Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-05

wheeled cab Qt was called a hackney
COACH. and did their best not to be seen
by any passing acquaintance, says a
writer In the London Queen. In fact.
everything that made life at all easy or
pleasant seems to have been considered
wrong. or at the outside. was barely tole-
rated.
or course, girls were allowed to ride
on horseback, but those who did so were
In the minority, and there was a sort OF
unwritten law that matrimony put an
end to 1t entirely. 1t could not have been
SO heart breaking to have given IL up
as II would be now. Riding for woman
only meant ti,tuping in the park when in
town on a two-pommelled saddle, and
wearing a full. bunchy habit, that In
some instances swept the ground, ana
that nuttered in the breeze that also
blew about the long gauze vel that
adorned a beaver hat and feathers.
The difficulty is to find any exhlarating
sport or game, or any heallh-giving pur-
suit In which women were allowed to
take bart, and mere exercise for the sake
OF exerc Sc, always distasteful to men.
does not commend Itself TO women either
There was nothing for them TO
do In the open air. No lawn tepnis. no
golf, not even croquet! a woman VINO
could sail q boat was unheard OF. she
never swan. shooting and fishing wers
In the Index among other equally deadly
sins, and bicycling-as We know-was not.
II must have all been very dull. very
unwholesome for both mind and body.
No wonder thai morbid poetry was the
fashion OF the day. that religious intro
spection was most minute. ana that 10
have a melancholy and Byronic turn OF
mind was considered very fine indeed.
There are few melancholy girls nova
days-the tide has set the other way II
owed its birth to idleness and there IS
now no time to indulge in H. VINO cou'd
be morbid after a foursome at golt' or
sad when hounds are running, ana you
are well up with them, or who couiJ De
Byronic on a bicycle?
Delicacy and nerves are also OUT OF
fashion. sickness and sorrow no doup'
are always with US; but though those VINO
suffer are indeed to be pitied, they are
no longer thought interesting by rea-
son of their maladies. or at any rate IL
is no longer considered FEMININE anu
pretty TO "enjoy bad health. 30 ram
ing fits are out of date, not even an j"
tempered girl or jealous wife attempts
mysteries nowadays. and Consumption
rarely carries off the heroine OF an auto
nym, or a pseudonym. OF Heitseis'
novel or indeed OF any modern mover !"
,vhatever shane II may be brought out.
ryen ON the stage the heroines of modern
nIavs do not die by inches. as they were
in the habit OF doing in pieces writ en-
for the last generation. They have now
a shorter shrift and a more enectlVe
exit. A.. o,,,
We have not arrived at the pom,
NJ perfection aimed at by the Leaders OF
fashion in the French Court before IN
Revolution. Of whom II has been written
by a contemporary (AurOre de SaNe) tha'
he art OF living and dying was tno-
roughly understood by them. Sne goes
on 10 saw: NO one owned to disablins
infirmities. II you had the govt you walked
all the same and made no grimaces
You dssembled your sunerings from
good breeding. When half dead mar,
would still be carried out hunting. anu
would have thought 1t better 10 die AZ
a ball or a play than In his bed Win
taners AT the head and black priests
about him"
Rut II we are not so philosophical
as those light-hearted Gauls, We have
certainly ceased TO find anything particu-
larry attractive in bad health. we PITY
those who are afflicted. but we do not
initiate them.
The girl who can neither afford a seal
skin coat nor a chinchilla cape because
OF their tremendous cost consoles ner-
self very well indeed with one OF the
lovely velvet coats. OF which there are
such a variety A very girl'sh jacket OF
black velvet is cut I'm the Norfolk style,
and falls below the waist TO the depth OF
several inches.
1t fits the graceful form easily without
being at all snug and has broad box
plaits down both back and front.
The front of the coat Is cut away to
display a smoofhly-ftted vest OF avy
white satin. fastened und'r the left side
with invisible hooks ard eyes
A broad sailor-collar OF white satin
overaid with costly point de Venise lace,
finishes the shoulders prettily. a belt
OF stirened velvet enclrcles the waist.
drawing the slight fulness in gracefully
to the form.
The cost OF a velvet coat IS more than
one would imagine at first thought, until
one goes on hunting expedition through
the shops in search OF one. and finds the
prices ranging from so to $75 for the
cheapest
Some very fetching cloth coats are be-
ing put UP for sale In few Of the most
exclusive shops: mostly OF light. pale
tan. In heavy melton, with trimming OF
Russian sable. silver, fox, or beaver.
They are in the REFER form. and ex-
tremely short with cute little ripnles at
the back. made so sim that fiatteninG
Is impossible. There Is a broad collar
OF the sable. and a narrow facing OF
the same all down the front. giving It
the effect OF being fur-lined.
A coat OF this sort cannot be had for
less than so. but they are well worth
the price. because they do look so very
easy, and so very becoming.
Little gir's were not valued very highly
In the time Of Louis XIV. And as we are
going back TO that age in our dresses
II may not be unnteresting to freshen
our memories by a glimpse at the life
Of women OF fashion OF that day. Not
much Joy over her coming into the world,
70 begin with, All the mothers homes
are concentrated on son, who shall
keep up the family name and Inherit the
estates. A daughter Is sent away to the
country to nurse. A. 2 or 8. put under
the care OF a governess. she comes home
TO live. but In separate rooms. In quite
a different part OF the house from her
mother. whom she sees on'y once a day
in a ceremonious visit. says a writer In
Harpers Bazaar. A courtesy. a kiss from
her mothers lips on her forehead, and
often a reprimand. are all that she knows
Of a mothers love In her childhood. The
old pictures and engravings OF the period
represent the little girls as quaint bits
OF humanity In long gowns, loaded with
ribbons. ornaments. bows, and bouquets.
Their toilette is the miniature OF the
luxury and superb dress OF their mothers, -
wrote Nine. de Gents. Scarcely are
they allowed In the morning that little
neglgee cal ed the Savoyard h'bit-that
pretty straight garment In brown taffetas
with short skirt OF the same stuff, trim
med with two or three rows of ribbon
couleur de rose sewed on fiat, and that
simple but pretty headdress consisting OF
a gauze fichu knotted under the chin
charming fn.lette In which childhond Is