The herald., 1896-05-10

lsrity. Thimbles set with diamonds. ru-
bies and sapphires are still favorite
present for fashionable spring brides
A s25OO thimble recently ordered as
wedding gift for a belle is OF solid gold
the head or cap a large solitaire; cir
Gle of diamonds edges the rim and the
monogram of the fortunate maiden ap-
pears in sparks.
The object of such thimble seems to
be strictly ornamental, as sewing with
it is out of the question, but then the
owner of a $2500 thimble is not called
upon to take the stitch in time so ne
cessary in the case of humber sisters
4 4 4
Cosy corners don't seem to be going
out one bit. do they? And heard of one
the other day which was oddly enough,
in the middle of the room. frequently
one finds in an old city house long,
narrow parlor whose proportions can be
modified by the employment of Hat
arches supported by shallow pilasters.
or by other devices calculated to break
up the long lines of the side and ceiling.
Sometimes one will find the chimney on
the long side of the room. but not In the
middle Indeed, this awkward arrange
ment is not infrequent even in the new
houses. Such cases can be successfully
treated by placing beside the chimney a
richly decorated cosy corner" seat of
breast combined shall be in the midle.
When this arrangement is used the cosy
corner and mantel should be treated to-
gether as one feature. and can be
marked off by flat arches and pilasters
as before suggested, though if the pro-
portions of the room are otherwise good
this will not be necessary.
It is a sad sight to the old fashioned
woman to see man brushing hearth,
| because he does it so deftly and so well.
Bachelor apartments have quite de-
stroyed the old-time theory that man
was a wild animal and needed woman to
guide his vagrant impulses and care for
| him in his domesticated state When
| one attends studio tea one appreciates
the absurdity of this idea. The man is
| the host; he sometimes makes and pours
| the tea, while woman is merely an ac-
| cessory. She waits on his guests and
| dresses up to look pretty, but she is only
| a superfiuous ornament. But studio re-
ceptionS continue to flourish and there
, is nothing more popular among society
girls than this kind of entertainment.
The girls usually attempt the aesthet-
| ic in their costumes, and one sees pic
! ture hats and clinging draperies at the
! studio if nowhere else The fad of Jap
anese effects has gone by. A year OF
| two ago it was not an uncommon thing
| to see fashionable American girls ar
rayed in the garb of the almond-eyeo
| beauties of the east.
! Now, however. everything is Persian
| Persian patterns appear in all kinds OF
| material, from carpet to an organdie
| gown. Draperies and rugs of Persian
| weave and coloring will be the correct
| thing for summer cottages this year.
j
| The designers for silversmiths seem to
be ever fresh and armed with new ideas.
| For the work table there are thread
waxers made in perfect imitation of
miniature ear of corn or a half-opened
pod full of green peas. The silver en-
broidery scissors now have shield to
| protect their points handle and shield
both beautifully engraved in relief. A
| silk winder is an almost indispensable
article to the woman who does dainty
embroidery and whose equipments are
to be above reproach.