The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-31
SECRETS OF THE cunnsToNEg
Some of Them Noted by an Observ.
ant Newspaper writer.


Have you ever noticed" said the man
who is inclined to observe closely and
draw his own conclpsionsd that the way
a woman manages her skirts when cross
ing muddy street is a pretty good index
to her character? Likewise the shoes that
she wears and the way she wears them?''
To the ordinary. unthinking mortal this
may sound a little far fetched. That a wo-
man will lift her skirts when, crossing a
muddy street is generally conceded, and
that all do SO in the same manner is usu-
ally believed to be fact. But II you are
willing to be persuaded differently you
nave but to stand at one of the corners
of busy downtown street and watch that
portion Of the feminity that goes hurry
ing by. There is always a certain style 10
be followed in managing skirts as much
as there is In the cut and hang of the
skirts themselves, and these styles are as
liable to change, and do change as often
as any other of the ediots of fashion
Not many years ago II was the correct
and properly .ladylike thing to catch the
the skirts lightly on each side and trip
across the street in the most careful and
precise manner But this was the day when
hoop skirts were in vogue, and It was ne
cessary to catch the skirts on both sides
to secure the proper balance for the rows
Now" says the sidewalk observer, eff
a woman takes hold of her skirts in any
clare she is from the country; that styles
way out of date
A year or two ago It was the thing to
catch the skirt squarely at the back to
lift 1t. This was on account of the trail
ing tendency of the street gowns. Now
that walking skirts are practically short.
this is no longer necessary. and the skirt
is gathered up from one side.
1.-THE strictly up-to-date woman Quot
ing from the observer stoops little when
she goes to take up her skirt before pick
ing her tln-tOp 40 ST.
She does this easily and gracefully; she
has cultivated thesart. But when woman
does not hesitate for moment at a curb
stone, but, catching her skirts fairly and
squarely in one hand, walks deliberately
over the muddiest crossing then you may
safely conclude that is a woman of deter
mination of character and with enodgh
affairs of a business like nature on hand
to keep her too well occupied to find
time for the cultivation of little
feminine affections. Ten to one a glance
at her feet viii show you that they are
covered by pair of square-toed boots
with moderately thick soles and, singular
ly enough have very little mud on them.
though you noticed she DID not seem to
pick her way in crossing.
The woman-be she young or old-who
hesitates long enough to Separate the
clinging folds of her top skirt from those
of the undePskirt before crossing the
street is the woman with a bit of vanity
pardonable though this may be. She is
well dressed and wants you to be i'm
pressed with the fact Her garments are
all of the best materials; her silk or lace
bedecked petticoat not excepted And
though very wet and slushy may be the
street the pretty underskirt will not be
raised to avoid contact with it. for it
must be allowed its little peep from be-
meath the top skirt. This woman's shoes
have pointed. toes, and though very thin
soled, are never covered by rubbers
1T is as much a blunder to manage
the skirt with the right hand as it is to
get out of a carriage backward. And the
woman that gives the ruff1es Of her pretty
petticoat a chance to peep from beneath
the edge Of her skirt viii never make
this mistake. The coquette lifts her dress
in a way that is coquettish. She gives
the back folds a clever little twist that
causes a delightful little swish Of their
silken lining. MS, far as her feet are con-
cerned she has nothing to fear from the
worlds criticisms she is always well shod
The woman who allows her gown to trail
through six inches Of mud is either a
prude or unpardonably careless as to the
matter Of dress, and which Of the two
women ii is most disagreeable TO know
each must decide for himself. The shoe
that Is run down at the heel Invariably
denotes that the wearer IS of 1ndecided,if
not unreliable. character. The woman
who plants her foot firmly and squarely
when walking never has rlfn-over-heels to
her boots.A and as she walks. so she acts;
either with determination Or indecision.