The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-19

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the theater and other evening enter
tainments.
Perhaps half of the evening gowns
that we have for rent are In black,
and thus inconspicuous in color, hand
some gowns. but not such as to attract
curious scrutiny.
THE other half include gowns In
great variety, to suit any taste or fan
cy. The various gowns thus rented
are in silks and velvets and other ex-
pensive materials, fine and costly
dresses.
Evening gowns such as these are
rented usually at form S. to S25 for the
occasion. according to the kind or the
value of the dress. The hire OF a
gown for one occasion might In some
circumstances be considerably more.
Thus we might make for a patron,
expressly to her order. a costly gown.
She would wear ii once. having the
first wearing of the gown when IL was
an expensive gown. thus especially de-
signed and made for the original wear
err, we might charge $50.
Sometimes we sell dresses OF more
or less expensive character to those
who have hired them. A dress NAV
please them so that they want to own
II, and II we can fix a price that is
satisfactory they buy 1t.
You'd think. you say. that the same
gown might be worn by different per-
sons at different gatherings OF the
same company? Yes. you would think
so. perhaps, but they don't seem 10
be. But. even IL they should be, changes
that might be necessary to adapt the
| dress to the use of this or that wearer
would make 1t practically another
| dress
"Who hires evening gowns? Not the
rich, to be sure, though you would find
among those who do rent them plenty
OF people comfortably off and well-to-
do.
"Oftenest, perhaps, they would be
people who would thus be enabled to
wear a greater number of fine gowns
than they could well or easily afford
TO buy. or to wear such gowns in
greater variety. On the other hand.
again, there might be cases in which
women of the amplest means would
rent an evening gown, as, for in
stance, in the case of one here, travel
ing and unexpectedly needing an even
ing gown. In like circumstances her
husband would hire evening clothes
If he had occasion to-why should not
she?"
About five years ago two young or
phan girls journeyed from Asheville
toward Wilmington, thinking that the
milder, warmer air of the coast would
be more suitable for the frail younger
girl, who, in the last stages of feeble
anaemic condition. was being tenderly
cared for by her elder sister. Having
stopped a few weeks In the beautiful
80 aIxx xk1.r
ing by slow and easy stages toward the
sea, when by sheer accident they were
delayed over night in a remote and iso-
lated farm house, not far from the IA
nous tobacco and cotton belt, which
sweeps in all its wealth from one end
of the state of North Carolina to the
other.
These two orphans were practically
at the end of their carefully-used
finances, says the Designer, the last
OF which were being used in trying to
save the younger sister from the grasp
of the "fell destroyer" The older girl
thought 1t all over sorrowfully as she
rested In the shade of a riotous honey
suckle vine clambering over the rude
farm house porch where she sat.
Never mind" she said. grimIy, to her
self; our last cent shall be cheerfully
spent on my dearest sister. after that
the deIuge." She looked idly out over
the rich, neglected acres of land before
her, unused, untitled, but yet holding
such glowing. unthought-of resources.
Just then the querulous voice of her
landlady reached her, and she listened
idly to the few sentences which chang
ed her whole future mot a water
melon nearer than Wilmington, except
a few scrubby ones over toward oaks
plantation not fit for wild hogs to
eat. Wilmington produce dealers have
to send clear to Augusta and Charles
ton for them" The young girl looked
out again over the wide expanse Of
acres, given up to the soft sweet winds
and jimpson weeds. A true inspiration
suddenly struck her. Can you hire or
rent land cheap around here?" she
asked OF her hostess eagerly. Yes,
for a mere song" came the answer.
and to-day there lie, just west of Lum-
oertown. 500 acres OF fair fruitful
fields, gemmed thick "in hundreds of
emerald green ranks" with great Ius-
cious watermelons.
No gorgeous sunset ever equaIed
their vivid pink hearts. no dew-gemmed
cups of honey their exquisite flavor.
The striped sugar melon" they are
called, and they rival closely the ia
nous "rattlesnake melon" of Georgia.
For miles along the side of these far
reaching fields the railroad runs. a
branch built on purpose for the ship
ping Of these same melons During
the melon season car after car can be
seen loading the luscious fruit for cities
of miles away
These two Boston girls, the Misses
Gage Of Boston Tor formerly so), can
be seen each summer experimenting in
person the shipment Of their vast
crops. And hundreds Of these melons
lie unpicked. free as water to the
thirsty and hungry wayfarer, free as
air to the black-eyed pickanfnnfes and
the bright-eyed birds and squirrels.
A dainty summer home in Bar Harbor.
one in Boston, and a pretty country
cottage near the great melon fields.
which belong now to these two brisk