The Worthington advance., 1897-07-29
WHAT n Az BE.


- IA 's4 II NJ = 3s
Bell.ny - Dress a tAe T,rent,etn
Cent.ry.
In his new and interesting book on.
I.Equality,'. published By d. Appleton
81 CO.. Edward Bellamy takes the fol-
flowing glimpse into the future as re-
lating to the question Of dress:
The extremely delicate tints Of
Edith's costume led me to remark that
the color effects OF the modern dress
seemed to be in general yery light A
compared with those which prevailed
in nv G1ay.
..The result. I said. sis extremely
Ipleasine, but il you will excuse rather
prosaic suggestion. it occurs to me that
with the whole nation given over to
wearing these delicate schemes Of col
or, the accounts for washing must he
pretty large. / should suppose thev,
would swamn the natinnal trea.nrv =
laundry bills are ANYTHING ike what
they used to be"
..Doubtless we could not do much
else if we washed our clothes.n she
said; .sbut you see we do not wash,
them"
'.Not wash them! Why not?"
Because we don't think it nice to
wear clothes again after they have
been SO much soiled as to need wash
ing"
.Well, won't saw that I am sur
prised, I replied; ..in fact. I think I
am no longer capable of being sur
prised at ANYTHING: but perhaps YOU
will kindly tell me what you do with a
! dress when it becomes soiled."
1--WE throw it away-that is. it goes
back to the mills to be made into some
thing else"
Indeed! To nv nineteenth-centurv
intellect. throwing away clothes would
seem even more expensive than wash
| ing it," @tA
'Oh. no. much less so. What do you
suppose, now, this costume of mine
cost? ?"
II don't know, I'm sure. never had
wife to pay dressmakers' bills for,
but should say certainly it cost q
great deal of money"
"Such costumes cost from ten to
twenty cents" said Edith. what do
you suppose it is made of?''
| I took the edge of her mantle be-
tween my fingers.
II thought it was silk or fine linen" {"
I replied. ''but see it is not. Doubt
less it is some new fiber"
I'VE have discovered many new
| fibers. but it is rather a question of
process than material that had in
mind. This is not a textile fabric at
all, but paper. That is the most COM
mon material for garments nova
days."
'But-but." exclaimed, "what if it
should come on to rain on these paper
clothes? Would they not melt. and at
a little strain would thew not part?"
"A costume such as this" said Edith,
lis not meant for stormy weather, and
yet it would by no means melt in rain.
storm. however severe. For storm
garments we have paper that is alb
solutely impervious to moisture on the
outer surface. AS to toughness,
think you would find it as hard to tear
this paper as any ordinary cloth. The
fabric is so strengthened with fiber as
to hold together verv stoutly."
| "But in winter, at least, when you
| need warmth, you must have to fall
back on your old friend. the Sheep"
.'You mean garments made of sheep.s
hair? Oh, no; there is no modern use
| for them. Porous paper makes gar
ment quite as warm as wooden could.
and vastly lighter than the clothes you
had. Nothing but eider-down could
have been at once so warm and light al
our winter coats of paper"
"And cotton!-linen! Don't tell me
that they have been given up, like
wool?''
| .Oh, no; we weave fabrics of these
and other vegetable products, and thew
are nearly as cheap as paper. but paper
is so much lighter and more easily
fashioned into all shapes that it is pen
erally preferred for garments. But at
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