The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-28

niflcence. weird. dragon shaped inser-
tions OF mousseine were used. Then
sashes of every description had prom
inent place, and at the height OF the
dancing the floating ribbon ends re-
minded one OF confetti shower how
ering about the heads Of the dancers.
The day after there was nothing do
ing" But the next Dorothy and l be-
gan the pilgrimage along the avenues
| and through Twenty third. We met
Mrs. B. in novelty shop where only
stocks and real frivolities of dress find
abiding place She was putting on an
enormously weighty looking silver
| chain which hung down to her knees
and from which dangled a fish scale sill
yer bag. The chain was the latest OF
| its kind, since IL was one-half pound
heavier than the original worn BY
Bernhardt. Chain wearing I'm itself is
not so new. but upon the weight of the
article just now depends it's claim for
| fashionable distinction. The craze for
antiques In this particular Is as appar-
ent as in the chatelaine which one wo-
man, i'm order to outdo all others, wears
made of copper.
We met in our rounds some friends
who gossiped lot. One told us she
had seen a photograph of Chartrans
magnificent and costly portrait of the
Duchess OF Marlborough which he had
| finished Christmas week. The duchess,
according to account, is wearing her
hair low upon her neck, with a small
curl coming forward over the shoulder.
and more jewel clasps than have ever
before been seen on any bodice. This
augurs well for the gold slide fad.
Dorothy bought an assortment of the
sweetest French ginghams in tiny shep-
herd plaid checks. amber, pink. blue
and black and white. These she is
having made up into skirts and shirt
waists. heavily feather stitched in
wash silk. She will wear velvet ribbon
belts and an entirely new arrangement
of stock, with strip coming down the
front of the shirt and tucking I'm at the
belt Buttonholes are worked in the
ribbon velvet. and she wears studs of
garnet set in silver. or OF turquoise set
i'm gold. with link buttons which join a
strip of the velvet slipped over the
wrist and worn like bracelet.
We wound up the end OF the week at
a mans bonnet" shop, so to speak, and
INDUCED In panama straws gayly bedeck-
ed in liberty kerchiefs spotted or boquet-
ed in tho bonbon shades. Before we reach
ed the mans halter we had an interest
ing time looking over some old wood
cuts OF corsets and stays of long ago,
which, from description. lacked pliabil-
ity. but otherwise were much the same
straight front affairs we wear today.
never fully appreciated this latter char
acteristic OF our modern corset until
saw one OF the Hampstead women who
don't wear one try on o coat with
position back and compared her figure
to Dorothy's. who at the moment was
staggering around in a petunia cloth
strapped In striped panne--an exact du-
plicate i'm cut. BE warned, therefore
by me not 10 try the basque coat unless
over a straight front corset. The diff
ference IL there. and yet am unable TO
explain until 1 make further study
what Il really Is.
I am beginning 10 wonder what peo-
pie did in the country houses before
bridge was invented Nowadays the
moment tea is over the tables are pro-
duced, and directly after dinner the
game begins and goes on merrily until
/ the small hours. Music Is looked upon
as a nuisance. interfering with the
cards; theatricals are barely tolerated.
| and the mere suggestion OF drawing
room games is an outrage, II we except
parlor golf. which fashionable young
dominic has introduced. And here am
/ finishing up my chat hurriedly 90 be off
| for bridge whist. though petulantly
criticising the hold Il has upon our af-