The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28
Fashionable Couturieres and
 Their Woes.

It is almost a condundrunl-which Is worse to have & frock made or to be the one to make 1t. Personally, I prefer the former.
 A few days ago I was very much inter ested in what I gathered at the estab- lishment of one of the city's smartest couturieres
 A gown was in process of ftting-Les- bia, not she of the beaming eye, but an- other of more recent date, was the-I started to say victim-but on second thought shall wrte-subject.
 Madame was saying: 'T am terribly afraid ST shall have to disappoint you about your gown. I don't sec possibly how can give it to you on Tuesday" "Ohi Madame" pleaded the charming Lesbia "but I just must have it. I haven't anything to wear and am go- ing to the smartest bridge luncheon of the Lenton season."
 q am sorry, but it can't be helped" was the couturieres reply. 1.-Two of my most capable assistants are at home sick"
 ''Whatever is the matter9''
 "Mumps," replied she, "and measles. My best skirt hand has the measles and she ought to be ashamed of her self, because she has had them twice be- fore"
 ''IIow careless" replied Lesbia.
 'EXacTlY, said the .cOuIurleTe, TdCHer viciously. "She had no business to go where the measles germs were. There are plenty of places to go to, without wis., iting people with the humps and the measles, and that's precisely what she did"
 well, will the absence of those three keep me from getting my frock?"
 "Oh, that and other things" said the couturiere. ''The Easter work this year is something perfectly tremendous, and our help Is so incompetent We have a room full of girls and they do the best they can, but the problem is some thing fearful"
 'Have you set any one to ripping the gown of Mrs. Blank" said the couturiere to the filter. who now appeared.
 The filter, with her mouth stuffed full of pins, answered almost inaudibly that she had.
 "I just despise to make over things" grumbled the couturiere.
 "Then why do you do it?'' inquired Les bia.
 How can I refuse? Mrs. Blank Is one of my best customers and when she bought this old frock ancient as his tory to be converted into a directoire of extreme style and cut, nearly collapsed. But am afraid I am not very strong minded, or whatever you call 1t and so I gave ina
 why QO people ASK Sucn impossible things?" sighed Lesbia, standing first on one foot and then on the other
 It takes a long time to have a froclz made these days.
 "I know perefctly we'll she isn't going to like it when 1t is finished" smiled the couturiere. "I made her an extreme gown this winter on the directoire lines and the day after she wore it she brought 1t back and said that she simply couldn't Bear it.
 'Well, I told you so, my dear Mrs. Blank" said the couturiere "but you wouldn't listen to me. Somebody must have. told you you looked picturesque and that Is what made you have 1t. I thought woman of your age garbed in such extreme style was ridiculous-it looked like costume for fancy dress ball. And so you have brought 1t back? We'll It's no more than expected. Whereupon she said: Oh. like it all right, but my husband doesn't. He hates it-perfectly hates it, my dress, and I just can't wear it. {"
 "Wel, a man certainly has a right to object to his wife making a earica- ture of herself. don't you think?" said Lesbia.
 'Yes. certainly but everybody knows that old MT. Blank never even knows what his wife has on-and so the story was anything but plausible''
 Here there was general gettlng to- gether of the filter and the couturiere over Lesbia and for moment she was completely enveloped with draperies-a pulling out here and taking LID there. tuck too many, and seam 800 few, and then the couturiere standing back and viewing the ensembe-and the filter stopping to see if the skirt was just exactly right in every particular.
 'T hope my frock will be pretty" said Lesbia. And I do want to look sty- lish."
 Style is a factor that is almost as