Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-04
AN AFTERNOON
ON THE ICE,
AND THE ROUGH AND READY COSTUMES WORN BY FASHIONABLE
WOMEN OF PAR1s-rHEY SKATE IN COMFORT.

Paris, Jan. 24.-In Paris where they
know how to do things in a lazy way
they go out skating to be comfortable,
as we'll as to give exhibitions Upon the
ice.
In this country we freeze, and a skating
afternoon is one long shiver.
In Paris a pond, or lake, or river would
have few patrons did it not make skaters
comfortable. All along it's banks, and
reaching well up into the country, there
are open spaces which are dedicated to
the skaters.
Here they can set UP their basket Of
Goals; and here they can bring their little
tables, their after dinner coffee sets, their
Russian samOvars and their Dresden
china, for a tea party after the skating
is over.
Even so small a thing as a foot warmer
is not excluded. There are little wooden
stools mounted on wheels that are scat
tered over these places for the feet OF The
skater to rest upon. When she comes off
the ice she unfaStenS her skates, seats
herself upon a cane stool and rests her
feet upon one of these little sliding foot
stools.
There are women in Paris who make a
living renting out these little tables for
the skaters. They can be seen upon the
banks presiding over a table,, a Cairo
stand, a coal bucket and a set of stools
n footstools. For a trifling sum you
can take possession of the entire outfit,
and keep warm and have something to
eat in the bargain.
The fire bucket is a queer thing, which
closely resembles our old fashioned skit-
ties. 1t consists of a very shiny brass
bowl, somewhat resembling a modern
chatting dish in shape. The cover is filled
with holes. The bottom is filled with live
Goals, which burn merrily, sending forth
their comforting blaze through the holes
in the roof.
The skaters gather round this very Or
namental fire M stand and warm tnem-
selves while slipping a glass Of something
good.
Very often the entire outfit Is supplied
from a small casino higher up on the
bank. The young man of the party is
supposed to do duty as messenger. He
brings down the Cairo stand and the fold
ing table, the samovar and the sklttic,
and gets all in nice shape for his compan-
ions. Were it not so cold it would be ex-
actly like the reception in a sum1ner
room; ar ice parlor tea you might call it
were you looking for a name.
OF course the United States is the
greatest country in the world, but there
are a few things we could learn, and one
Of them is how to be comfortable though
skating. No more frozen feet; no more
frost-nipped noses; no more coIds: when
we learn how they do that sort of thing
in Paris.
And such warm dresses as they wear!
Though they look thin enough. The heav-
lest, Coarsest, warmest of good are used
in these dresses with every effort. to give
them the attractive rough-and-ready look
of the English .ailors. And they are sue
ceeding admirably well. Tailors have
been brought from London to Paris, and
to their neatness has been added the Pc
culiar style OF the French dressmaker.
All skating suits are tight fitting, for
the loose-fowing cloak or the flying cape
is not considered fit for the ice. The snug
gest coats are made long in the back and
cut away in the front, with small coat
sleeves and the double breasted front.
These coats act as bodices. They are
worn over the silk waist, which does not
prevent them from fitting close to the
figure. And indeed they do fit, hugging
every curve.
Skating skirts are long enough to cover
the ankle when skating and are cut upon