South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-12
Keeping Up
Appearances
BY Ada Patterson.

by aua IalkefeOns
The cleared clothes closet Is q
timely companion for the cleaned
plate.
Have you cleared your clothes
closet? Yes. yes 7 know that you
are the neatest person of your family
and the best housekeeper in your
neishborhood. Granted, without
grudging. that the closet floors have
been scrubbed, its walls wiped free
of dust as your dinner plates. but
have its contents been thoughtfully
nspected7 And prayerfully? Yes
rayerfully. for If ever the world
las needed or Will need the union
of thought and prayer this Is the
me.
Thoreau, the philosopher who
delved to the deep simplicities Of
life, revealing their pure gold. ad-
vised: Wear your old clothes"
War time thought is Wear your old
Globes and intelligently buy your
new ones"
On a cloudy afternoon defer your
trip down town and clear your
clothes closet. Take careful stock
of your wardrobe. Decide deliber-
ately. not upon impulse, what may
still be worn on dark days when the
sun, inquisitive planet. does not
search for imperfections. And what
may be used on trips TO the country
or on long Sunday hikes through
fields or on strolls in the park.
The friendly, climbing squirrels are
destroyers Of the freshness Of velvet
gowns, and the sheen Of silk. De-
| termine what old dresses can still
be worn with grace and without
apology. Actresses know better than
any other class of women the secrets
OF the values and effectiveness Of
dress. One keeps a list of her
axioms of dress Among them is
| For the occasions and the places
/ where d cheap dress would do an
/ old dress viii do. Better a good old
/ dress than a shoddy new one"
Conclude whether that black
gown Will not endure for another
season, or what furnishing with new
additions Will make il suffice. The
/ actress l have mentioned says OF
black: i never wear it unless it is
raining or unless 1 am downhearted
or am going among persons 1 don't
/ like"
AS you are using scraps on your
table use them on your back. The
hash and ragouts of the luncheon
table have a correspondence in the
gown that has for decorative waist
coat front that piece of velvet ribbon
that came fresh and handsome
through the fray of autumn wear
as a doughty soldier through a cam,
paign.
Have the courage of the combina.
ton. A woman who gave over q
Saturday afternoon Of storm wher
she couldn't go to the war relief
rooms TO knit socks on the cine
saving machines, found a half worn
velvet gown and a quarter worn cape
and worked out a design that welded
them into one of the smartest and
most useful gowns 1 have ever seer
this winter.
Weed your wardrobe only of what
you know to be useless. If you have
tired of a gown hang it at the back
of he closet for d week or two. Civ;
it a rest. Gowns become tired as we
do and are better and fresher for Z
rest. But don't discard them. You
wouldn't discard an old and faithful
friend because his eccentricities haC
gotten on your nerves. You mlSh
stay away from him a while unit
your mind and nerves had read
justed themselves to his Harmless.
little peculiarities. Treat your ole
clothes as considerably as you trea
your old friends.
ShabbineSs is not necessary &C
compartment of war. Careful close
clearing, foresight and intelligen
buying, will keep us as presentabl'
as before. But there are draft
upon our brains. First drafts, seconC
drafts, third drafts, perhaps more
Let US respond cheerfully 70 them
Or better. enlist at once in the arm!
Of the thoughtful as well as willing
Let US adopt the slogan: Brains a
home while braWn'S abroad