitches with
rows of trimming taken from some
where else, of piecing down too scanty
material with folds and fiounces; they
know nothing of hats made out OF
odds and ends, of gloves that are not
exactly mates, of bows that hide this
and embroidery that hides that, of in.
Vulnerable makeshifts and subterfuges
possible to deft fingers and quick
brains in domestic dress-making. They
have always had lovely garments; they
never stay to think whether or not any
one else has them; it is matter TO be
taken for granted. They are like that
daughter of a king of France, who,
when he heard that the people starved
because they had no bread, asked why
they could not eat cake at a pinch
they assume that being in the com.
pany of their own gowns, the gown is
all right.
No; girl can go into the finest SO.
ciety there is without fear of being put
to shame in relation to her dress, il it
is inconspicuous and conforms to the
prevailing mode just enough to avoid
exciting notice. She can wear there
without detection. if she wishes to con.
ceal the fact things that if she were at
the sociable or church or sewing-circle
at home would be pulled to pieces,
fguratively, in no time. "Sbe's made
her sleeves out of the back breadth of
her old summer silk" will be the ver-
dict of the pew behind, or, "Shed
never have had that guimpe if the top
of her waist hadn't been ruined by her
hair" or, THAT was real cute of Mary
Ann to contrive such a pretty dress, as
you may say, out of the rag-bag," or,
"Juliette will certainly make a good
wife, when you see what genteel ap.
pearance she makes on next to
nothing" The remark may be kindly
or critical, but it is remark; for in a
city where little goes on and a fine city.
made gown is an event, all is known
and noted and carried over. Pm
sure said a rural dressmaker, who
was being hurried by her customer,
you've got your pongee and your mo-
hair and your nuns yelling, besides
your old silk, and you can't be in bit
of need of this, and amt no right to
hurry me so like all possessed" ALI OF
which shows us that if Juliette and
Mary Ann are invited to some festivity
in the city for which they doubt il
their gowns are fine enough, they can
go in perfect safety, sure that if their
gowns are simply unobtrusive it will
never be suspected that they are home
made or makeshifts, and that if it were,
their fresh faces and sweet manners
would hinder any one from looking at
the Joins. "-Harper's Bazaar.