Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22
PORTALS new YORK LETTER.

Special Correspondence Of Gazette and Journal.
New York, Aug. lG. Go on, y SAID
the Cynio, rs he helped himself to
another lusoious pear. .t
On with WHAT Oh, yes-about
those women-isn't it fearful? Don't
you notice itY"
We were lunchiug at an out. of town
resort-w where the haut monde and the
masses meet You men are the first
TO oritioise that sort of thing. Why
do they walk that way? Why do they
hold mp their gowns that way? Why
doesn't somebody tell theml And why
don't they mind when they are toldY"
1t gives one tho shivers to sit hero or
in any public place and observe the
women, fat md lean, thin and tall,
lanlzy and sawed off, that are blndly,
lnndly and foolishly following this new
and insane idea that in order to hold
uD ones gown one must, necessarily,
Wrap it around one al snugly as the
painted lines on barher's pole.
Women go through life playing fol
A low the leader. " As one does. SO do
they ALL Since this absurd manner OF
holding up the gown has seized the
feminine multitudes the entire sister
hood seems to have gone mad 1he
method is to grasp your gown at thu
right side with the left hand and draw
'it around to the left side as fur as
possible. The result is that one hasn't
good walking room, and the SKIRT and
under petticuat are punched up like q
gigantic bustlo only more so. 1t looks
very pretty on the side -the right side
the side that has the swirl of rutiies
But on the other sidu and in the back
--oh, dear dear!
Won't somebody please tell them?
And, please when they are told, won't
some OF them please mind and DO goods
The composite picture OF 6S summer
girls would be-:
High heeled boots, ''swirlyn skirts,
lacey bodice with elbow sleeves, and no
collar to speak of, hat that is fussy
and flutey with a wac Of bows or flowers
nodding over one eye, hair that is made
into rolls and loaves of French bread
on either side of the face with large
curling turnover on tho forehead,
Then--the trained camel walk and the
new-fangled punched. up barhsr. mole
akirt.lifting device.
About eight years ago women got
hold of the notion that 1t would be very
pretty to wear SKIRTS that were skinny
and tpdo away entirely with pettiooats.
-Thefcsult was not lovely. A woman
naturally fluffy dainty purely
Nufeminate creature. These frealSish
setions are unbecoming TO her. They
IRE unwomanly and upon my soul, the
way they are holding up their frooks
now is simply disgraoeful. II | were q
man and could get into the Legislature
"a make the effort just for the sake Of
deyisipg laws prohibiting women from
mo- mi ttal. -. A.
selves.
Every woman wishes to look pretty.
dairty, sweetly clean and generally
"boofuLn To tell a great secret, every
woman is vain Just little bit and she
enjoys the adiniriug looks that are
given to her. But this vanity must be
kept within bounds. Whenever woman
makes goose of herself and pranoes
down the street with her skirt raised
up notch or two higher than is neces.
Iaiy or decent, some kind individual
should tell her thing or two. She
won't like 1t aud the kind person may
be told thing or two herself, but iust
the same the misoreRnt needs a talking
to. | have no patience with women who
pile on rouge, wear dizzy hats and 20
out of doors for the sake of being opleti
by the smiling mobs who love to behold
them. tr
Let the glances SPEAK: "There goes
daInty little woman. She looks spiols
and span and sweet. bet she's nice,
too good and charming.
Don't let the chances say Look at
that! PaintY Well! RATHER
don't you think?'
oh, there's such difference!
And the pity Of it is that many young
girls who put themselves in quite out,
rageous clothes do not deserve the
severe comments their badly.chosen
toys bring forth. They are merely
victims of bad taste and wrong ideas
But that is getting a million miles
away from the original tonic, wbicn
was the freakish method of gown.
grasping now in vogue.
Originally tho scheme was a good
one. 10 pick up the skirts at the aide.
lifting the back breadths slightly IL
well and good, but 1t Is the extremist
who hos brought about a situation
which 10 making womankind a standing
joke-or, rather, perambulatinR one.
Ii Mrs. Jones holds her skirts one
way, Mrs. Brown will hold hers the
same way, only more So Mrs. Smith.
10 turn, improves on Mrs. Brown, and
they all go just as fur as they can.
Isn't it pity?
women can be such dear things; why
lon't they show better iudgmentY But
once the microbe Of fadism gets into
her blood--well! God bless her precious
heart for her head is lost Portia,