The times., 1899-01-01
DREssMAKING IN INDIA.
The Man Tailor a Part of the Estnb-
lishment.

(From Harpers Bazar)
AT the risk of sending all my readers
to India for dressmaking, | shall let you
into one of the secrets of Indias charm to
the Anglo-Indian. Since coming back to
this country nothing seems harder than to
get sewing and dressmaking done; and
though Indian tailors might drive an or
dinary home dressmaker insane, they GER
tainIy do take care of their mistresses in
most fatherly manner. OF course, they
are men, and. of course. they are as much
a part of ones establishment as the cook
or the butler My tailor was an inheri-
tance, and fell to my happy lot along
along with my dignihed white haired cook,
my maid, and my portly and lordiy but
Ter.
Pandsrum was ever faithful to my in
terests, and, when work waxed short did
not rebel at being let out to other ladies.
In fact, so famous was Pandarum as
buyer, and for style and exquisite EN-
broidery, that he was oftener called for
by my missionary and civilian friends than
| liked. He had a goodly family, who all,
of course, lived on the tailor street. re-
member well his handsome old paralyzed
father and less we'll his wife and children.
l think there were seven in the family,
and yet Pandarums wages were but So %
a month-and no meals,
Promptly each morning he came to my
room, took out his mat and unrolled it on
the yeranda under my window, and placed
upon it his hand Singer sewing machine
and his large basket of work Mending
he seldom did, for that could as well be
done by the native ayah: but he had so real
an interest in all my wardrobe that he
saw to it that long cloth and cambria
in quantity were kept on hand and that
| frpuupnt mn
of hand made laces and embroideries from
the native schools to keep me in an as
sortment OF lingerie such as he thought
fitting. How he loved to plan and fuss.
What connections in ruffies and tucks and
insertions adorned my night dresses,
skirts and other garments. When no
other work was ordered he would inspect
my bureau drawers and inform me that
| needed new light nightgowns or skirts,
and that If 1t was madams pleasure, he
would begin the garments at once. l might
have TO interrupt him, but, though a man
of much decision of character, he was
enough of Hindu to respect my authority
and would lay aside his tucks and shr-
rings TO refine the carriage or to mend
the saddle, which had perhaps been hung
too near the wall. and so had become the
feeding ground for white ants.
Or perchance there was needed pair OF
Shippers TO go Win an evening dreSS. m
I'll month ago ! had one pair which was
wholly hand made, and which l had kept
as a curiosity. The soles were cut out by
the native leather worker. who brought his
tools TO the veranda and copied the so,es
from another pair. The lining was of
plain satin and the outside of pale yellow
satin embroidered in gold
The Indian tailors can copy almost any
thing from fashion papers, though they
have not the Worth touch in drapery. AM
as for gowns from home, they copy them
so literally that a newcomer not only has
the satisfaction of setting the fashion, but
soon. to the arousing of another set OF
emotions, finds herself without one gown
which is distinctly her own,
Some of the tailors do excellent embroi-
derry. l still have land wear at times, when
| wish to be very festive,. a pale yellow
India silk-to which the yellow slippers
belonged-heavily and exquisiteiy embroi-
dered in gold.
Usually embroiderers are specialists and
get rather higher wages than Pandarum
did. but he did my dress as part of his reg
ular work, and as beautifully as any spe-
cialist from the temple could have done.
As to upholstering furniture-in cool lin
ems and cottons. OF course-making the
strong nettings for beds. or punkahs, which
are so necessary to our comfort, he had
no superior.