The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-10

age women OF Inc WIue GUILTY., u lily
were not only sometimes the mothers of
Presidents, they were the mothers of
America.
From time immemorial the mother-in-
law has been an object of reproach. 1t is
i%nfrequent that one pauses to inquire
where, why or how she first earned her
unenviable reputation as a disagreeable
and Objectionable person, and we fear
the inquiry would be futile and profftless.
How many of the mothers-in-law of our
immediate acquaintance deserve the repu-
tation with which they are universally ac-
credited? asks the American Queen"
Their chief fault (Which varies, according
to all tradition) is their persistent incli-
nation to steer and to rule the private and
domestic affairs of their married sons and
daughters. That this meddlesome spirit
exists, and in many instances is carried
too far, nobody can deny-instances are
constantly exhibited, usually more glar-
ing in the early stages of young married
life.
OF course, the explanation of this Is nat
ural and excusable. The mother, who for
years has been in close sympathy with a
son or daughter, and has known and
] SIdtlltu each WISH anu Q6SiIt liStdilIfy,
is suddenly called upon to give up every
claim. This is a superhuman task, and it
is not remarkable that for the. first few
months she finds it an impossible one. 1t
is given to but few women to keep eyes
and ears and mouth nut when they want
most to open them.
ITO the credit of the sex be 1t said that
l thnrn ic nn1xy n cpao11 rO,14-4so- ~ -on1n
firts, when we accept the word firt in it's
general and accepted meaning" writes
Frances Evans. in her about Men,
article, in the April Ladies' Home Jour
nal" The pleasant nothings of social
life cannot, correctly speaking, be placed
in the same category as Irritation. No
more can the salutation of Mike to Katie
when he says The top O. the mornin' to
yez, me angelt darlin'; ye're the cream O
the milkin', the top note % the lark
simply because these expressions contra
dict themselves by their openness Plain
ly, there is nothing behind them. Fir
tation is carried on more by manner than
i by speech, manner being non-commital-
something one cannot place ones finger
on. There is nothing so fiattering as an
outspoken preference for ones society
shown in various ways. This art of fiat
terry is the natural weapon of the firt,
who rarely expresses himself openly;
therefore his methods are most insidious
and almost impossible to resist, because
intangible. Filtration is cruel, whether
the firt be man or woman. The firt is
unkind, selfish and frequently dishonor-
able. The consequences of Irritation are
almost without exception disastrous;
therefore, in considering the moral phases
of the firtatious inclination it would seem
best TO nip it in the bud according to the
suggestions of the Golden Rule"
Every up-to-date woman now aspires
to the Gibson Form" which is really the
ideal Delsarte form, christened by the
name of the popular artist who has given
it his sanction. This means a short back.
hollow at the waist, a long line from the
shoulder to the point of the bust. which
should be very full, a small waist and a
fiat abdomen. The woman who can as.
sumo this position, gives the hip a beau
tiful curve, and is sure of being at once
graceful and stylish. Corsets are now
modelled on this plan and give the flat
abdomen by the straight 'front.' cut.
This, of course, can be readily understood
when you pause to think that flesh must
go somewhere, and, if room is given in
front at the waist line, it will remain
where nature intended it should, and the
straight line of the Greek statue will be
preserved. Very low ~corsets, scarcely
more than a girdle at the sides and back
are a fad with fashionable woman, and
when the figure is rounded and the lace
trimmed lingerie of the present moment
&c worn tho offoot &c, still ,,o,o OuooIx *
*s*
IT want my portrait to be a pretty pic
ture, apart from being a likeness is
what every woman now says to the ar
fist who paints her, and even the pho
| tographer is told not to make her look
Photographic. And so the artists search
through old books of portraits, that
have lived because of their treatment, and
have become famous, like seThe Lady
With a Muff,'' Madame Recamier," and
the canvas of Reynolds, Lawrence and
Lely. From these they get ideas for
backgrounds and for costuming. Even
the photographers rave to search for old
time picturesqueness with which to sur
round the faces of the day. Every one
knows the famous portrait of Nine. Lee
brun with her daughter, painted by her
| self. A celebrated beauty of New York
society who bears resemblance to the
French lady, chose to pose in imitation
of this picture, with really charming re-
/ suit. The face was sweet and material,
and below it was that of the little daugh-
ter held closely in her arms. ''Rut /
thought Mrs. Blanks only child was a
boy!" exclaimed a friend. 'Oh, of course,
he isl was the explanation, t'but you
see a boy wouldn't do in that picture so
she borrowed a girl for the occasiont'
| What tickle mortals we are:-One mo-
ment clamoring for gowns of color and
another for gowns that shall have none.
1t has been black. black. and black and
white, black and white and black now
for somem onths, and it will be black
| and white for al title white to come, in
| some form or other. just for the mo-
ment every establishment seems bud
ding forth INTO black and white gowns
| of checked fabric. I saw the other day
a most graceful thing, the bodice and
| unique of fine shepherd check, in a
thin wooden fabric, the underskirt of
| rich black satin, and the ever-present
chemisette of tucked white muslin
crossed by a sailor-knot OF soft white
lace; this charming bodice had its con-
| Guiding not in a black satin band passed
| through a glitttering steel buckle.