The times., 1901-06-09

1
| Nothing could have given me greater
| pleasure than the announcement Of the
betrothal Of your dear little daughter.
| Yvonne. I know how much the prospect
of this union must delight you. The Mar
/ quis de NJ is the bearer of one Of the
! greatest names in France. / remember
| your childish fear Of sacrificing the youth
/ OF your little girl to your taste for soil
| tude, but you see that the sweet dove has
! been stolen from the eagles nest SO
| proudly nesting among the Alps; and 1
was right in the happy destiny of an
| heiress like YvOnne. who combines in her
own person the triple attractions of birth.
| fortune and beauty.
/ sincerely rejoice in the thought that
your visits to Paris are about at last to
be renewed more frequently. for do not
doubt that your grandmOtherly devotion
viii often bring you here. though all the
! solicitations of your friends are in vain.
In the meantime, dear gOdmotner. 1 en-
| quite ready to prove myself worthy Of the
| confidence you have manifested in me by
! consulting me on the important question
OF Yyonne's trousseau. You caIumnIate
yourself when you express doubt as to
/ your exquisite and sure taste, and the
| most your grandchildren can say of yo1,
| IS that you are a little old-fashioned IL
/ you bring out again one Of the innumer-
| able trousseaus that occupy whole floors
| of wardrObes.
| But you know perfectly wei that your
eodeh!ld will spare you that worry. and
| since in this matter you want to make ne
/ 1 arpitre des elegances,' l will do my
| pest TO satisfy you.
! The trousseau Of a young woman of the
! rank OF the future Marquise de NJ
| Ought to include: Four dozen day che
/ misses, one dozen very plain of the finest
| cambric, edged with English embroidery
| very perfectly fitting and specially set
/ apart for travelling and '.deplacements:''
/ Two dozen Of lawn, trimmed with lace
smal! pleats, light eInbroideries and vari-
| Gus lncrustations. and the fourth dozen
/ reserved for evening wear, without any
| epauletteS. their place being taken bv rib-
| bons. These latter should be marvels of
rlcnneSS and nneneSS with yOkes OF old
BruSes point, incrustatfOns of Necblin
| lace, berthas of Valenciennes. all wing
| with each other in luxurious elega nee. II
| the number appears limited one wonders
/ by what miracle it has been possible TO
produce infinite variations of trimming
and aspect. For. if the first series con-
| sists of two models each repeated six
| times, the three others are of thirty-six
| different models.
Then, four dozen pairs Of drawers. ex-
actly matching the chemises, but with the
trimming fuller and more fluffy so as to
| initiate by the fullness of the fiounces the
small petttcoat which the present fashion
| OF small hips has caused us for the mo-
ment 10 give up The drawers, also made
OF lawn, must be wide and very short
here, godmOther, l must mention an
| adorable trimming for a bride. which I
| admired in the showrOOms of the Maison
Gfraud, where | obtained the information
nave given you 1t is square yoke with
a point in front. made of old BrIlgeS uOint
lace, and is incrusted with groups Of Gu
pidS playing amid garandS OF roses This
lace is of unheard-of beauty and perfee-
tion. And don't you think the subject
pleasing by its suggestive gallantry?
The long-esta blished corset cover is no
longer worn; at the outside dozen only
are required They must be faultless in
shape and should be renewed according to
the changes OF fashion IN waists. You see,
godmother, that our frivOlity does not
make US impractical The shape Of a
corset cover IS that of a heightened bOlerO
IN order to respond to the protecting quail
ity Indicated by its name The most ex-
quislte combinations are adapted TO this
tyle or trimming, but the skilful and COM
plicated incruStations of Valenciennes lace
that have seen are marvellous.
Lastly. twenty-fOur petticOats with
wide hOunceS of embroidery are required.
The designs for these are infinitely varied,
but they are simple, yet tasteful. There
must be six na1nSOOk petticOats, embrOid-
cred, very fluffy and furbelowed, so as to
support an afternoon dress, and resting
on a ground of white or cOlOred silk and
lastly SIX more to wear with evening
dresses.
dozen white cambria handkerchiefs with
narrow OpenStitch hens, simply marked
with name or monogram, on an es-
cutcheOn or in a medallion. and able to
Withstand the painful ordeal of a cold in
the head; for morning use, two dozen OF
white ground handSerchiefs with a pink
or sky blue border, and marked to match;
and, lastly, an indefinite quantity OF fan
cy handkerchiefS about the size of your
hand, that can be hidden in glove at a
ball or in the purse when making calls
just an atom of lawn, delightfully."- en-
brOidered and edged with priceless lace
Now 1 come to practical matters. Six
peignOirS OF embroidered nainsOok or 9TH
er material that viii wash well; six mat
inees'' of various kinds. either spotted
muslin lined with pongee, in Mechlin tullc,
lawn Nalenciennes, crystalline. zenana or
any other sort ana yaporous material SIX
sauts-de-lt responding to the require
ments of various conditions in
including temperature; of flannel
Of, Of quilted Sss satin: ..,,- OF soft lined ed
made in the same order of ideas. but more
ornate, so as to render the toilette de lit
very becoming.
In the last place gOdmother, I purpose
ly pass over the series of embroidered
lawn collars, boleros, scarfS, cravats, neck
trimmings, underSleeVeS, exquisite TRIM
mings. which mstamorphose dress. You
can judge of their value, without any in
sistins on anything but things that are
strictly necessary SHALL therefore,
enumerate the indispensabI BILE house linen.
Three dozen pairs of fine white cam5ric
sheets with English embroidery borders
in festoOnS, and large monogram in a
medallion. All the designs are different
and harmonic with the style of the bed
room. l particularly admired the lawn
sheets in the Louis XIV style, with a
very pure design copied Mt the TrianOn,
trimmed with a shaped fiOunce edged with
wide Valenciennes lace and insertion to
match, surmounted by marvellous en-
broideTies.
In the empire style there are garlands
of laursel leaves in openwork embroidery;
then there are sprays of flowers which
look like butterflies among flowers. These
are exquisite fancy designs for admirers
of the art nOuveau."
Twelve dozen pillow cases to match will
suffice. plus three dozen bolster cases and
which are tied with broad ribbon with a
large bow at each end: six fancy bed
ers point, alternating with squares of en-
brOidered lawn. all with different patterns.
These are details of a delightful fastidi-
BUSINESS carried to its extreme limits in
the smallest details of modern luxe
intime.
Speaking from memory I must add the
peignoirS for the bathroom and twelve
dozen towels, divided into four series; one
of birds eye diaper. hemmed with a.
drawn stitch: another embroidered in va
Tiegated festoons; a third very fine and
ornamented with Venice guiDure inser-
tiOn, and the fourth trimmed with Venice
gUipure or incrusted with stars OF guI-
pure. alternating With roses in embroi-
dery, in bands or squares. medalliOnS, fes-
tCous OF garlands. The embroidery Is
mary elOuSly effective.
In these days of active and feverish
lives one wonders where there are TO be
found modern Penelopss. endowed with
patient virtues sufficient to enbrOidcr on
these fragile tissues the flowers in linen
that look like dream flowers. II is a fact,
god5nother. that / am quite amazed. even
now. al the pretty tea tdbleclOthS that
have seen-to speak of them alone. 1 am
h. vVa to rev F-rH fN.a ear