The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-24
GLEANINGS.

+ behalf of dress reform He contributes
| a long article to one of the foreign
| dailies. and the subject is being Sc
/ riously discussed by leading tailor es-
| Establishments and modistes abroad. The
| cardinal points in his contention are
!. for a. dress that does not sweep the
streets and a corset that does not con-
| fine the respiratory and digestive or
| gains. It is a more or less threadbare
| subject, but one. nevertheless. that will
+ doubtless continue to be thraShed out
| by Interested people until some solu-
! ton as yet unSighted is reached The
present discussion has brought two
methods Of reform to the fore-a sys-
| tenn of braces and an arrangement of
costume whereby all weight depends
/ upon the shoulders. The danger in all
reform. that of dress no less than poll
| tics and religion, thinks the comment
| Ing Frenchran, Is in extreme meas
ures. He censures the sensible" re-
formers for giving SO little thought to
the grace and beauty of a hygienic gar
ment. as they thereby prejudice the I'M
thinking against their gospel He urges
bringing the reform costume before the
public In the rich stuffs, becoming,
softly shaded colors. He suggests a
generous use Of pearl roping, deep,
jeweled and embroidered hens, and es-
pecial care given to the folds Of the
draperfes SO that stout and thin may
varfously reach their ideal of avoirdu-
pois. at least as to appearance.
Among the few who sincerely mourn
the late Queen Draga, of Servia, are the
Paris modistes. She was extremely
popular with them, irasmuch as she
placed large orders, was usually pleas
ed with their efforts and was good
pay Queen Draga is said to have be-
slowed q tremendous amount of atten-
ton Upon her dress. in her efforts to
retain her ascendaney over her IN
fortunate husband, ard she studied Co.'S
metics and all the other feminine arts
of adjoining nature with assiduity. The
last dress she ever ordered of a French
modiSte left Paris on June g. and reach
ed Belgrade the morning after the I'M
st1appy queen had been laid on her last
re5ting place. 1t was an elaborate and
brilliant creation. The color Of the
dress was ivory; it was abundantly
| Trimmed with costly lace. and was
spangled with big and little figures OF
yellow suns scattering their rays as
in early morning Whenever Queen
Draga was in doubt she listened to
the advice OF her French dressmakers,
who did! their best to please her. Above
all things illusions to the constantly
changing measure of her waist were
vigorously avoided. Her own maids
took her measure, made no remarks on
the difference between the present and
/ the past and communicated it to the
Paris firm under the seal of secrecy. as
though 1t were matter affecting the
veal of the state. She was very fond
of costly stuffS. of somewhat LOUD
colorS. and of ornaments which Gull
tivated European taste is wont to set
down as barbaric.
How much time does a woman
spend before her mirror? A cynical
German-the Germans have O. passion
for such Underestimate that be-
tween the ages of six and ten a girl
spends on an average seven minutes a
day looking at herself; from ten to
fifteen, about a quarter Of an hour
daily. and from fifteen to twenty, TWEEN
ty-two minutes. Women from twenty
to twenty-five are twenty-five minutes
at their toilet and from that on to
thirty, they occupy half an hour each
day in performing the Narcissus act.
Thirty seems the grand climacteric of
feminine eopuetry. Thence there is a
rapid decline From thirty to thirty
five the time occupied comes down to
twenty-four minutes; from thirty five
| to forty, it drops to only eighteen min
utes; from forty to fifty to twelve min
SIX woman seventy years old has
thus, the ingenious German estimates
spent 1852 hours before the glass, OF
eight solid months. counting in both
day and night.
"Can you inform me if there are any
colleges for women In Germany some
| one asked the secretary Of Berlin uni
versity.
/ mo, thank God!" was the reply.
| An English writer in a late periodi-
cal urges educated women in need OF
remuneratiye employment to take III
| the practical management of laundries
| A knowledge of chemistry is neceS-
sary to success in this trade. that the
| quality of soap and water may be
| thoroughly analyzed. Just what chem
+ icaIs may safely be used with certain
kind of water in cleansing q certain
| class. Of fabrics requires at least &
| smattering Of physics. No eollege
4 woman need consider the ability to run
fa first class, honest laundry beneath
her dignity. 1T is too often supposed
that the cleansing of clothing mus
necessarily be a monetonQus ant
| drudge-like occupation and one to bf
ashamed Of" continues the apostle o.
| the tubs. 'On the contrary. 1t is {
profession to be pround of. for it really
| demands. when carried out on any con
siderable scale, much technical skill
organizing power and a knowledge O.
many subjects of higher intellectual in.
terest Now that college women hav,
made such signal successes as bakers
I cooks. etc. why should they not Sc
shinging examples to the neither worlt
| of laundresses?"