The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-26

! lors stretch in a long. continuous Sc
| ries close to the roof. with the gener-
/ Gus desire To give his wife Roland of
| gown in exchange for her Oliver of an
| overcoat. so that Christmas may be a
! day for both of mutually practical en-
| joyment and congratulatiofl. The
/ Spanish knight of the old-new story
| who rode out of his back yard mounted
| on the yalorous animal that was "all
blemishes, no limbs" with a paste
| board visor for armor and the spear in
| his hand to tilt with. windmlls. was
not a more unevenly equipped chevalier
than the adventurous gentleman of
modern Chicalgo who braves the imagi-
nary perils that Turk in the corners az
| the dress fashioning establishments
and the imaginary giants and ogres
who sit at the desks inquiring ones
business before the privilege of right
of way is accorded the adventurer.
That there are such courageous gem
tlemen in the world of Chicago goes
without saying. but not without seeing.
Frequently men are discovered before
the counters and in the aisles of the
large dry goods houses shopping with
women, and once in a while around the
holiday season of Easter and Christ
! mas, they are found taking the journey
in the elevator that finally lands them
in the unfamiliar regions of the dress
making department. At least one such
courageous man tried ii during the
past week. He determined to make his
wife a substantial present of what he
considered she would most appreciate.
All women are fond of dress, and
dress, therefore, should be his selection.
But it must be the kind of dress that
he would enjoy as well as she. He
had his own ideas on the subject of
feminine costumes generally, which
were strongly intensified when applied
to the particular person of his wife.
He did not want any unnecessary fx-
ings and furbelows. He did not want
any fiy-away fringes and sashes I've
did not want any fluffy neck afrangs-a
ments. nor did he desire lengthy skirt
to gather in its folds the germs of dis
ease and malaria. He had made up his
masculine mind to bar Russian blouses
and the dainty combinations of Paris,
even if such an autocratic decision I'M
mersed his native land in an internal
tional war. For once his wife would be
well gowned, for she would be dressed
according to the rubrios that governed
his ideas of taste and fashion.
At first the problem was the color. His
mind seemed to be formed of series
Of negatives and no positives. lie re-
fused mentally to have green or brown
OF gray or tan. The idea of Il purplish
shade was scornfully rejected. 1t must
be dark and inconspicuous, for he did
not want anyone to turn second time
to gaze after his wife arrayed in the
gaudy colors he sometimes saw on
state street Black was, perhaps, the
wisest choice but black was apt to grow
rusty and dismal. and. besides. was too
suggestive of mourning. Blue was bet
ter, and, after careful investigation of
every lady arrayed in the color whom
he met in his street Wanderings, blue he
finally selected.
The texture that would form the ma
terial of the proposed blue gown was Il
matter requiring very little thinking
over. He decided almost Immediately
on cloth, the smooth. glossy, satiny
cloth that never lost its sheen or pulled
arart or wore threadbare. He had tested
its wearing powers for many years in
his own best suit and he believed in
patronzing such a Well-tried friend. So
two items We're easily settled 1t was
to be blue and it was to be broadcloth.
The third was equally easy tn deter
mine. 1t was to be most emphatically
a genuine tailormade gown. There was
to be nothing superiiuous, nothing use
less, nothing with which the wind could
play its merry FRANKS. Neatness was to
be stamped in large letters all over its
blue surface. The skirt was to be per-
fectly plain the waist was to be per-
fectly plain. and the jacket was to be
perfectly plain. There were to be peck
cts for use. not ornament II was to be
bound plainly with an unobtruSiSe black
SILK braid. Just like 4 mans suit, ana
it was to cling as closely to the Wearer's
figure as The mythical bright blue coat
that enVeloped the shrunkcn form of
Caleb Plummer. The collar was to he
turned down in the most approved mas
cuine manner and the lapelS We're to be
tiny and the buttons inconspieuous fas-
teners of black bone. He would not
have any guady lining either. No
orange for him even il We're the fash
ionahle shade. nor scarlet, nor bright
green nor yellow. He would have his
costume blue inside, as well as out.
heavy, rich, dark blue silk. that would
not rustic nor cut like the noisy taffeta
varieties.
So at last everything was in readiness
for the visit to the makers establish
ment He chose a store at random-at
least without any definite knowledge
of its superiority over other stores. but
merely because ii boosted the largest
structure. AS he went up in the eleVa-
tor he kept thinking over in his mind.
Blue broadcloth, plain pockets, tight
fitting, braid, blue silk. waist, Jacket
skirt" 1t sounded in his head like
battle cry. and as he stepped out of the
small cage at the appropriate floor and
saw the number of boXlike Enclosures
and the matron al The desk To bar his
progress and question his business in
such unfamiliar quarters he felt his
courage vanish and realized that after
all he was only ii man and that per
haps his wishes would not conform to
the wishes of the dutOcratiC dress
maker who resented any interference
in her government Of that special and
particular floor.
As a matter of fact they did not. In
spite of his manhood and his predeter-
mration he yielded almost Immediate
ly to the inevitable He capitulated at
t1 bn str min IaI afty1,
who changed every item that he meek
ly suggested except the color. and if
she had said purple he would have
given in To her will even then. Blue
ii remained. therefore. but rough ehev
lot supp1anted the broadcloth. stitching
replaced the silk braid, pockets degen-
Grated into ornamental flaps and
orange of the most pronounced hue
lined the coat, waist and skirt. To all
such alterations the masculine pur-