The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-03

latest summer frock, which Is apt 10 oe
q silk one with cloth bodice or jacket
over il. Her skirt is almost glove-llke IN
its fit. q tiny gore here and another
there making it smooth over the curves
Of her hips, although in the back and
around the edge there is sufficient full-
ness to allow mademoiselle to take the
long steps which she is just now affect-
ing. because they are suggestive or q
summer spent in the open air. For all
that her skirt is so tight at the top that
n causes the clubmen to wonder now
she ever gets into it. 1t must be SAID
that neither shoe horn nor glove
buttoner is used for this purpose.
Her bodice is the new blouse jacket.
which looks as if it were cut out of one
piece. because of its fullness, and yet
which is fitted in so mysterious way
since it makes the waist look smaller and
brings out the breadth of the hips and
the shoulders. That she must wear very
short stays, preferably those made Of
straps of ribbon, such as Yvette Guilbert
fancied, is known to the good dresser,
and she does not mar her entire appear
ance by assuming the long English cor
set that would take away all shape from
the new Jacket An American girl, bet
ter than any other, can wear this new
bodice because she has the figure for it.
Her English cousin is too long and too
fiat. Her French cousin is too short and
too much inclined to be lumpy.
The American girl is seldom over me-
dunn size, extremely well shaped about
the hips, achieves the line Of beauty that
Henner taught us must exist in the femi-
nine back, and has small bust Her feet
are small and well shaped, shed to per-
lection, and any American seeing this
exponent of good form should feel like
rushing up to her, telling her how he ad
mires her and how vain he is at heart of
the American girl
The American girl is the woman of the
century about whom everybody talks.
She is what Rudyard Kipling calls
''knowlegeable"-tha is to say, she is
willing to know and she doesn't need to
be told anything twice. The shrill voice
to which her cousins from over the sea
used to object has become subdued. The
wearing of expensive jewelry on the
street has been given the go by this we'll
bred GIRL and the curious inquisitiveness,
really form of childishness, and fun
ny desire to know, has become absolutely
nil, since she sits placidly and permits
herself to be informed.
She doesn't eat more sweets than any
other woman, and she is hundred times
more interesting to man than either a
French or an English woman. When she
gets married, she loves her husband and
her babies, and you seldom see in her
household the violent and lasting quar-
rels that are by no means uncommon in
r.
deal more to her country than either the
Declaration of Independence or the tar
if bill. And il her own country doesn't
appreciate her, then some other will, and
she VIII be taken off in the night and dis
appear as mysteriously as do most other
Blessings. So it's just as well for the
American men to be considerable of her,
for she is well worth it, and, after all,
as fnanciers our men are great ones for
booking out for the value Of things.
A picturesque figure is missing from the
streets. 1t is the soubrette. She has
gone to join her company on the road.
but regret her beautiful audacity and
her happy little face. 1t was a saucy
face, but not a wicked one. The SCUM
brette doesn't seem to know much, but
she utilizes what knowledge she has
IN decidedly fascinating way. During
the summer she had on, nine times ou'
sf ten, a dark blue or black skirt that
a?d been pressed and spongeil. mended
and altered, and evidently seen great
deal OF service. With it she wore shirt
waist and a natty belt, and drew that
belt in SO that she measured just IL
inches about the waist. Her sailor hat
was tilted over her face, and her hair
was arranged in the latest fashion.
The wife of a millionaire may be abb
eolutely ignorant Of it, but the soubrette
and the shop-girl can always arrange
their locks after the latest fashion and
always seem to know how to do it with
out being taught. But it was at the
waist and the feet of the soubrette that
one must look to see her charm. No mat
ter how shabby the skirt, her shoes We're
as bright as possible, and her black silk
stockings were in the best condition.
Having an eye for good effect, she rath-
er fancied at standing some place near
the corner talking to the heavy william Of
the play, and sometimes, quite uncon-
sciously, one hand would go on her hip
and one foot would come out from I'M
der her skirt as il she were going to do
a bit of a dance.
She was always laughing-she laughed
as she was drinking soda water because
it was so cool and she laughed when she
was eating clam chowder because it was
so hot. She didn't seem to have a care
in the world, but, dear soul, we don't
know what her cares were! To us she
was a girl who danced and sang in q
sort of variety play, and yet, somehow,
when / pass the corner and she isn't
there and / remember the heavy william.
l do hope he isn't playing his part off the
stage as well as on it. And l give a
sign and wish that next summers sun
shine may look down on the little SOU
brette and find her as merry as ever and
on the heavy william with the clearest
Of consciences.
Apropos of girls, / am reminded that
we are to be atrociously Greek again this
year and wear those low, short wasted
bodices for evening. l say "atrociously"
Greek because the right girl with the
right figure never seems to get one OF
these artistic gowns. Instead, frumpy
looking women, who are so thin that
4Iav ara painfTtl IN look af oP xpnp,op