Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-31
GANG PLANK PARADE.
HerOism Displayed by Europen Ar
rivals BcfOre CustOms Officers.

-
rivals Before Customs Officers.
Quite the most impressive sight to FEM
mime eyes, when q great Atlantic liner is
warped into her slip at the New York
docks, is the dress parade of homecoming
women down the gang-plank leading from
the first class cabin. Humble minded or
scant Of purse is that traveller who does
not peacock down the narrow wooden lane
leading to the dock In a gown of especial
Importance.
The co%ming-off costume of course includes
a brand new hat, shoes, gloves, sunshade
and often enough a wrap, which she care
lessly throws over her arm and thus tries
to run the gauntlet of the customs. In the
good old days, when Uncle Sam exacted
light duties, the %coming-off toilets used to
be very perfect in appointment indeed; the
most exquisite creations from the rue de
la Paix and bonnets from celebrated mai
sons figured in the show. Nowadays the
high duty on personal belongings has
brought about a curious result in this dress
parade. Women who have dipped deeply
into foreign shops put on, for the arrival
function, not what will make the most sym
metrical costume, but what they prize the
most and wish to get through duty free.
The idea is to wear ashore the most prec-
ious things, and in consequence some amaz-
ing outfits trip on to the dock. When a
ship came in from England recently, and
the day was piping hot, a stout dowager
sailed down the gang plank arrayed in a SUI
perb gray satin skirt cut with a long satin
train and heavily trimmed with splendid
lace. 1t was evidently a gorgeous dinner
dress, for the satin body, as richly orna-
mented as the skirt, had an incongruous
white lawn CAMP fitted into the decollete
neck, and muslin sleeves sewed into the
armholes. Around her throat the lady wore
a f%aultless boa of sable tails; on her head
was a hat all too palpably bought for her
16-year-old daughter, and aloft fluttered a
dainty white lace and satin sunshade.
Beads of perspiration glistened on the
flushed but gratifed countenance of the
good lady. All the devoted sons and daugh-
tiers who were on hand to greet here were
held at arms length, for, arrayed as she
was, no embraces were possible. Over one
arm swung the tail of her frock, the family
stood like a hodvguard about hOr to pre-
serve her satin draperies from the tarnish-
ing contact OF luggage and passengers. and
in the midst of her discomfort the lady was
triumphant. Her best frock, her furs,
Gladys hat and Josie's parasol were safe,
and at the grim inquiry of the inspector
she averred that the tout ensemble was her
travelling dress, and she defied him to con-
| tradict her.
The dowager was not, however, alone in
her eccentricity. Another woman came
ashore in a palpably London made golf
dress, an enormously wavy Scotch shawl
ulster and a delicate toque of tulle and
plumes on her head. Under the influence
of the heat and the ulster she grew white
and tainted when she reached the dock.
| Che In1 ,tArn. Tho n
the way up the bay, and as she fell into
her husbands arms she was heard to MUIR
muir Historically, Save my hat"
But these are not the only tragedies of
the coming ashore parade. 1t is when, hav-
ing arrayed herself in her wonderful gown
and marching proudly down the gangway.
that the bottomless peridy of the Paris and
London modiste and milliner Is discovered.
Now, it is the desire of every American
woman's heart to buy her hats and gown
quite unlike those of any other woman. 1t
is customary for milliners and modistes to
recommend toilets as perfectly novel of de-
sign, to ask double prices for hats OF which
no copies are made, and even to destroy the
drawn design of a hat or gown before a
customers eyes in order to insure her in
the sole possession of the unique treasure.
There were a couple of women who got
back home lately with tales of deepest woe
to tell. One of them had fallen into the
clutches of a Regent street tailor, and all
the way over she talked of a stunning gown
she was going to wear ashore. The gown
was of her own designing and she was as
tickled with 1t as a stamp tend who has
got the only specimen of It's kind. She
made fast friends with a woman from Chi
cago and they both sat on deck when the
weather would allow and sharply criticised
a couple of tenure little ~yellow-headed
actresses who dressed very blowzily indeed.
The day of the landing the New Yorker
rose on deck perfect to the last pin, a smile
of deep content on her face and a fresh
cambria handkerchief in her hand, ready to
wave greeting to the shore. Midway of the
deck she met her Chicago chum. Both
women stopped short, grew pale. The New
Workers. lip began to tremble and tears to
gather in her eye, the Chicagoan looked as
II she had seen a snake or a mouse. Their
gowns were seam for seam, stitch for stitch,
exact duplicates. The women passed each
other without even bowling, but the dregs
of their cup was not yet reached. It was
when by chance they both started down the
| anyway elbow to elbow that they saw di-
| rectly before them the two little actresses,
who were the sisters something or other,
performers in variety shows, and always