Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-25
Facts and FsncIes for TidInE owes
n Awkward Age.

NEW YORK, Jan. 23.-With everything
In dress tending to promote gracefulness,
the curse has been taken from the awk-
ward age Of childhood. The aIl-legs-and-
arms period must come. Of course. but the
modern mother is learning how to soften
its angles so that the hobbledehoy in
either sex now seems a rare species.
The prime move toward ease Of manner
with awkward children Is to get them ac-
customed to the etiquette Of the toilet;
in short, to being properly dressed for
every occasion. As the nursery rhyme
tells us, fine clothes are prime moral
agents.
When l am dressed up awful nice
l feel 80 awful good,
As little boys and little girls
Just really always should.
Awful nice" to all childhood means
something with a gala air, something
which always pre-supposes a function Of
some sort, Juvenile or otherwise. So let
us begin with party clothes for boys aud
girls.
For chubby lads in their first trousers
a get-up Of exaggerated picturesquesness is
always better than the conventional thing,
for somehow the late baby seems invari-
ably funny in his first trousers. A party
suit for a boy of 4, lately turned out by a
well known chHdren's o%uthtter, seemed a
happy compromise between babyhood and
boyishness. Made Of ivory-whlte cloth,
the little suit consisted OF very short
trousers-short enough to show all of the
bare knees-and a wide-skirted coat With
a sailor collar. This was edged with a
band OF heavy silk embroidery between rows
Of tailor stitching. A fine null shirt in
pale blue, with an embroidered frill and a
three-cornered hat of white felt, tied up
with ribbons. went with the suit.
n a., - oIrnoAu ghnuun
ravishing little garments in white and col
ored pique for spring and summer wear.
These are for the younger ages in both
sexes and include suits made after the
model of the cloth one for boys and coats
with capes for girls. Wash embrolderies
IN white or a matching tint trim them
with simple elegance and the accompanying
headpiece for maidens is usually a pique
or null wash" hat.
know a mother who, without any claim
Of keeping up with the styles, dresses her
children with such taste that they are al
ways observed with admiration. For the
two sons, respectively Is and 10, she
chooses English fashions, holding that
these have more distinction than our own
American styles. Long trousers in striped
materials and round coats-something on
the Tuxedo order-of plain stuffs compose
the afternoon splendor OF the elder youth,
and over his knee trousers and "dinky"
Jackets the younger wears a Russian"
overcoat. This is of dark blue beaver
cloth with a Persian lamb collar and cuffs
and a frog fastening Of black silk braid
for the fronts. A close cap Of lamb is
worn on the head and the well-dressed
feet Of the youngster display high-buttoned
boots Of patent leather and kid.
wearing Party Finery.
with the age Of 10 the uncouth period
Of girlhood usually begins, and nothing
will soften II 40. quickly as, the habit of
wearing party hnery. The shops are full
CT dance frocks for this age and upward,
the diaphanous materials ranking first for
mere loneliness. Dainty little gowns are
made OF point d~'esprit. organdy, Swiss and
aovelty nets, with white always predom-
mating, and the best things preserving at
uvery point a delicate simplicity. Narrow
satin ribbons, lace, garlands Of small 1ow-
rrs and silver and gilt threads, strung in
lows through the nets, trim these fairy
toilettes, which run largely to bertha ef-
fects and picturesque sleeves. Wreaths of
artificial flowers are sometimes worn with
them ON the head, and on the low satin
slippers there may be bunchy ribbon ro-
settles.
A delightful little gown for a girl Of 10
is made Of Dresden silk (pale blue and
pink with insertions of orange lace. The
skirt has three scant frills edged and
headed with this entre-deux. which stripes
the blouse bodice horizontally. A tucked
gimp OF white mousseline nils in the
ut-out neck. from which falls a pointed
bertha founce OF the silk. Above this are
two garlands Of pale pink artificial roses,
The sleeves are elbow length and are made
NTH tyyn nuffe and a 0OtnCa fall WITH
such a costume the head wreath will be
found bewitchlng.
Where economy must be considered and
one gala dress be made TO go through the
entire season, silk is always a better In
vestment than the more airy textures
Many really charming silks can be hat
cheaper than textiles which appear lesI
pretentious, and of course hey are vastl!
more durable than the thin materials
which. to be effective. should present al
ways a look OF immaculate freshness. Then
too, silk is easily trimmed, the gay plaid
especially requiring little more than
touch OF black velvet on the bodice. shoul
der and sleeve knots perhaps. and
streamer sash.
All gowns for girls below - are mos
effective when made with white gimp
and undersleeves. A high neck Of tn
gown stun may have it's practical sides
but IL is neither stylish nor becoming
Even n the bodice is a sailor blouse, to &C
complish the requirements OF fashion tn
shield should be white. with an edge Q
the same bordering the collar.
street Clothes.
In street clothes 1t is more difhcult t
plane down awkward edges than in the fol
de-rols Of smarter fnery. but, now that win
ter is still with US, the right sort OF a Goa
is an admirable beginning In this direction
Girls with narrow shoulders and defectiv
carriage should never wear the loose backe
box coats. which are stunning on the
plumper and more graceful sisters. Fc
them a fitted cloak is much more desirabl,
with eapes widening the shoulders and re
veTs increasing the depth Of the chest. A
excellent coat for a l0-year-old girl is mad
OF pale bisque cloth with a bias seal