Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-06-20
WORTH A SMALL FORTUNE.
The Parasol of the Summer Girl L. .
Very Costly Affair.


Very Costly Affair.
The fashionable young woman has
n whole cabinet of curiosities, to say
nothing of a small menagerie, on her
parasol handles this spring. Enough
quartz and crystal to form a biologists
collection and enough birds and beasts
to start geological garden seem to be
q necessary feature of the well regulate
sd feminine wardrobe.
The new parasol handles easily sup
ply this required feature. Even the
gag lowered silk covers of the parasols
sink into insignificance when com
pared with the handles. A realistic
toad mounted on a green enamel stick
forms one of the most favored parasoI
handles, while carved wood parrot
heads in a variety of colors are also
considered good form. These handles
belong to imported parasols, which are
generally made OF changeable Dresden
green silk. To own Que it costs SIP.
The grass linen sunshade, when lined
with green silk, also has a parrot or
toad perched on the top of the handle.
A special novelty this season is the
changeable taffeta silk parasol, with 8
purse attached to the handle.
The handles are of carved wood, with
kittens or dogs head on the top.
The purse is in dark or light leather.
and is fastened to the handle by elastic
bands. To the women who know not
the privilege of pocket this combina-
ton of a parasol and purse will be
found most convenient, especially in
crowded cars, where to hold the pocket
book in the hand, cling to the strap
and carry ones bundles is well-nigh
en- imposSibility.
All the new parasol handles measure
from seven to nine inches in length,
and many of them are very costly.
Those of natural wood and bamboo are
used for ordinary wear. When the cover
of the parasol is Dresden or Persian
silk, these wood handles have a crystal
hall in the same color as the foundation
of the silk at the top Sometimes the
crystal ball is half covered with
t-acery of gilded silver, which adds to
the effect, and incidentally to the price.
Even parasol handles have succumbed
to the miniature craze. One of the
most beautiful handles seen this spring
was made of tortoise shell, ornamental
with an eNquisitely painted miniature
outlined with a decorative design in
gold.
The gold and silver handles with the
ieweled tops illustrate one of the ways
in which the society woman disposes
of her wealth. There are gold handles
with a ball top, studded with turquoise,
and other handles of gold or burnt
| ivory, with a single large gem at the
top. An exquisite burnt ivory handle
| with an irregular tracery of gold has
q cleaning topaz for the top. Another
of mother of pearl is capped with an
amethyst set in tiny pearls.
A magnificent parasol IF yellow silk
| and duchesse lace has twisted gold
handle, with ball al the top. This ball
| is the feature of the handle, though it
would not appear SO to the casual OBJ
| server. But if certain hidden spring
is touched the ball opens and a bit of
watch is found ticking away inside.
One of the most expensive of the new
paraso1s is of black chiffon and duchesse
lace, with the entire handle of white
crystal. At the top the crystal is
formed into an elongated ball, inlaid
| with bits of vari-colored enamel The
| Paraso1 handles of wood, with the
cluster of fruit the decoration, are
both new and novel. For the young
woman devoted to golf there is para
| sol handle which represents her golf
stick. 1t is generally used with grass
linen parasol.-N. Y. Sun.