Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-10-16
THEIR MASCOT A | R
English Athletes Try to Bring "LUck"
in a Party of Pretty Sisters
and Cousins.

over here a few weeks ago to practise
for the contests they brought several
members of their party who had not
been scheduled in the list of contestants
and who were not even expected as ar
rivals. These were half a dozen very
pretty girls, sisters, cousins and friends
of the athletic boys who came to watch
the sports and to keep the lads from get
ting homesick. They would bring good
cheer if not good luck.
The chaperon of the party was q FOND
aunt of one of the Cambridge boys,
and the young women, besides being re-
lated to the young athletes, were them
selves athletes of no mean pretensions.
So they were powerful factors of sue
cess. Few persons noticed them in the
excitement of welcoming the brawny
lads, but they were there, and very inn
portant they have since been in the pre-
llmlnaries of the sports.
An English Mascot.
AS this is the sporting time of year,
and as English girls lead in outdoor ath-
letlcs, the dress of these young ladies
cannot fail to claim attention. They had
one popularity, q rare one in this coun-
try, but common in England. that they
all dressed alike. Scarcely was there a
shade of difference in color, let alone in
the cut of their garments.
Let us describe the one who is called
"Mascot" by her party and who has a
record of being present at fifty CON
secutlVe sport" afternoons in her own
country.
She is not a typical English girl, for
she is very dark. Her hair is black and
1T rlpples around her face. When she
is flushed and her hair is tossed it curls
IN funny little ringlets. Her figure is
short and rather full, so you naturally
expect dowdiness. But, on the contrary,
she is quite stylish.
The hat which this English mascot"
cousin wears is a lightweight white
straw one. 1t is heavily bound with
black velvet, which ruffles all around the
rim. There is another thick black velvet
trimming around the low crown, and sew
eral short, stubby ''ears" stand up in
front. On shady days the mascot sets
her light little hat back. Other days
she wears it we'll forward. The straw
looks quite English-for English girls
wear their straw hats all winter-but to
AmericaniZe it the trimming need only
be transferred to a white felt crown.
Carries Her Chair.
The dress is of several different ma
%terials. The loose vest front, drawn to a
long point at the waist, is of spotted
blue and white silk. 1t is very becoming
to the wearer. 4 low-cut sailor collar of
navy blue velvet sets over the silk vest,
and there is a very pretty Elton of modi-
fed shape. The back is precisely like al
Elton jacket, but the front is cut away to
show the entire silk front of the vest. 1t
is fastened at the waist invisibly, prob
ably with hooks, but there is a very
pretty chance here for a buckle of fancy
material, preferably a silver one set With
sapphire stones to match the navy blue
collar.
Everywhere this mascot goes she car
ries her campchair. 1t is a deep red
cloth and quite becoming to her gown.
It's sticks are black wood and, alto
gether, it is not an awkward burden, for
it can be strung over the parasol or car
ried over the arm.
As the mascot's dress is for sitting as
well as for standing, the material is that
century-old favorite, silk. Really, after
all, nothing wears like silk and holds its
W as long. / thought of this when |
saw that trim skirt of deep blue silk,
without luster, but rich and shapely.
The back hung in large round folds and
was doubtless supplied with one of those
patent things for holding it in place, for
it took shape nicely after being sat upon
and the front was stiffened right to its
very hem.
The lining of this skirt was of the
identical material of the skirt itself.
This must a been enormously eXpens-
i've, for usually only lining silks are used
LUZ I1GSc llll1SS, DuI NuCn l. dShCu lit
modiste about it she smiled in a superior
way and said: Cheapest in the long
run"
On being further questioned she said:
"a skirt with the same material never
wears out. Suppose you tear it, as often
occurs in q dress for outdoor sports.
What happens? Nothing. The tear does
not show much, for there is the same
material underneath. And when it is
nicely darned down to the lining it does
not show at all. The same with cracks
and seam cuts. The lining is the saliva
ton of the dress"
When the mascot brushed her skirts
aside a deep velvet facing of light blue
was visible. 1t matched the blue of her
vest and gave the girl a very dainty
look. 1t showed that she cared enough
for her facing to match it to her waist.
Sleeves like Balloons.
The sleeves of this becoming gown
were plain, light blue silk. And they
did not look as light as they may sound,
although they were exactly the shade
of the groundwork Of the vest. They
were fine quality of silk and held their
own stiffness well. You may talk about
the fashions of sleeves being droopy,
with the largest part at the elbow, but
as a matter of fact women are going
to continue the full shoulder sleeves as
long as they can. They are the most be-
coming sleeves ever worn.
1OuSn D1dcK gloves were pulled by this
mascot far up the arm, and one could
easily see that the waist would be a din
ner bodice if the gloves were removed.
A low, narrow betting of the light blue
marked the waist line in a pretty way.
1t is not always that a mascot is such
an accomplished parsonage! Usually
the virtue of the lucky one consists only
in bringing good fortune. But this Eng,
hsh mascot has a record of accomplish
ments of her own. She is an athletic
girl. At the Liverpool Girls college,
where she spent seven years, prepare,
tory and final, she made three conquests
oyer the others of the athletic class.
She jumped the highest, sprinted the
fastest and could swing highest and
longest, hanging by her arms. This last
accomplishment is a very beneficial one
for girls, so athletes say, and much at,
tention is paid to the development of the
arm muscles. The jumps made by the
mascot were standing high jumps, and
the sprint was over a course of an
eighth of a mile.
1t must not be supposed that girls who
train in athletic fields accomplish no re,
suits. On the contrary; they often put