Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29

PARIS December 10, 1900.
To watch the gay Parisennes one would
think the world was only made to laugh in,
certainly there is nothing serious about the
town lately. Gay bevies of women throng
the streets and crowd around the shop
windows, and for the dressmakers, why,
they are fairy besieged! Fortunately, /
thought to order my gowns in advance, or
l should certainly be left in the lurch.
am going to spend week at Nine. de Neu-
ily's little chateau in Brittany. 1t will be
nice house party-not more than fifteen
people, but special occasions We have
plenty of neghbors to call upon. There
are the de Keradets the Ronceveiles and a
score of others. l have six new costumes
for the occasion.
One is Of brown velvet, but a pretty red
dish brown-you know, the new shade. 1t
is heavily embroidered with brown of a
contrasting shade, dull red and gold. 1t is
made severely plain, only there is a broad
hounce at the bottom of the skirt, giving Ii
pretty flare. Ne.vet is SO limp if YOU
don't have something of the sort. The
jacket-it looks more ike waists maze
blouse fashion and lacks three inches OF
closing. Five narrow gold and JeWeied
straps go across this opening, but they give
one glimpses of a dainty front of cream
crepe de chine embroidered with tiny gold
heur-de-hs. OF course, at the base of the
collar there is one Of those immense direc-
toire 1abots, In the center of which my lit
tie green jade scarab makes startling bill
of color.
With GrandmOther's Laces.
My principal evening dress which l shall
reserve for the dance ON New Year eve is
well, let me describe it, and tell me if you
don't think 1t Is pretty. In the first place.
thanks to the excellent taste of my grand
mother, l. had lot of really good lace.
but unfortunately, none of the lengths are
sufficient to make an entire dress so this
is the way l managed. My dress, ] have
the honor to inform You. is of the palest
Nile green chiffon. and it is accordion plait-
ed every bit of 1t. Doesn't that sound nice
and fluffy? Over the hips, down the front
in q curved panel and down the back
reaching to the bottom of the skirt, is a
priceless section of my beautiful lace 1t
is about ten inches wide. and wish you
could see the side view of the skirt, the
lines are artistic. AS for the waist IL
is simple enough There Is a bOlero of lace
with the narrowest lace shoulder straps
Below this you catch a glimpse of the chlf-
fon blouse.
One of my gowns is a fancy costume.
NO, my dearS, we are not going to have
a masked ball; that has grown too COM
mon. 1t Is going to be private theatricals
this time. You know. society is mad on the
subject. They had a mystery play in the
open air at Plouzeau not long ago. and
Nine. de Neuilly drove over from her place
TO see II. Since that time she dreams of
theatrical representations and wants to do
something which will be the talk of the
country. OF course, we can't have 1t In
the open at this time Of the year but what
is the use of owning a really antique cha
teau if you can't use 1t for scenery.
Grand Medieval Revival.
So there is to be grand medieval per-
Torrance. 1t Is called LIE Voeu du Chew
al:er," and Is to represent some grand deeds
of one of her ancestors. l to person.
ate the chevaliers bethrothed and my
name is to be Ghiselaine de Coucy. Rather
high sounding, isn't 1t? But 1t isn't cir
cumstance to my costume. l have point
ed headdress nearly mile high and dress
of brccade stiff enough to stand alone. Dear
ne, wonder the ladies of those times
did nothing but embrOideri Fancy playing
golf in dress like thatl
The Clever Friend.
1 have a piece Of news for you. That
little Dubarrois girl has been invited, too
Decidedly that girl gets In everywhere. and
her people are nothing at all. You see, she
is clever, and Nine. de Neuilly wouldn't
think of having theatricals without her to
help. She is skillful at fixing the stage
properties, and she has even been known
to paint scenery on occasion. She has
taste, too, if l do admit it. Nine. Celeste
showed me the frOck she is making for her
Do you know, | am actually afraid 1t
will eclipse my green chiffon and lace.
complexion isn't exactly milk and roses, but
she understands her type. This gown is
of pale yellow muusseline, and ii falls off
the shoulders in the most coquettish man
ner The little straps which fall off the
shoulders want particularly to impress
this fact in your mind-are ornamented
with two tremendous big black velvet bows.
Beginning under the arms and meeting
over the bust in front are TWO bands of
gray lace insertion, with wide black vel
vet ribbons run through them. These
bottom of the skirt which is further orna-
mented with three more bands Of the in
EertiOn.
That girl is certainly great on rosettes,