The age-herald., 1898-02-27
ICopyright, 1ses.I

While the air is raw and cold and the ground still showing traces of the beautiful snow, as it is known in New York. the shop windows are filled with the daintiest, airiest and finest of fab rics wonderful embroidered muslins such as were brought years ago from the mysterious countries beyond the seas printed muslins such as Mary Washington wore, wonderful contrasts in color in the dainty cotton materials that seem to have belonged to the days of Marie Antoinette and Petit Trianon. And with it all they are so cheapl When our muslin gowns were brought by some travelling cousin from China, they were really worth their weight in gold. When domestic manufactures were unknown, a cotton frock was al- most as expensive as a woolen one. But nowadays, when clever American girls draw the designs, when wonder full American looms weave the mate rial, the beautiful, artistic fabric Is within the reach even of the woman who has to economize.
 She is the wise woman who buys her cotton frocks while 1t Is yet winter. Why? Because she has her choice of designs and because she can get her material while it is yet fresh and be- fore it shows the effect of passing through many hands. Then, getting the material so early, the wise woman can devote plenty of time to choosing her decorations and to selecting the modes in which her gowns shall be Perhaps she has chosen dainty white muslin with little dots thickly embroid- cred upon it.. She goes to no pattern house for her design. A month ago there came to her from Paris some pho- tographs of famous French beauties in their summer toilets, and it is these she will initiate. Her dotted muslin will be made after the fashion of that worn by Mile. Yahne as she emerges from be- tween two velvet curtains. The skirt is finished with three tiny ruff1es, while the bodice has a tucked yoke and a corsage decorated with frills of valen- ciennes lace and insertion. The sleeves are glove fitting, but trimmed with the lace, while the crush belt and soft col lar are of white silk Chic? Immense ly so. And yet while it is in the style 1t does not after servile fashion imi- tate the gown worn by Dorothy, Gwen dolen or Cynthia.
 Another cotton is made after one of Anna Held's newest frocks. This shows a decoration of the dainty ruffies, edged with narrow lace, while a big white parasol is made-in the photo. at least-- to seem a special part of the toilet. But it is her jacket of which the wise woman is proudest this spring-the jacket over which all Paris is raving. It is the dainty little coat worn by that wonder full beauty Marsy in her last new play. It is of bright red cloth, showing lapel facings of white, but the coat itself is so cut that though it fits the figure, there is a certain laxity to the front which is an ingenious compromise be- tween the bagging of the ubiquitous blouse and the severity of the classic jacket. Surely the wise woman could not choose three better models than those pictured, for the French actress. even on the stage, never goes to an ex- treme and always sets the mode. In England and America the actress imi- tates the ladies of the great world. In Paris the most artistic dressmaker brings all her genius to bear upon 
 that it will be extensively copied by the most fashionable women. As 8 natural sequence the French actress seldom overdresses, and she takes a special pride in suiting her toilet to the exact time and place. When she is SUD- posed to be the daughter of poor but honest parents, she does not come on the stage wearing Felix dinner dress, but she thinks out what. under such circumstances, would be proper, and she assumes it. Who of us hasn't seen the exact opposite on the English speaking stage?
 By the bye. to leave the stage, which few people are willing to do, do you realize that just about now everybody is taking to Delsarte again. and young women are black and blue from tum- bling up stairs and tumbling down stairs and learning how to decompose themselves? That's an abominable word. But it's a received one. De- composition, you must know. is the ability to become suddenly limp and then just as quickly to use whatever part of your body you wish in the most graceful way. One of the best Delsarte teachers announced before a class the other day that she could tell a south- ern woman the minute she entered room and sat down. She claimed for her that she sits naturally and her limbs fall in easy poses. It seems un- necessary to say that after this was told I blushed. But at the same time I credited it to my natural indolence. According to this teacher, the great trouble with the woman of today is that she hurries. Every movement expresses her haste, and there is no time for grace. You know you can get to place as quickly by walking we'll and evenly as by trotting and stumbling. It's fun my how the novel of the day talks about the bearing of women. At tho