Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-05
AFTER A RAG-CARPET CUTTING
Ann coRN-sHUCKING.
THERE WERE VERY FEN RED EARS,
vut the Real Kisses Were MANY
some Reflections on Lent-A se"so"
of preSs-Msking--AB innder-""
Notes.



many. and we are now doing pehahce io'
All our sins and Notifying the hesh by
nard work.
7, a IN these quiet days OF Lent wheh
the sunset glow stays. and fades away
bi. later every day. and milder breeze
blows in with the twilight that we kho"
whatever mid -winterish freaks Malch
may indulge IN. the sprngtime is already
here. and the playtime Of the year not
30 very far away.
There is something between the forty
DAYS Of Lent and the getting and making
OF much fine apparel that is certainly
paradoxiosl.
Popularity supposed Lent IS a season o;
fasting and prayer. a period Of self-denial
for spiritual, not TO say physical recu-
perauon.
Outside OF first love there is no greater
fallacy. OF course, dancing is tabooed'
and formal functions considered bad form.
Social as well as religious Lentcn duties,
are mixed up in a way that only society
can understand and keep each in
tegral in good running order.
The amount of food consumed In these
days Of abstinence IS surprising. LLcheon
clubs flourish and private luncheons and
small dinners that are the sine Qua non
OF elegance, and, no doubt, render much
fasting. and not a little prayer, necessary
by both mistress and maid, are held by
many TO be the thing for true Lenten de-
voices.
One Of the best established Lenten Gus
toms is the making Of clothes. for this
is the one season OF the year in which
every woman is supposed 20 spend at
her own fireside. sewing. sewing. sewing,
"seam, gusset. and band" with a fcrvOr
and spirit of industry unknown Of at
other periods. This is slightly confusing.
in reality she is usually found in groups
OF twos and threcs going from store 10
store. up to her pretty nose IN all the
fufery OF lawn and lace and ribbon. for
once more the weary taking thought for
the morrow what she shall wear-and
how she shall make thrust be resumed.
IL will not be long now when all thought
Of cold weather Will have passed away.
simultaneously the summer woman and
the sweet pea blossom Will burst forth
together.
THE SUMMER GIRL
The summer girl, OF course, like a skill
ful general with the campaign mapped
out. IS already busy selecting her organ
dies and novelty gowns, for she has learn
ed by experience that if she wishes origi-
nal costumes she must decide upon them
before the choicest goods are gone No
one shall encroach on her preserves Of
dress or devotion. she has a number of
gowns secured. you may rest assured
and later on will stun us with a frOck diff
ferent from any we have seen, and espe-
Cially adapted TO what she fanciCs her
peculiar style TO be. To correctly settle
this. a Partisan mOdiste has ventured on
q brand-neW idea. Let the bright sunlight
shine directly in your eyes, and tho pre-
dominant color therein will be the color
60 choose for a gown when you wish TO
eclipse every rival and look most be-
witchingly arrayed. That's a simple thing
10 do. What becomes of the red-haircd
girl with blue-green eyes? Because you
and / have seen this girl, and she is not
half so plain os her description would inn
ply, and yet how would she look i'm a
blue-green gown? A fashion writer said
not long since that present evening
gowns for maid and matron are charm
ing, but they do not describe Well
That Is So Their fragile simplicity and
delicate dTapng. as if caught up here
and there by fairy fingers, Is too subtle
10 be dealt with by a scratchy pen or
printers ink. There Is a kind of moral
element about clothes that somehow IS
indehnable, else why that virtuous feel
ing we have when well dressed?
Woman are reputed TO feel this kind
OF morality about dress more keenly than
men, but do not believe il. Other things
equal-and sometimes when they are
not-it it the stylish girls that win the
Of rhcr bnf q m
is 10 please the masculine eyes, and, as
rule. they succeed.
Men have set the seal Of their judgment
upon the sense of sight, and why should
woman's devotion to her personal APP
pearance slacken? Not to analyZe the
nature Of any particular fashion, the
Tact Of its absolute control remains.
is there anything funnier than that
alarm we take when Rumor gets abroad
that a change In some favorite style is
coming? My! We fairly quake in our
shoes And how many of US declare
that We will never give in to it. no matter
how popular II becomes? The convenient
the healthful. even the most becoming
yield, soon or late. TO the fashionable
One can hardly attract so much attention
In any way as to dress very unlike other
people.
A BLUNDER.
An old-fashioned coat, or gown. is &
blunder. an absurdity; It is as awkward
as sn0w-shOes in a parlor. / noticed th'
other day that the very large figured old
time lace wells that hung down . wo
mans back like q sash curtain of Not
tingham lace were 90 be imported from
la Belle Parce. 1 semember, when
child. that i used 10 see an elderly wo
man wear some such veil already Mt!
years after date. and that l would 81
up in church. II she was In view, ant
trace immense cOrn-cOlored roses an
leaves about her scuttle bonnet until m
small eyes ached. To think what sigh
she was! And l positively VOW that
every woman ] know would sign he
name against such monstrosity ! woul
head the list.
There are wells and wells, and womel
generally agree as 90 their indispensa
bic character. wells most immediat
and practical use Is 10 protect the hal
from dust and wind. certainly a con
sideration az pres ent when so much OF
woman's blonde or brown or rudy lock
Is exposed. Now the really. truly fash
ionable woman, who dresses well an
knows her hat Is becoming Is never
coward about taking the light fun IN he
face. but she very seriously objects 1
having her hair Blown about or her fac
looking greasy; for nothing 50 entirel
nullihcs even supreme beauty OF face
form. and gown as a greasy countenanc'
resulting from too much sunshine with
out the break Of a veil This is best
be Of white chiffon, and must be sur
ported by two magic precautions. Thes
mean fiat. antique silver bottle swun
BY delicate chains from her belt hOldnl