The herald., 1897-01-10
GOTHAM GOSSIP.

It is unfortunate that the Society for the
Prevention OF Cruelty to Children cannot
extend jts Jurisdiction over the children
OF the rich who are entrusted to the care
/ OF inefficient nurse maids. The fact can
nave escaped no one familiar with the
parks and squares OF this city, that not a
small number of the women employed as
nurses are hopelessly united for their
position. Many Of them are coarse in
voice. in manner and In appearance. The
wealthy woman of fashion would on no sc-
count permit her child to associate with
those not It's equal In social standing. yet
sne allows it to be day and night in the
company and under the charge Of a rough
grained, ignorant and sometimes brutal
person. It is not uncommon to see prettily
dressed and refined looking little children
dragged about by an overwhelming Irish
girl. They are jerked over crossings by the
arms They are scolded In voluble brogue.
Ihey are adjured to behave, under threat Of
being handed over to the policeman, the
olacK pear, the "bogy' or what not. This
vulgar oficiousness frequently alternates
with finished indifference to the probable
rate OF the small boy or girl. The little
wards may be lost. or stolen or run over.
while the stolid guardian chats with others
OF her kind, or holds converse with a
friendly officer.
1T goes without saying that the majority
( .osASi" NIOSc cullQT0Q are entrusted TO
maids would not willingly permit them
TO DO ill-treated. The extent of their cul-
paDillty In the matter is merely the extent
OF tnelr thoughtlessnesn. They do not think
lar enough to understand that a child's
nurse Is In sense its foster-mother. The
chlld Will receive not few of its lifelong
Impressions from this second mother,
whose individuality. however pale, has in
| fluence for good or evil. It is not sufi-
cient to be assured that the nurse is not
rough In her treatment of the child, that
she doe' not neglect its physical needs
Ihere should be also certain knowledge of
her character and disposition. The ques-
tion has been discussed lately of the desir-
ability Of obtaining educated women as
child nurses. The plan is excellent in
theory. tut the difficulties in the way of its
realization are well-nigh insurmountable
The best substitute for an educated woman
Is woman Of whose kindliness, purity Of
heart and conscientious intentions there
can be no doubt. Such a nurse will never
harm the character of her nurslings, even
If she cannot do much to further its gen.
eral culture. That side Of its education
should devolve in any case upon the
mother.
! Petticoats are a most essential feature in
every costume, and 1t is quite as necessary
that they should flt and hang we'll as that
| the gown itself should be we'll cut Again
and again q costume Is seen. saws "Har-
per's Bazar." which is itself very smart, yet
looks somehow exceedingly dowdy and quite
lacking In style. Just what the trouble is
1t would be at first difficult to say Appar-
emily 1t is we'll cut and we'll hung, and the
materials used are Of the best, and yet 1t
will not have the same appearance Of being
In style as will some costume that has cost
third OF the money. The real reason for
this is that the pet.icoats worn beneath it
are not well cut. Women who are really
in other ways neat never seem to realize
how much thought and care should be be-
slowed upon this particular article Of dress.
The new styles in petticoats are bewilder-
ingly pretty; better still, they are eminent
ly sensible in material and cut. Silk is
the favorite material, and as there never
was time when silk could be bought so
cheap, it Is quite possible, even for the
woman who has to consult economy, to
have several. Fashion requires that the
Innings of the cloth suits this year shall
be Of contrasting silk. and one Of the newest
fads Is to have a petticoat to wear under
the gown made of the same color as the
gown itself, but just shade or two lighter.
All these are fuller than they were, but the
fullness Is gathered into a small space at
the back, quite like the skirts of the gowns,
and the fit over the stomach and hips is
carefully attended to. A deep Span
ism uOuuCe is ElHi tuc ldSHiOll, Uul tue Shii
itself extends under the flounce now One
or more ruffles to trim the flounce. and just
as many inside ruches or little founces as
can be put on, are added. Lace insertion
is very much used-black lace on the
Aounces Of pettlcoats to wear with street
gowns. white lace on those to be worn with
white gowns in the house. In all the pet
ticoats there is some attempt at wiring,
either with a feather bone run through
lust above and just below the founce. or
the dress extsnders, which are really cap
ital. put into the back breadths so that the
petticoat hangs out full and wide. The OBJ
lection often raised that silk petticoats are
too cold for winter wear is quite done away
with by lining them with thin flannel as
far as the knee; this does not add to the
weight, and yet gives sufficient warmth.