The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-20

navy blue and with an occasional feck
of white. The short skirt was killed
and h blouse laid in pleats to match
was hip length and belted with a
dark brown suede girdle. A soft brown
felt hat with a wide rim, draped with
two shades of brown chiffon yelling
panied the costume which would be
just the thing for early fall wear
Pinking has come back which is
not surprising considering the craze
for of all kinds. Many silk
frocks are trimmed with nothing but
pinked ruffles and f1ounces. Another
revival is that of huted ruf1eS. Per-
ing iron, but no doubt there is one
about the house, so get it out and in
struct your laundress. if she does not
already understand it's use in order
that you may go out with primly futed
ruffles on petticoats and frocks.
The Woman About Town gossips in
this wise about fashions in fiction in a,
recent Washington Post:
It's no use for me to try to con-
ceal from myself h fact that my ma
tive land is in a mighty bad way. I
don't refer to the price of beef. nor
yet to the coming election. L refer
to the dedication of crime and GRIM
mails which has vad our literature.
When l was very young people shud-
dered at Jane Eyre, because Mr.. Roch-
ester was such an ~unspeakably wicked
man. Bret Harte was held to have
struck the cause of morality a fearful
blow when he made a gambler his
hero. It's only Sunday school books
that stop with gamblers now The
crime movement in literature began
with a hero who stole jewels as a
means of livelihood. He was dramat-
lied and died in the last act. Last
winter we had a hero of a play who
robbed for the excitement of the thing,
and y even the detective in
the piece was glad when he got off
scot free, with the certainty of marry
ing the heroine later. One of the best
selling books of the week is the story
of a female thief, burglar, confidence
woman, and liar. Everybody is read
ing it. and one of our foremost maya
zines other stories by the
author Of that edifying tale. Our
magazines fairly reek with crime and
the adventures of rogues of both
sexes. Robbery is a merry jest, and
burglary amiable eccentricity. BY this
time next year wife murde and arson
will be fashionable. Heroes will grad
uate from Sing-Sing as they used to
from Harvard, and the heroines will
wear shoplifters' pockets instead of
white muslin. L don't know what has
come over us, but it worries me.
french has concerned itself
for generations with of one
commandment. Over here we begin
with: the beginning and smash the
whole ten | don't know where Wen
bring up. Possibly some day Wen
see that vice and crime are what they
have always been. not simply wicked,
but vulgar, and then We'll return to
the days when we demanded from our
heroes and heroines of novel and
drama a little common honesty and an
occasional high ideal"
The fashion for gardens which
49, $1,000
suing or affecting these days, is, per-
haps, in a measure responsible for
the many charming devices which one
sees in the shops for holding both cut
n growing plants, suggests a writer
in the New York Evening Post. With
nature and artistic skill in league, it
is not to be wondered at hat women
kind are tempted to make flower gar
dens of their boudoirs and conserva-
tories of their living rooms. At any
rate, the combination of these little
touches of outdoor life with interior
decoration is receiving every ncou
agement in the way of pretty con-
ceits in which to arrange or plant
Aside from the pleasure of
watching them grow, the attractive
ness of the informal rooms of the
home is always han by the
freshness and color of things growing.
There are smoked bamboo covered
bowls suspended by ropes of plated
grass to hang between portieres, or
the upper window ledge. In
side of these is a fitted tin for holding
the plant; wicker covered jardinieres
gray green pottery for holding
rod and autumn leaves, and
window boxes IL the new
Awapi ware, ready for planting. Some
of these boxes have with them a
trellis of green wire made to fit snugly
into the frame of the window, for
vines or trailing flowers to climb upon.
.asturtiums (not the dwarf but the
running Variety are satisfactory win
dow box flowers and if allowed to dc
so, will climb naturally upon a wire
Wall pockets of moss
green pottery are another unique re-
ceptacle for lowers 1t is a question
as to whether the drainage of these
Is sufficient to admit of much growth,
but if in one of these a purple and
petunia (Which, by the way, if
properly cared for is a delightful
plant) is planted. it would add
L pretty touch of color to the walls
Of a green and white morning room.
.etunias grow to surprising propor-
ions from a young slip ~transplanted
rom the garden. and when in BIOS
one plant will fill a room with
Hat and veil talk from the New York
evening Post: ]
It is evident that the vogue of the os-
rich plume is passing, temporarily at {