The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31

| ISpTell mate, regarded the pin tray of the
guest chamber with curiosity as
she watched her visitor in the latter stages
of her toilet
Whatever do you use all those aggery
black pins for?" she said, with the frank
/ inquisitiveness of intimate friendship.
The maid of modern methods pulled down
her shirtwaist smartly, and fastened the
J bands of her skirt and shirtwaist together
| by thrusting one of the longest of the
black daggers securely in and out. THE
| better TO dress with, my DEAR" she re-
| turned, sententiously.
The old-fashioned hostess was as con-
| temptous as good manners would allow
| My dear. surely you never pin your clothes
| together" she said. ''Why never have
( pin anywhere about me. The things that
don't button, hook; and TO fasten by skirt
and waist together have big hook my
waist, and a big eye on my skirt, and
there's no danger of my bands ever parting
| company. Why 1 wouldn't pin myself to-
gether for anything"
| The maid of modern methods looked her
| hostess over: The hooked altogether shirt
waist looked secure enough, after fashion,
| but the shirtwaist blOused unevenly and
| unrestrainedly at the sides, and when the
wearer leaned forward hiked up unexpect-
eddy in the back, pulling the skirtband with
it. The visitor smiled.
"Oh. I've been hooked-and-eyed, tool
am not wholly unaware of traditions. My
mother brought me up in the belief that no
self-respecting woman ever pinned her
clothes on. But I've come to the conclu-
sion that I'd rather have my clothes look
right and feel right than to be self-respect-
ing. Did you ever discover that the hooks
and eyes which were in the right places one
day were all in the wrong places next day?
L did. Perhaps it's my changeable tenn
permanent that affects my clothes, but at
any rate, find that they need fresh adapt
ing each day. So L finally gave up the
hooks and eyes and took to pins-safety
pins at first OF course, you never tried
even safety pins, which are regarded as the
| most respectable of pins. Well. take my
advice, my dear, and if you ever start to
travel the pinny path, don't go by way of
the safety pin. They seem secure and
you put your trust in them, only to find
them fail you at precisely the critical in
slant. 1 used the biggest, brawnest safety
pins l could find, and l used to mash my
thumbs, and fracture my temper daily
wedging the big, clumsy things through
three or four thicknesses of cloth Then.
when 1 finally had them in place with my
belt tucked neatly over them. I'd start
gaily off. If / walked, halfway down the
street some kindly-disposed woman-how 1
hate these women who assist you to a
knowledge of your deficiencies-would stop
me to say: Beg your pardon, your safety
pins showing If l took the car, as l sat
down the pull on my skirt would tug at my
safety pin, and pop it would go, and for
the rest of my sojourn in the car L would
struggle to fasten the perverse thing with
out attracting undue attention to my efforts
at dressing myself.
clutches of the safety pin if L hadn't been
rescued by my corsetiere. Her clothes al
ways look as though she grew in them,
and there never any evidences about
her waist that her bodice and skirt are sep
arate garments. / asked her one day if she
sewed them together after she got inside,
and for answer she took off her belt. All
round her skirtband were the long, black
pins thrust In and out, holding down the
fullness, and fastening her together
smoothly and surely. She was an object
lesson, and / wasn't happy till 1 got some
long, black-headed pins. too, and now
fairly brittle with them, but my skirtbands
and Wristbands have ceased from troub-
ling" The visiting girl buckled her trim
belt over her array Of pinheads as she
spoke.
Another thing my corsetiere taught me,
too, may be of service to you if ever you
take to pins" she went on THAT Is the
manner of putting on her shirtwaist. Most
women have the fulness of the back fitted
snugly into a little band, and then arrange
the front as ii suits them but satisfac-
tory adjustment of the fullnesS Is always
difficult This little woman ties her belt
once in front then fastens the ends snugly
far down on her corset. Then she takes the
hem of her waist either side the under-arm
seams, and brings them together smoothly,
pinning them, too, far down on her corset.
After that the adjustment of the fulness is
nothing. / wouldn't give all the snugly
sewed hooks and eyes, all the complicated
| paraphernala of waist adjusters and skirt
supporters in the world for trayfull of
| long, black pins, and the little bit OF
knowledge that my corset lady taught me-"
The girl who lives in fiat has TO con-
| trive many makeshifts that her sisters who
have a house full of rooms over which TO
spread their belongings do not know of;
but the girl who boards, and dresses, sleeps,
and lives generally, in one room has TO do
twenty times more contriving than her sis
ter of the fat. But everybody knows that
inventions are the children of necessity,
and so the girl who has to contrive usually
comes off with cOlors flying from any en-
counter with difficulty.
1.-THE pressing of my summer frocks, and
the doing up of my prettiest stocks and rib
bons was the rock on which / thought for
a long time / had fOundered," says one
bright girl of one room. "Of all things L
despise Grumpy linens and organizes and
mussy stocks-but what can a poor girl do?
I simply can't afford TO have my gowns.
Numbered after each wearing; and to send
my fine turnovers and stocks to the tender
mercies of the laundress usually means
goodbye stocks. SO, for long time,
gritted my teeth and wore my shirtwaist
and frocks with their wrinkles and creases.
Then one day l got tired of the gritting OF
teeth and the crumples. and invented-and
now the smoothness of my frOcks and the
freshness of my array of dainty stocks is
the envy OF all my cooped-in-one-room sis
tiers NV inVention-yes, I'll give IL away.
1t consists of plate like those of the
small gas stoves. which slips down over
the frame of my chaing-dish, and Of an
extra-size alcohol burner TO set beneath.
Then with one of the small irons you can
buy anywhere, my outfit is complete. 1t