The morning times., 1897-02-21

bill. and gazed at ft in a me6iitative way.
"some people find fault with the ar
tistic beauty OF this picture" said she,
''but TO me II is perfectly satisfactory"
at would be more satisfactory il 1t were
a twenty" suggested the girl in the scar
let shirt waist; then you could get that
new gown you wanted"
The blue-eyed girl said nothing; but she
had her gown, all the same, and nobody
but herself knew what it had cost till
after it was worn out.
IL was an outing cloth. but not OF the
usual outing cloth patterns. 1t was black,
with a tiny hafr-line OF old gold, and d
beautiful soft veivcty look when it was
new. She made it up with a little Zouave
jacket OF old gold velvet, collar of silk.
and full front of silk, also old gold
1t was so different from the usual outing
cloth, and she wore it so serenely, that
nobody would ever have Thought its
being Just what it was IL was evidently
new, it was stylishIy cut and becoming.
and with bonnet and gloves gotten up
carefully to match, out OF the So left
after the gown was finished, the blue
eyed girl looked a $ she felt. well dressed.
The materials were as follows: Gown,
81. item yards at 10 cents a yard), silk,
off the bargain counter, 40 cents; velvet,
90 cents; Ii ningS, 30 cents-for on SO
cheap a gown she didn't think it was
worth while TO pay more than cents a
yard for cambria. OF course, she would
rather have had pretty cloth gown at
ten times the money, but she had only
that So bill out of which to provide bonnet,
gloves and gown for the next three
ha xx-ar no
to do it. The outing cloth gown went to
church, concerts and the theater all winter.
and not being subjected to any hard wear,
old not betray itself.
Much has been said and written about
the Importance OF buying good materials.
But think a minute. Every rule has its
exceptions. Here Is the gown OF serge or
camel's hair or Henrietta cloth, which costs
from 81 to So a yard. If you have time
to sponge and press and make over, and If
quiet colors are chosen, SO that the same
gown will not be recognized as having done
duty for the last three seasons, and If il
doesn't cost too much 10 get fresh trim
mines and things when the styles change,
and if you are not tired of the sight OF that
gown before it is worn out. this Is all very
nice. But what If you haven't time 10 90
any sewing, and the dressnaker charges 81
or SS Just the same for making the dress
over as she did when it was new and makes
a great deal more fuss over the job,
What If the dress shows that it was
made over, and looks pieced and Contrived?
What If a large tear or grease-spot lands in
the middle OF the front breadth during the
r md rrrr n f0f1
the goods? And what If the gown and its
making cost so much that you can't afford
q pair OF new shoes or new hat, and dent
dare to spend a dime to have your gloves
cleaned until il is absolutely necessary?
All these things are liable to be included
in the experience OF the girl who has only
SO much tn spend on her toilet, and puts ii
all into the new gown.
But il is not necessary To do this, and
il is not necessary TO wear lo-cent gowns,
either; although the eNigencies Of the situa
ton did make it advisable for one girl, once
on a time There are pretty serges and
soft wooIs at 80 cents yard, or even less.
and there are dreSSmakeTs, young girls
who are clever with their fingers and work
well under direction, who don't charge as
much as the fashionable madames, and need
the work more. And an extra number OF
yards can be secured if the cheap gown is
selected. which renders the wearer hap
PLY independent of accidents, since she
knows she can take out the whole front
breadth if necessary, or put in pair Of
ne " sleeves if the fashion changes. And
accidents are not nearly as likely to hap
pen, somehow or other, under these cir
cuInstances-
Last, but not least. there is the ready
made gown-last resource OF the woman
who loves pretty things, and cannot af-
ford many of them, because it is so de
structIve Of individuality. Who wouldn' {
rather have costume which brought out,