St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-04-01
BY KATE UPsoN CLARK.

S<AulAo1 VI VI Boys, ETC., res
fdent Of the Wheaton Club, New York;
Copyright, 1904, by Joseph B. Bowles)
The other night my beautiful
young friend, Eleanor, went to a par.
ty. She wore pale-blue gown, low
necked and short-sleeved. The rather
wide blue strips over the shoulders
were edged with lace, headed by pink
rosebuds. The square neck was en-
tirely outlined in pink rosebuds. The
draperies were full and fluffy to de-
gree, and caught UP here and there
by punches of pink rosebuds. Yards
and yards of insertings and edgings
and narrow ribbons entered into the
composition of this gown-and, to
crown all, the skirt was thickly span
gled with silver stars. Yet Eleanor is
only Is years old-and not YET
through her prep" school!
Now, for fancy dress ball, as belle
of the Second Empire, or as bird OF
paradise of the Megatherium epoch
Gf there were birds at that time),
Eleanor would have been appropri-
ately attired. But for the simple lit
tie kid dance Gas her older brothers
called it) to which Eleanor actually
wore her marvellous combination of
chiffon and lace ruffles and insertings
and ribbons and pink rosebuds, it was
hardly better suited than it would
have been to take a journey in the
cars. And this was what struck the
30 or 40 other young people who con-
sttuted the Junior Patriarchs'-or
whatever fine. name it was by which
this particular club of mice" boys
and girls called themselves.
Hill" laughed one of Eleanor's
most privileged playmates, a boy who
had grown up almost next door to
her, Sky fell on you while you were
coming over, didn't it?"-
''Sky?" chuckled another. Don't
you know Christmas tree when you
see it? This is living Christmas
tree. bony for my present the big
pink rosebud that sticks up ON the
right shoulder"
Come on" called out another
Lets dance around the Christmas
tree!"
And before she knew it, Eleanor
was surrounded by a laughing ring of
boys and girls, scampering around her
and chanting, in a most inharmonious
chorus, "'Twas the night before
Christmas, and all through the
house."
1t was noticed that at the next
gathering of the club Eleanor wore,
as did most of the other girls, SIM
pie gown, with almost no trimming
upon It. When the roguish boys asked
what had become of the Christmas
tree she smiled back to them, you
will never again behold that vision of
beauty. 1t is too good for you 1 am
casting my pearls in other directions
just now"
Privately, it may be stated that the
wholesome lesson was not lost upon
the young lady. The trimming upon
the blue frock has all been ripped OF,
and will be judiciously distributed
among three others. In point of fact,
there is enough for four.
At recent reception, among sew
eral highly overdressed elderly wom-
en-, one shone preeminent She could
not have been a day under 70. Her
hair was white and beautiful. Her
face bore the wrinkles which the
faces of all well-regulated old ladies
should bear; but above it lowered a
ridiculous creation of white lace and
pink flowers, so high and so elabor-
ate that it was almost impossible for
the polite women to suppress q smile
as she moved among them like pea
cock in full regalia. Her gown was
made to match. 1t was probably sup
posed to have for it's foundation some
sort of gray or lilac silk, but this was
quite buried and lost sight of beneath
the loads of lace and passementerie
with which some ambitious modiste
had endeavored to hide it. Pink and
silver figured largely in this ornate
trimming.
The present season is, we are told,
one of ''trimming"-and there is a
movement on foot, and
by no means a bad movement, to
make all the old ladies look young"
But, again, let us plead for the "hap-
py medium"
The women of the orient cling des-
perately to the veil; and in the foot
binding countries, it is almost impos-
sible to get mothers to spare the feet
Of their daughters. 1t is said by mis-
Sionaries that it is hard to induce
women in certain countries to believe
Or admit that they have souls. They
will seldom do SO, until instructed by
their converted husbands Women
are everywhere the conservators of |
custom. Wise leaders must arise to
drive them, or else they will! never
discard once cherished idol.
And now, in addition to all this
'urore of decoration, instigated by the
'drygOods trust" comes the hirsute |
instituted by the dealers
n human hair. The bodies of the
lead are being rifled, we are told, and
Ill the peasantry of Europe are being
'horn, in order that our thrice-de-
nented women may pile upon their
heads coiffures which rival those of
he middle ages.
Lately, many clubs have launched
'ut into forms of philanthropic en-
leavor. This is well. But there is
mother greater and far more essential
work than even making soup for the
'oor. founding kindergartens or beau
flying our cities. It is the proper
control of this senseless, shameless.
'oulless Juggernaut of fashion. 50