Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-06


8HS lor shop the past
week sewing the
6eams of Easter gowns myself I have
learned how they are made Incidentally
I have learned more new things about
how women are made.
well-known tailor advertised for hands.
and with no very clear notion Of what kind
81 hands he wanted. offered mine at his
service.
Have you ,sewed anywhere else in
town. asked the august man, the auto
:rat of smart women, who holds at the
point of his shears the prettiness. the peace
Of mind CT the elect of Washington so
riety.
mo, I never sewed anywhere in this
town." answered, and without having to
actually tell lie. which, by long practice
In the gentle art, am able to avoid In
substance while accomplishing in effect, I
was finally hidden to come at 1870 the next
morning to sew week on trial.
The First Day.
Half-past Z in the morning seemed so
early as to make going to bed the night
before scarcely worth while. But when I
walked up - avenue bit after I, step
PiBg high. so as to do no injury to any of
the worms that are advertised to enrich
the path Of the early bird, 1 saw only one
man astir. who appeared to have been out
all night, In order to be around at that
hour in the morning I may be mistaken
about this one; still, his dress suit was
significant For the rest. they logged
along as If people quite commonly get up
with the sun. Ushered into the great. long
work room Of the tailors shop, not one of
the thirty girls and three men assembled
licked the least bit sleepy, nor seemed, like
myself. to be puffed up with the spirit of
evericious expectancy. born of the adage,
early to bed and early to rise makes a
man healthy. wealthy and wise"
however, was not permitted to feel
either wise or wealthy long. for when the
tailor had assigned me a place at one of
the tea tables ranged in a double row the
length OF the room, and was given silk
sleeve to "slip-stitch," I not only did not
know slip-stitch from a Greek verb but
[ did not lave anything to do 1t with. I
asked pleasantly, and. l trust, politely, If
he would please give me thimble and
needle. and when the man rather tartly in
quired II was in the habit of going to
sew with kid gloves and a hat pin, /
gathered that professional sewing women
carry their tools with them. One girl
leaned me a thimble and another a needle
that was crooked and sticky, but l said
thank you. not liking to seem proud
about the kind of needles 1 am in the habit
of using.
Then the "slip-stitch"-welI, fortunately
for that. I've been lately studying the
Hindu philosophy of concentration, which
Is that anything you want to know in this
world you have only to stare into vacancy
and think hard about. and the knowledge
Will come to you. 1 tried this. but there
was difficulty In getting the vacancy nee
essary Tor the experiment. There was abb
solutely no vacancy anywhere. Thirty girls
ranged about ten tables sewed at the
steady pace good roadster travels. On
platform In the rear of the room three
tailors sewed and pressed the pounding of
their iIcns sounding through the thunder
or seven sewing machines at work In the
center Of the room. and at high table at
a fhn pfAf<v
cutting and administering the affairs of
between fifty and sixty gowns that, in diff
ferent stages of development. spread over
hung over. trailed over, travelled over
everything.
Some Easter Gowns.
The spectacle of uncreate Easter glory
contained in these rooms just made me
turn my soul loose in covetousness.
There was crepon, green as the Gar
len of Eden. with the red of Ewes trans
5ressfon shining through to fit it for
Worldly woman. There was a pompadour
iilk. with white ground, the rosy ra-
nance OF morning breaking over 1t, striped
With black to keep it from being too ethe-
real in Its lovelir ess for mortal uses
There was another green crepon that
needed mayonnaise dressing to be conf
I olete. and there, on the same table with
Ills epicurean delight, was a strictly
spiritual conception Of loves young dream
caught and fixed in dinner waist Of
md dimpled with rosettes of pink chiffon
Loads of exquisite black crepe gowns
surrounded the thought of funerals with
sense of possible esthetic resignation
and the lustrous lengths of white silk
wedding gown made matrimony seem
something no less to be resigned to.
Eighteen for One Woman.
One woman. whose name is always sy-
.;onymous with sp,endor. had eighteen
GOWNS under way. The waist the sleeve
If which I was given to work on-a SUI
,erb thick heliotrope satin trimmed with
ct and lace-this one waist, I heard some
: Of the girls reckoning would cost $75 The
2oor? oh, let US forget and be gay at
my cost on Easter. The poor survive
through every season of the year.
The Orderly System.
The order prevailing in this workroom is
incomprehensible, even when the plan is
inown. 1 was told that detail of every one
If tie fifty or more gowns being made is
arried in the head of the Man himself
m going to call him Man, with capital
after this for his patience, precision and
.loise caused him to seem to me quite the
most wonderful man 1 have ever seen. He
stood at his high table, and as an electric
luton works, with square, and stick, and
patterns. and shears, cut the gowns to be
made. The sleeves were passed to one ia
, lie, the waist to another. the skirt to an
>ther. and on being received, each piece of
he owner. While the steady cutting and
,,assing was kept up. from all parts of the
Dom came a yoley like this: rs Mrs. a.
% have a draped collar? Does Mrs. b.
want one or two rows of buttons on her
oat? Shall cover this belt with jet? Did
Mrs. X. want stiffening in the gray silk, or
,nly in the black" etc, etc.
Each shot received the Mans whole at
cntion for the moment. as if Mrs. AS col
lr, or Mrs. B. s buttons were the one thing
n the world with which he was familiar
nd bound to do right. Then, interposed
mong all the rest. would come a voice
rom the reception room saying, Miss G.
be fitted" or Mrs. X is ready" or
, When shall Mrs. Il. come again?"
Engagements made were written on a
nook hanging over the Mans table. They
we're written also In the Mans mind. and he
,as constantly reminding somebody that
his or that must be ready at half-past
line or 10 or whatever the hour it was
0 be fitted or sent out.
In the Saddle.
Great was my giee when the voice from
he reception room called out to me, Miss
'yewhand. take the square to Nj. Tailor in
ne back fitting room"
I picked up the square and took it in
Iounted on a headless, tailiess, legless