The Meeker herald., 1899-04-08
INFLUENCE OF CLOTHES.

INFLUENCE OF cLOTHee.
Wearing one's Bsst whes visitins the
Poor and Sick.
Lenten frocks of purple and he'll
uope Tor church-going mission-visit-
ing and good work generally. are being
made for the consistent and conscien-
tious woman, says the New York Com
mercial Advertiser. Simplicity and
occurrences characterize these gowns
as rule. and the cllnging, graceful.
sort fabrics, such as nuns yelling.
cashmere and canvas are chosen rather
than the more aggressive and worldly
cloths or rustling materials. One good
soul whose Lenten duties take varied
sorms has what she calls her hospital
nress. This she wears to readings
and recitals and lectures on Greek art
and psychological phenomena, as we'll
A. to the wards where the children
walt her coming as eagerly as flowers
long for the sun. II don't believe In
the old-time philanthropist in a little
gray bonnet and a black shawl" says
this Lent lily.
Il think poor people and 'shut-ina'
are more observing and more apprecia-
tive than people who hustle about iE
the world, and know that they love
pretty clothes and are pleased to think
one puts on her very best to go to SEQ
them. One small girl at the post grad
Hate always sizes me up with her big
blue eyes the minute l enter the ward.
Then, when / sit beside her bed 10
talk to her, she smiles and strokes my
mum, plays with the charms on .Iy
chatelaine and tells me how pretty 1
look, how much nicer this bonnet is
than the one l wore last week and
other bits of information that she has
probably been cogitating on and stor-
Ing up for days. 1t makes me wary, l
assure you, and If l am not as smart
as usual I fairly quake before the
scrutiny Of the blue-eyed one who
loves visitors, but, above all, smartly
dressed visitors.
My girls, like their mother, have
not much money to speEd, SO they try
to give time and energy instead One
OF them teaches a clase of little bar
barians how to sew and the other has
a kindergarten catechism class. The
girls are both in their teeEs and fear
neither Of them has the gift OF teach
ing. SO l discreetly avoid questions
about the progress the children are
making In sewing or religion; but !
do know that the little heathens Of
Hester street think Polie a sort Of
well-dressed angel, who is fair teller
OF stories, and Nell tells as a good joke
that the Saturday morning following
the day on which she wore her fox ooA
for the first time, the attendance Of her
class was about one-third as large
again as it had been before.
The observing pupils .had told the
neighborhood how the teacher had let
Teresa Giovanetti wear the wild beast
around her neck because her hem
stitching was we'll done. Poor Nell
had her hands full that morning be.
tween her efforts to teach the increased
number and. her anxiety for her
precious boa, that was being walked
around the room, one child holding
its head and one its tall. letting the
legs claw along the floor She de-
cided to make a virtue Of necessity
and q Lenten sacrifice of the boa. 1t
became the plaything of the class. but
aided Nell's efforts to maintain order;
at the first threat to take the fox
away from them the children became
as submissive as class of.cherubs.
Dress is great thing when peo-
pie are to be cheered and heartened
mentally as well as physically. A chate-
laine and pretty hat, fashionable
frock and big muff will sometimes in
terest and amuse a suffering child as
much as q picture book and flatter and
please poor old soul shut away from
the poetic and stereotyped bunch of
flowers or bundle OF tracts"