Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-28

recall a particular dress that appeared
last winter-a marvellous creation of black
and white and spangless with a telling
CLEAN of scarlet around the waist and
neck, and flashing in the heels of her black
satin slippers. 1t was the very soul Of DASH
daring and knowing, deviltry. Men under
stood, If the bride who wore it was at first
confused, bewildered. She glanced help
lessly-appealingly. even--in the direction of
Mephistopheles and me, as a bald-headed
hero of many social campaigns grew ear
nest in his devotion ito her-dress
Mephistopheles laughed and l sighed.
What could we do? Could we go to her res
cue, saying:
MY dear, you are wearing the creation Of
wicked wicked woman, and your SPAN
giles and your scarlet heels and the bold
cut of your bodice, are out-talking your shy,
sweet self at every turn. Run home, my
child, burn this tinseled temptation and re-
appear in white frock with simple blue
ribbon about your waist and this persistent
old beau will leave you perfectly free to
enjoy a nice stupid evening could we
speak thus?.
The girl would have thought us crazy At
all events, the words of warming were not
spoken, and late last spr:ng-this gown in
troduced her In Observation-Disclosures
beckoned me across the street one after
noon to see the bride again She was on
her way to a tea at the golf club She
wore white. plain skirt defining her figure
so as to suggest how woman'S dress may
make the nude in art seem very fully
clothed. Her bodice, here in broad day
light. was of filmiest lace over such a
meager batiste lining that the scattered
design of butterflies wrought in the lace
was really the most she had on. Moreover
the inspiration of her modiste had become
the inspiration of her life. Her dress and
herself now were united in purpose.
The Sisters of Charity.
That very day 1 turned from this woman
to look at the garb of a nun passing Have
these women-women in religion-solved
the dress problem to the satisfaction of
the soul? 1 asked myself. The question
often required to me. and 1 have finally
got an answer.
Have you a dress probem?" asked a
Sister of Charity.
She scarcely understood me at first and
then she told me how absolutely and en-
tirely women who quit the world for re-
ligion leave the worry of dress behind.
Our habit said the sister, was de-
signed for us three hundred years ago 1t
is the dress of the peasant woman of
France at the time our order was founded.
Our mission being among the poor, we
We're given the dress Of the poor, that we
might work among them without any ap-
parent distinction Every detail of our
dress, including every article worn, and
even such minute matters as the heels of
our shoes and the width of the hens on
our garments, Is prescribed by the rules
of our order, laid down three hundred years
ago. You see, we are very far removed
style has not changed for centuries. When
join the order we given a habit,
and we wear 1t as long as 1t lasts. 1t costs
about $2S new and this one 1 have on l
have worn twelve years. I have known a
sister to wear one fifteen years. The wear,
of course, depends on the character of work
required of the sister. Our sole concern
about dress is cleanliness and orderli-
ness but the habit being worn by us as
an expression of our will to serve God, even
this thought pertains not to the appearance
of our dress. but to our love of God. a
faithful religieuse strives for perfection,
and that her linen is always immaculate.
her gown in perfect order, is to be expected
because of her aim in living.
Dress Not a Burden.
But do you find your dress in no way
burden7" I asked. lis not that great
stiff linen headdress uncomfortable and the
gown itself too heavy I'M summer"
you forget the difference in purpose of
the dress Of nun and of a woman in
the world. 1t Is not to please ourselves or
any one but God, and if we suffer any in
convenience we are happy to suffer in the
service of Him. But. indeed, our habit is
perfectly easy. The dress you see, allows
such freedonm of movement that it might
be used In gymnasium, and the linen cor
onet we wear Is, l dare Say, no more aWk-
ward on the head than the average woman
finds her fashionable hat or bonnet. Then
the very name by which We designate our
dress-our habit-implies much. You know
how truly a habit becomes a second ma
ture to enc, and so Is the dress of num-
This such a complete realization of
my dream of solution Of the dress prob
lem that grew envious, and l begged the
Sister of Charity to tell me if she could see
any hope for a woman of the world getting
rid of the curse in her clothes unless she
got her to nunnery.
A Woman's Duty.
The sister gave me little encouragement.
She even set 1t forth as a matter Of con-
science that woman In the world should
keep up with the fashions of the day, as
not to be a modification to her friends and
family, but she suggested that the burden
of all this might be diminished by the spirit
in which it is done, it being a torment to
the soul to follow the fashion for fashions
sake, while the same act performed in
obedience to the requirements of ones office
In life might make personal adornment a
means of spiritual development.
This was new idea to me, and the force
of 1t appealed to my downcast, dress-ridden
soul. l had just come from my tailor's,
where for two weary hours l had stood up
while one man and two young women
pecked at me, pulled at me, wheeled me
around, stuck pins into me-treated me al
together like dry goods store dummy-and
verify the sister spoke we'll and wisely.
My body was still aching from the strain
l had been under. Moreover, new hat
was wearing, weighted down with the whole
feathered carcass of a bird, had given me a
splitting headache and | could readily per-
ceive that treating the matter of dressing
in smart fashion the way your lawful hus-
band likes to see you and ordains you shall
appear-doing this as q matter of penance
makes hair shirts, pebbles In your boots,
fasting, scourging and all such penitential
practices seem silly by comparison with the
degree Of martyrdom possible to be got out
or woman's up-to-date apparel.
A Community of Dress.
A nun Of the Visitation disclosed to me
that by the rules of her order she Is even
farther removed from the vicissitudes of
the dress problem than the Sisters of Char
1ty. The latter have individual ownership
OF their habit, and each keeps her own
dress In order. The nuns of the Visitation
however. have unqualified community of
uress All the wearing apparel of all the
nuns Is IN charge of one called the ward
roplan who apportions and repairs the at
tire OF each nun. who has not so much as
the responsibility of owning the dress upon
her BACK This is taken from her. renewed,
replaced at the discretion of the ward
robian so that Eve before the fall knew
scarceiy less about the bother of clothes,
than by the providence of their piety do
these religious women.
Inc haplt OF the nuns Of the Visitation
was designed by st. Francis de Sales, the
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