The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-23


the various clubs that are organized to-
encourage the wearing of short skirts,
heavy boots, plain hats and the carrying
of stout umbrellas ON rainy days, but
somehow if you are out on rainy day
it dawns OH you that ON a rainy day
The American woman is not success.
She lacks the courage Of the EngliSh
girl. who does not care how she looks
provided she is comfortable, and who,
feeling perfectly secure in a good storms
coat, strides through mud and water III
broad-soled shoes and galoches, sure or
coming ont in fat condition. She makes
one big step over crossing, and does
NOT mind the soft rain drops failing ont
her face. She knows this kind of water)
is good for the complexion. Now, theI
average American woman does net HOOK
well on a rainy day. She may go in for
comfort, put on a short skirt, long ulster
and felt hat, and carry an umbrella, but
she is uncertain in her grasp of it. She
either takes 1t by the extreme end, so
that 1t wabhIes to and fro, as the wind
listeth or else she graSpS it so far up
that il looks like n perambulating nlush-
room. while she cannot see anybody,
and the people who meet her run the
chance of having their eyes knocked out
or their digeystions punched in. After a
block or two of walking the rainy day
girl concludes to. get on a car, and her
umbrella is wildly waved to stop it.
Then she makes the usual feminine eff
fort to get on the platform with the UNI
brella still open. AS the car WAS not
built with this in view, the conductor
yells at her, ''Shut that My lady
stands perfectly still, says something
about reporting him TO the superintend-
emf, while the nearest man closes her
umbrella for her, and after that she en-
tiers the car. Ten to one she sits down
next to somebody who has had the
rheumatism. and that vile umbrella drips
on him or her until he or she nearly
has a nervous chill.
TROUBLE ON THE CAR.
Twenty to one her money, instead of
being in her ulster pocket, is in her dress
skirt, so that when the conductor comes
for it she unhutt0ns the coat, squirms
around to find the pocket, and has the
whole car interested in her efforts. Then
when the money is discovered, she gives
it to the unfortunate conductor in way
that suggests he ought to be giving
thanks that she is in his ear instead Of
making her pay for the privilege, After
that she takes out her handkerchief
dabs her face, and looks around the car
7 with her best smile and says with a long
ing sigh, "Oh, | am SO tired. This eX-
preston of weakness conquers every man
in the car and absolutely permeates the
being of each one, and my private opin-
ion is that il every woman did this the
second time there would be a riot among
the men as to who should have the privi-
lege of letting her umbrella drip on him.
When she gets out. it is fun to see her.
1t is evident that she is used to being
helped across the street by man. She
grasrs her skirt in one hand, looks
around, stands on her tip toes, gets in
the middle of the street, sees a wagon
coming half a square away and chases
back. Then she waits a long time makes
another rush across just when the cleo
tric cars are racing down the street after
block. and rushes across at the risk of
her life, without any regard for appear
ances, or else is meekly led across by
some man who knows the ways of wo-
man and feels sorry for her. A French
woman would never make herself so ri
diculous. She lifts her skirts in a dainty
sort of a way with both hands, gives II
full view of a perfeetly-fitting boot, and
the suggestion of a black silk stocking,
but that is only suggestion, and then
with the quickness of a bird she gets
over the bad places and is safe on the
other side. Her skirts are quickly drop
ped, madame is as demure as possible,
while she has the absolute admiration Of
all the men standing around her.
ELECTRICITY AND DRESSM \ X
ERS.
The electric car is am incentive to
gracefulness. Without asking your leave
you are deposited Immediately after you
enter into the lap OF a man who does
net appreciate his blessings, and later
you spill your change on the floor be-
cause of the ear wabbling III your effort
to be businesslike and count your money
You are literally thrown off. 1t is true
you may not land fiat I'm the middle OF
the street, but deliberation in getting of
is an impossibilfty. There is no stand
ing on the order of your going, hut you
go at once, and with such qnickmss
that nine times out of ten ynu are put
OFF at a street for which you have III
utilization. j wonder why it always rains
when you have an appointment mt. youl
dressniakers? And with that type OF
dressmaker who, if you lose your ntting
makes you suffer by keeping the dress
longer? The dressmaker is very positive
this winter, and no matter how abomina.
bic your neck may be, she insists on
making an evening dress with very low
bodice. sometimes wonder il men have
the same trouble with their taiiors, and
if they are as impudent 10 them as dress
makers are to women. If a woman
wants frOck on "Wednesday, she has
to lie about it and tell the dressmakel
that she must have it Sunday night, unC
if she has a reverence for a bodice that
does not require the united efforts of the
family, assisted by the cook, to fasten
it on her. she has to warn the dress.
maker that unless it is an easy fit she
won't pay her bill. Then she has to en-.
dure being told that her figure is bad
that she doesn't wear the right Kind OF
lingerie, and to be sympathized with in
an insulting way and given to understand
that IL is pity she doesn't let those PEG.
pie choose her clothes that really under.
stand dress. Nine times out Of ten the
dressmaker objects to the kind of stays
you wear. and one particularly swell one
h0d the imDudence to tell a new cuSto