Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-31

4 Ill i xAl1xlN AUV
| TN The STAR
The sally Sunflower" letter to The Star.
quoted In part in this column last week,
| evoked long reply from a
| Dioomefs writer signing herself THE
Defended. Boomer" IN the course ct
| which Sally's query as TO
the meaning OF the extraordinary feminine
costume affected by q few radicals OF fash
ion was answered with many amusing
touches. The writer. whose letter wus
printed in The Star of December "A, 1855.
e3ayed the following definition:
IA bloomer is one that walks along the
| streets minding her own business. and
wishes that others would do the same. She
loves the cause Of humanity, desiring to
see her brothers and sisters symmetrically
| developed. and well she knows in the pres
ent health-destroying. filthy, disgusting
costume. this 10 an impossibaNty. Remember
I speak from experience, know the COM
ponent parts Of your wardrobe, with all its
screws and bonds and cords and pads I
| know We are petty slaves, all Of you, bow
ing low at the Judgment Of fashion, and
not daring to stand up In your individual
any to stand up in).
Talk OF the bondage Of the southern
slaves; It is not half as servile or despotic
as that which fashion, ernanatinr from the
most polluted court Of the world. sways
over the minds and judgments OF women.
Who that knows the bearing OF one phys
tolosdcal law viii look at the present swell
and volume Of dry goods women waddle url-
der and then tell me 1t is In harmony with
Its requirements? OF what use are all the
volumes our physicians are writing upon
physical reforms IL none will live those re-
forms? And have higher motive In the
adoption Of my costume than merely to
attract attention. It is most painful for
me that It does meet with so much con-
tumeiy. but I know that I am right, and
no influence I believe will ever force me
back to that dress I know to be erroneous
In every point"
The Star printed no paper on Christmas
day in the old days. and in the issue of
Wednesday, December 20,
W. ee.n"S 1865, it thus described the
celebration. observances Of Christmas
eve In Washington:
Many a sleep-loving citizen was con-
soled with the thought that this high-holi-
day comes but once year. when at an
early hour on Monday night the welcome
saiutes made the echoes ring. Every va
riety Of explosion was resorted to, from
the heavy musket to the popping cracker,
hlling the air with sulphurous odor and
frightening even the grimalkins into 81
lence Calathumpian bands made night
hideous, and occasionally band Of merry
masqueraders would pass along enthusiast
tically declaring their admiration of MY
Mary Ann. or protesting that they would
rot Go Home Till Morning under any
fiph ~ "a
last. and in many a happy home did the
juveniles scamper to their stockings to see
what was In store for them. Joyous were
the glee notes of happiness as the toys
Then came the faithful servants for
Christmas gif'. Massa!' How their eyes
twinkled with anticipations of the good
Time t,me taat the ample ample donations ,a assured
were handsomely decorated, and they
would all have been filled had not pelting
rain then set In, sadly dampening the
hopes of many. No matter! There were
goodly bowls of punch and eggnoE in
many house, where the cordial greetings
Of friends showed that 1t was a merry
Christmas indeed
The following paragraph in the news coll
umns of December 81. 1855, will be Of in
terest to the elder theater-
ineatr1cai goers of Washington and at
Event. the same time suggest the
range of playhouse prices
nifty years ago:
by reference to our amusement column
it will be seen that Monday evening next
is set apart by the manager of the Ma
tional as the occasion of the play OF The
School for Scandal with a gifted cast of
characters. Mr.. Jarrett has been for some
time past arranging the production Of this
Wy Vnryr h1ry n GO
pointed in having the play produced with
such an admirable cast, Sir Peter being
MIR. Henry Placide; Joseph Surface, Mr..
]. w. Wallach, jr.: Charles Surface, Mr.. J.
q. Murdoch; Crabtree, Mr.. Thomas Pia-
eide; Careless, Mr.. A. H. Davenport: Lady
Teazle, Miss Lizzie Weston: Mrs. Candor,
Mrs auckland date Miss Kate Horne), and
many other names of frst-class artists are
in the bill AS matter of course, the ex-
penses attending this play are very heavy.
and Mr.. Jarrett has consequently laid the
prices as follows: Dress circle and parquet,
81. 90; reserved seats, 80 cents extra; or
chestra, $3.50; private boxes, SIS These
prices may seem extravagant, but when 1t
Is considered that Mr.. Jarrett is at some
81, 500 or 81 800 extra expense, our theater-
going public will see at once that the man
ager is not unreasonable"
~.
Those were the days of great fiuttering
of Christmas bills on the devoted head of
pater familias, and the fol-
Inc Lattle lowing paragraph In The
Bills. Star indicates that there was
Just as much embarrassment
after Christmas as there is now:
PAY up! Some extravagant fellow who
evidently has lived beyond his means
writes:
Oh, the bills, Christmas bills.
What world Of misery
Their memory tnstills!
As the merchants with their quilts
Stuck behind their 'ears polite"
So caressingly invite
Your kind and prompt attention
To their bills!
How they dun, dun, dun,
AS they kindly urge upon
Your earnest attention, little bills,
Little bills.
Now we hope that not only this poet.
but every one else who owes dime will
promptly square up their little bills The