Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-17

Special Correspondence Of Gazette and journal
New York, Feb. II. 1t is quite the
newest fashion to he truthful. In days
gone by, il you or | or our dearest
friend or our hitterest enemy wore
shabby gown, didn't go to the opera,
gave up tho carriage, or was not seen
on an ocean steamer that year, the ex-
planation-.a very weak one always
was that "wo didn't care to-" As il
any woman would prefer wearing shabby
frncks. as IL any woman, whether she
liked II usic or not, would prefer to give
up the opera, or az If any woman or any
man, for that -rrcferred to give
up tho goou things of lifo But we
used to 10 such fools about il. WeRk
as thu explanation was, we pretended
to believe that other people believed
us. Everybody knew that We we're
Lara, and pretty ponr ones. Nowadays
We tall tho truth and shame that
worldly gentleman in black and people
call us nnble Madam AristUcrat, who
is rs stingy as ever she can lp, goes
visiting in a frock made in the days OF
tho Modes and PorBuns, clasps her
banda in tragic way and saya, II
know | am sight but | renlly cannot
afford n new frork." II is fashionable
10 be poor, though there ara a great
many people who are in fashion who
would rather have mora duGats and be
loss stylish. Still this truth telling
fever is not NJ bad as it might he, for
il dOcH give u reason, and sensible
one, for a great many things. 1t makes
ii possible for mere ordinary everyday
people 10 do as they should anu keep
out of debt, and to bu perfectly frank
"a to why they are not foolishly ex-
travagant.
1t lie always the poor who arc ex-
| trnvagant. The rich woman utilities
every scrap Of material, has every gown
made over and hoops rich because ehe
ia economical. This poor woman ia so
desperately afraid OF being thought
poor that she goes into debt, does not
| give tho proper wear to her belongings
and carries burden on her shou lders
that makes her old and ugly before her
time. once had tho pleasure of going
| into the wardrobe room Ut very
| wealthy woman, and that wardrobe
room was an object lesson to mo. 1t
| wus large, light room on the top floor
Of thu house, with wardrobes built
around it on all sides, drawers being
under these wardrObes. and with high
shelves built, above them 10 hold hon
net boxss. liore all gowns ware kept.
| Those that were to be worn were ready
for assumption Those that had been
worn came up TO be brushed, looked
over and carefully put away. Here all
day long sat two maids sewing, brush.
ing ana making over, while the greatest
care was given TO each portion of
frock when il was put away. Sleeves
were stuffed with tiesus papor to keep
them in shaps Bita of colored tissue
pnper went 0vor white lace to prevent
ita becoming yellow. Parusos were
softly wrapped in thin white wool stuff.
Boots. shoes and shippers were all on
their trees and standing in tho drnwers.
Every hat box had written upon it in
big letters o tsrse description Of the
hat in IL, so that one did not lose ones
temper 10y going through innumsrable
boxes searching for ono particular
chaneau. Most remarkable of all were
tho boxas filed with gowns that had
been rippad apart. Whom dress had
done it's duty in life, the thrifty maid
took 1t, ripped it carefully apart, made
II immaculately clean and then sized
its possibilities. The silk lining was
folded, and on the paper wrapping it
was written. 'ilere is enough purple
silk to make petticoat. The hrocado
that formed the dress was also carefully
done up, ito measurement described,
and there was suggested in writing,
This will mako q handsome sofa
pillow" or This may be developed
into party bags or chair covers" The
finely cut steele buttons were wrapped
separately and boxed. The laceH were
cleaned aud carefully hRsted on sheets
Of colured paper anil laid in large fiat
bnzes. Absolutely nothing was wasted.
The consequence is when a now dress
ia to ha matte after some thought has
bnen given to its general style, the
maid will remind the modists of the
exquisite Lace flounco already posseaseCi,
of the finely cut rhinostune buckle that
was on the pink satin or of tho set of
ateel hrttuns that appeared on another
gown, and any one of these is ready to
90 forward md do duty again. Feathers
from bonnets arc in special boxes.
Flowers are carefully Strengthened out
and thought given to their possible uso.
Nothing is counted worthless unless it
10 no. and the conaqeuencs il thar this
woman can afford to he generous. She
docs not give away old iinery. but when
shu wants to help she can afford to put
her hand in her purse and offer money
to whoever nneds IT.
Apropos Of giving, ] laughed in q
half hearted way the other night. My
hRirdresssr, who is widow with four
small chiluren TO support and an aged
mother to care for, was Juggling an
enormous brown paper box as she on
tered the Bah mansion. She spoke nf
her arm being tired, hut said ono OF
her customers had given her HIS box
carly in tito day and told her it was
full OF Homu things that would be usa-
tul 10 her. Now, good many heads
have TO be dressed to support a whole
family; consequently everything must
be valued a its proper consideration by
this busy woman. | suppose she saw
, the curiosity in my eyus, but sho told
me that If would Rlluw her she would
D open the box, as she would like 10 sap
her presents. / realized as | looked
. exactly how mean a rich woman can be,
! ln that huy ware torn worsbaga,
! broken set5 of "pigs in clover" shat.
; tered fans, faded cotillon favurs and a
! few miserable looking ribhons that
= could not have been utilized even for a
i doll-.iust such n lot of rubbish as one
gets when an old chest of drawers ia
cleaned out--and this accumulation OF
nonsense and trash was offered with an
air of pride to d Woodworking woman
, WAC would have appreciated something
! sensible, hut VINO had absolutely nc
D room for such rubbish. ! often wonder
: what the good God thinks Of such
: charity. Anu | often wonder what the
8 people who give such things eypsrt the
Q recipients 10 do With thnm. liut they
keep On giving them, and tho people