The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-14
copyright, 1881

There is only one day in the year
when Dame Fashion permits her fol-
lowers to appear on Fifth avenue on
Sunday, and that is when the bells are
ringing in the story Of the Easter joy
and all the world seems happy and
bright. Then Miss Fuss and Feathers,
whose father numbers his dollars by
the millions, and Miss Blue Blood,
whose father has fewer dollars and
more ancestors, with Mrs. Velvet, are
seen il the most wonderful process
sion of the year. 1t starts just after
church, and it is all over about )
o'clock. In it are all sorts and condi-
tons of gowns, and of it are all sorts
and conditions Of souls. Then the
Q avenue looks like a flower bed. The
most dgnified old lady is radiant in d
bonnet covered with violets, While any
body under 20 - and nowadays 20 Is
only counted elderly-wears a head
dress wherein the flowers of the field
and those of the conservatory meet IN
great masses and reckless abandon.
The gowns are not SO gay. There is
distinct liking among the matrOns for
heavy black satin made rich with ruff
fes edged with fine French lace, while
the younger women are in perfectly fit
ted frocks OF some soft wool that is
either the new blue. d silver gray, a
let black or one OF the popular shades
CT purple.
Purple raiens supreme The milliner
tells you that there are 10 different
shades or it, so that it may be adapted
10 any type of woman from an ashen
blond to The darkest brunette.
The men in the Easter parade look as
only New York men do look-smart, not
only 10 tiIcir finger but to their boot
tips Their frock coats are made of
English cloth, but are cut and fitted so
exactly that one is certain no English
tailor ever mad his scissors in them.
As you are a popular man, you have
been to church. a popular man always
goes to church. You are walking up
the avenue with the intention of lunch
ing at your club and watching from its
window the parade of living flowers
that viii pass by. Your hand is on
your hat every minute. First you bow
10 a dignifed, rather fair woman whose
tace is more intellectual than beauti-
+ul. whose costume is decidedly English
and who has the reputation-and you
remind yourself of it-ol being one of
the best women writer's in this coun-
try and belonging to one Of its most
aristocratlc families. Mrs. Schuyler Van
Rensselaer,, jolly Frank Griswold's sis
ter.
A minute later and you are bowling to
stately. richly dressed woman whose
gown hints of Felix in its superb black
xr-f+h T,f
quaint, coarse white lace-a dark hair
ed, dark eyed woman with that air Of
having been descended from the few
families who swan around in a special
ark of their own during the flood. Her
air is peculiar to Philadelphia women.
You say peculiar to Philadelphia wo-
men? You mean peculiar to Philadel-
phia women of the exclusive set, and
surely as you greet with extreme defer
ence Mrs. Cadwallader Jones you con-
Tess her charms and her intellect, but
most of all her blue blood.
Another Philadelphian, How Phila-
delphia women do marry New Workers..
But this Is younger woman, a pretty
woman, though dark woman, a wo-
man who is beautiful-yes-but then
you hesitate and remember when love-
ly Marion LangdOn, with her patrician
air and her finely cut features was the
beauty of New York, and you look
again and think, Yes. Mrs. John Jacob
Astor is beautiful woman, but her
beauty is little too intense for per-
iecton. Her hair and eyes are too
black and her color is too high.
Here Is another dark beauty. one who
has gained the catch of the season. the
one 10 whom the greater number of the
Nackay dollars will go-Aliss katherine
huer, gay. dashinS girI who is very
popular. Her friends call her Kitty.
and she has been credited with having
mad more proposals than any other of
the lovely girls who were the brides
maids of the Duchess of MARLBOROUGH.
You wonder if in this procession all
the beauties are dark 1t has only bean
little while since the golden haired
girl did not need to be searched for bu+
could be found everywhere Here is one
Of the beauties of the season. and of
course she has been to church-dark Of
eyes. fair of skin and with hair of the
lovely mahogany shade that You see 81
often in New Orleans and so seldom, T.,
any other place. Is it strange that Miss
Fiji Potter should have ito No. il
comes direct in the maternal line The,
there is another fair haired girl. Miss
Ruth Hoe, fair in that delicate way
that suggests d German fraulein and
which tells that not very far hack
there Is English blood. One of this sea
sons debutantes. the daughter of an
Immensely rich man. society IS wonder
ing who viii get the desired answer
from the dainty maiden.
You raise your hat TO dashinC WON
Rn-that is the word you use-a woman
who looks as if fear were unknown In
her and as II she had determined TO get
as much enjoyment out Of life as pos
slble. With her is well dressed man.