The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-12-10
DRESSES FOR COLLEGE.
Mother and Sister Enjoy Society
( While "Half- Crowns" Are
= Studying.

f While "E'alf- Crowns" Are
Studying.
Paris, Nov. 2O.-In the converts and
schools here there are a great many of
what America calls her "half-grown
girls
They generally are putting in their last
year OF two of study, while the older
,, sisters, with their mother as chaperon.
are enjoying a glimpse of Partisan socie-
ty.
On Thursdays and Sundays they them
selves get glimpse of society, so that
they may appear easy in their manner
when their first season rolls around.
So they spend these two weekly holi-
days with their families, which are
generally located at some swell hotel, and
receive, with their sisters for the day.
Monday and Friday mornings see them
trudging back to school with all their
books for another week of study.
It's wonderful how quickly these girls
master the French language when they
are put right into a French school, where
they hear French, and only French, CON
tinually.
They are put in the infant class,
and learn the alphabet with tots Il
third their ages. But their progress
is very rapid, and after they have been
oAAANnAs'
can generally carry on an intelligent con-
versation with but few mistakes.
They are never so busy with their
studies, though, that they forget to plan
their new gowns, and they are as exact
ing Of their couturieres as their elder sis
tiers are
''Carouna Soeurs." an establishment
has on exhibition now IL fascinating dis
Dluy of this wears models
Materials.
Twre.ls in tiny checks are the materials
chosen for travelling gowns: canvas is
popular for the outing gowns; light shades
of cashmere and poplin are employed in
the dressler gowns.
In the assortment of cotton frocks
| noticed some very smart gowns in plaid.
Scotch ginghamS, and some exceedingly
lovely ones III organd!es and dotted
sWisSeS.
They certainly do know how to keep
children back here until they are grown
up. 1t is quite remarkable how very jul
vcnllc Paris mother can dress her 'ba-
by of II years. In America she would
be planning her coming out gown, but in
France she is still feeding the kittens and
| rompng in the courtyard.
The Paris shopkeepcrs are selling the
Mckinley plaid furiously. 1t is so varied
L the critical French eye, which demands
color.
The French schoolgirl wears waists
that are made of bits of cloth. The left
overs of her mothers toilettes are care
fully preserved and put in shape for her.
A very few yards of goods makes Il waist
for the girl who goes to school.
With this season there has come III an
imitation blouse This consists of tight
fitting waist. with bral0ing put on to
initiate plaits. If this is artfuly done the
bodice looks very full and rich, although
it is really a very plain affair. | saw one
of these worn by Il sweet miss whose af-
fairs of heart are now confined to five
black kittens.
Girls Sleeves.
The fashion for the schoolgirls sleeve is
the modified bishop. 1t is gathered full in
the armhole. and again full at the wrists
where it is finished with broad cuff The
sleeve is lined and the girl cannot push
her elbow through it.
American girls pity their French cous-
ms because they are kept back so long,
but the French girl has the advantage in
that she is dressed in simple, easy clothes,
and left to enjoy her girlhood as long as
may be.
Bodices of fancy materials are worn by
growing girls upon very nice occasions,
with light skirts. / saw one in delicate
mauye linen trimmed with tiny rows of
lace and run with mauvc ribbons. 1t was
Il ''rOunu' waist, with snug belt. Waists
of this kind are carefully fitted to the fig
able in girls gowns.
l had the pleasure recently of accom-
panying mother to the shops to select a
long dress skirt for her 1S-year-old daugh-
ter. She is to come OUT next summer
at Newport, but this year she is "child"
Her height and figure, though, demand a
long, grown-up dress. The one she chose
Ihe oyerdress was draped high at one
side. This overdress effect was obtained
by trimming, and the skirt was put on as
one thing, over skirt and all.
The family poodles We're taken along
upon this important occasion and new
robes ordered for them at the same time
from the selfsame piece of goods.
One Of the pretty church gowns was
made of cashmere in a soft shade of mig
nonette green. The skirt was a wide,
round godet Of the cashmere, trimmed
with a darker shade of taffeta ribbon.
The ribbon was arranged in four perpen-
dicular stripes that slantcd Il trihe to the
left. They graduated in length so that
the shortest strip was only four inches
long, while the longest reached nearly to
the waistband. They were finished at the
top with butterfly bows.
Tasteful Corsages,
The corsagc of the cashmere was made
with great deal of fullness at the left
shoulder and at the neck. This was
druped around to the right side where it
fastened at the under arm seam. The
back of the corsage was plain. From the
front of the tall collar came Il strip of
the green taffeta ribbon, which slanted to
the left armhole seam and ended in a
bow. Another strip of ribbon came from
the grdle and slanted to the bust line,
were long and close fitting as far as the
elbow. From there they were drapcd
slightly till they reached the shoulders,
where there was quite a puff of the ma
terial. The tall. straight collar was
mounted by plating of the ribbon.
Another pretty church gown is made
of pale gray ladies' cloth. The skirt is a
all carried to the back. The corsage is
a short holero opening over broad vest
of shirred white mousselinc de sole. Both
sides of the jacket are cut with broad
box plaits, which are tackled fiat and en-
broidercd with white silk soutache The
back of the bolero hangs loose and
straight and barely touches the top of the
tall grdle of burnt orange taffeta. This
girdle has sash ends that are rounded at
the bottom and reach nearly to the bot
tom of the skirt
These are the fanciest of the gowns
that are permitted to growing girls as
tho 1S-year-old must be dubbed until she
comes out. Nina Goodwin.
Russla's Railways
Since 1892 nearly all the Russian rail-
way systems have been placed under the
immediate administrative control Of the
government Some distinctions were en-
coilntered, but the corporations soon
ceased to offer resistance which could not