The record-union., 1896-04-12

who sends out the invitations to the
chase.
The silk and wool mixtures for hand
some spring Jackets are very elegant
goods indeed, and some of the plain rich
cloths have a bourette stripe on their
smooth surface. Others are in basket
weaves, and again are shown soft wool
grounds crossed with bars of shaggy
mohair. Cream and brown mixed chev-
| lots are made up with taffeta Innings.
machine-stitched edges. mutton-Ieg
sleeves, and with no trimmings but the
double row of costly buttons.
| We hear continually of skirts and
| sleeves reduced in size but study of
any Of the display windows in the city, a
| tour of the shops, or a walk upon fash
| ionable promenades where new spring
costumes have already appeared will
| reveal skirts quite as spreading and
voluminOus as any we have seen the
past winter, and sleeves in many cases
| though not all-quite as full. 1t is at
| private views in leading importing
houses however, that one gains a sight
| OF the Partisan eXponentS of fashions
latest moods and lenses. Here we find
| the sleeves undeniably smaller, with
often only cap at the top of the close
coat model, and the volume of skirts re-
| duced to a normal graceful bell shape
| that may yet dwindle to the old four
reau or sheath style. But we are pro-
verbally six months at least behind the
French in our fashions, and this will
| bring us to the autumn season before
the great majority of American women
will follow the now prevailing styles to
the letter. Meanwhile they will be
handsomely dressed all summer in fab
| rics more elegant and beautiful than
they ever wore before, and content
| themselves with studying the few
women who have means enough to wear
Partisan gowns and aplomb enough to
thus early adopt styles out of the ordi-
nary, and waiting a few months to fol-
low in their footsteps. In the meantime.
the dressmakers and tallors are making
all sorts of lovely compromise gowns
with sleeves and skirts shaped about as
each individual patron dictates, and
there are comparatively few women
who yet order either their skirts or
sleeves cut on narrow gauge lines
| BOrax, which has long been invaluable
| to the housewife in whitening her
clothes, in softening water for cleaning
purposes, and for washing the scalp to
remove dandruff, is now being much
used as preservative of fresh meat
and fish and of garden fruits. The lat
ter when ripe are packed in layers of
borax and sent thousands of miles to ar
rive in perfect condition. The house
wife may herself test this method of
preserving fresh fruits for winter use.
The method is not an expensive one, as
the bOrax can be used a number of times
without losing its virtue. The fruit it
| self should be thoroughly brushed and
| then washed before using, as this pow
erful substance taken in any quantity
| internally has most disastrous effect
on the kidneys. AS an antiseptic and
| bleacher of the skin it is unrivalled but
II is so drying that it should only be ap-
piled to the face OCCASIONALLY, and even
then it's application should be followed
| by thorough massage with cold cream
containing lanoline, cocoanut or almond
| Gil. Pure olive oil may also be safely
and profitably used for the facial mas
sage given to one who has a dry, fine
| skin.
The Watteau coiffure, with it's Pom
padour roll and soft puffs, is rivalled by
the Clytie coiffure, that shows the hair
waved and parted slightly toward the
! left side of the head, the waves carried
back over the ears or Just above them,
as proves most becoming. The hair is
then coiled about a handful of short
| nj ,,cto bo1l 1,ro
eled saber or other glittering hair orna-
ment. These curls will be quite feat
ure of various styles Of hair-dressing
this summer, under gypsy hats or in full
evening dress. If the features are clas-
sic, the whole idea Of the Clytie coiffure
can be carried out, i. e., the banding Of
the tresses with beaded jewels or velvet
ribbon fillers, but this severe method is
rarely a success. On some heads the
curls look best caught together low in
the nape of the neck; on others the exact
center of the head at the back is the OBJ
jective point of decoration. French
hair-dressers are making great use both
| of the picturesque Spanish comb and of
small oblong ornaments set with ex-
tremely brilliant rhine stones. Five or
six of these effective accessories are
used in completing an evening coiffure
la Pompadour.
Candles of different lengths, some
long, some very short and some Of
medium length, each one in pretty
candlestick, were lately used instead Of
faggots at a storytelling party. The
hostess, whose guests were all familiar
friends, had marked each candlestick
with name so that the short candle
went to the man who never told any
thing but a brief story, and the longer
candle to the woman who enjoyed and
had gift for telling a longer tale. The
candlesticks were given as souvenirs of
a delightful evening.
Some Of the new and really elegant
French challies are cut en- princesse,
spreading lace berthas over the shoul-
ders. This, however. does not mean
the lines Of the old familiar princesse
gown. The back has f1aring pleats, and
the front and sides show bell-shaped
cores, the seams of which are frequently
covered with a fiat band of lace inser-
tion that extends up on the seams of the
waist portion. Stout figures seem to
require something more substantial
than challie or yelling, yet this type of
woman often suffers greatly from the
extreme heat of summer, and really
needs all the comfort that a light-tex-
/ tured gown can afford. To these are
again recommended the ever useful
and handsome India silks and lighter
weaves Of taffeta, which this year are
brought out in qualities, designs, col