The herald., 1897-02-21

son or fasting and prayer under protest,
but time when people truly entered in
to the spirit thereof and sought by ap-
pearance and action to testify openly to
their belief. Nowadays, however, there
| is nothing Of the kind. 1t is question
| If the Artful Doeger himself would not
be kept busy If he attempted to equal
the agility of many supposedly devout
church members, when it comes to find
ing ways in which to honor Lent rather
in the breach than in the observance.
There is no intention of making this a
moral essay. These are only the natural
thoughts wnich occur to one after visit
ing the shops of the fashionable millin-
ers and seeing what their combined con-
tinental dictators have deoreed that we
must wear.
There will be flowers. Oh, certainly.
Every one has a soft spot in his or her
heart for violets, and so violets are to
be fashionable. No one will be sorry.
Perhaps the best thing to do is to whis-
per the reason why. The consensus of
opinion seems to- be that it is because
violets are cheap There are any guam
tity of florists who will sell them for 10
cents bunch. This is about as mex
pensive a decoration as the most i'm
proveriShed fashionable could desire.
OF course If you buy Parma violets, the
inexpensive feature is obliterated So
far, however, nothing has been said
about the variety. So long as. they are
violets, that is all that is necessary.
Violet is not only in fashion for floral
decoration but is included in the colors
that are permitted to soften the dark
ness of the ordinary Lenten attire. One
style OF hat that is sure to be worn q
great deal is made of suede felt Satin
ribbons are used in the decoration, as
are chiffon and Parma violets. Then
there is the mouchoir muff of velvet
nI, hoc trfY 1y,,,fo, 10, fnI, n,,0 af
the very noticeable costumes now being
made at a fashionable establishment,
consists Of a very soft drap d'ete of the
shade called suede. The skirt, seven
gored is lined with violet taffeta silk
with a suede velvet bolero. The latter
Is silk lined and trimmed with large
mother of pearl buttons. The long close
sleeves terminate in deep points on the
top of the hand The points show the
velvet lining and there is a small velvet
puff at the top. The collar, which is
standing, Is large and cut in points with
violet lining. The inside trimming con-
ssts of chiffon. You might travel
Sabbath days journey and not see
prettier one.
Like all things, Lent must have its
end, and engaged couples and their
friends are talking about the Easter and
post-Easter weddings, not so much for
the weddings themselves, as what they
permit the young ladies who take part
in them to wear. Talking about it too
soon, you say? Not at all. If woman
isn't privileged to discuss what she is
going to wear at a wedding weeks in
advance, and in detail. then she has lost
one of the greatest privileges of her sex.
1t may be that this discussion is helped
along this year by the fact of the very
numerous and beautiful textures which
are appropriate for costumes that all
sorts of femininity is sup osed to wear
on nuptial occasions.
So far as the effects and models are
concerned, the tendency is markedly to-
ward Marie Antoinette styles. The ex-
quisitely f1owered satin brocades, the
fichus and other lace decorations. all go
to constitute costume that with the
flaring collar and the coiffure must at
tract attention and admiration. What
more can the wearer of a gown ask than
this. Toilettes of the time of Queen
Elizabeth, Pompadour gowns, robes like
those worn by the Renaissance queens,
Mary Stuart cOstumeS-all these are be-
ing talked of favorably, and it seems
more than likely that our fashionable
church weddings, during the month of
smiles and tears, will take us back to the
time of which our Histories have taught
us even more than the Bradley Martin
ball, which set New York swelldom in a
tremor of excitement.
One of the features of fashion just now
"a cold Gather feature-is the brocad-
ed wool bodice, and the bodice of bro
caded silk Both are seen to a consid-
erable extent They are generally worn
with plain skirts of contrasting color,
as when the mixture is blue and black,
and the skirt is blue or green. These
are usually made with wide, cape-like
revers, which are bordered with fur,
having a narrow basque below and a
helt above While this Is a very COM