Evening star., 1919-01-05
BY ANNE RITTENHoUsE.

THERE is no doubt that the
signing of the armistice opened
the lid to box of butterflies
In the form of gayly dressed
women they have huttered out into
the sunshine of peace. and the vivid
colorings splash about in social life
in way that enhances the exhilara-
tion Of the hour.
No woman is proof against the Sc
ducton of alluring clothes. Mind you
there are thousands of women who
Nlink they are and who argue and
reason and protest against this Sc
duction. But 1t is there. Have you ever
known woman who said that she
cared nothing for good looking clothes
and yet spend two hours on her toilet
and found several hours a week in
which to overlook gowns?
1t is foolish to deny the pleasure
able impeachment that women care
for clothes Nothing in this world is
;, so unwise as to create illusions about
ones self and ones race. There are
women who do not carry out their
secret desires; there are hundreds
who, whenever they try to carry them
out, make dismal failure; there are
others who, in the press and whirl of
activities, have no time to permit their
mines to dwell upon what they like in
costumery and no time to change their
wishes into frockS. But the feeling re-
mains In every womans heart that
she would like to be we'll dressed, and
when she represses with false argu-
ment her delight in and her desire for
clothes it is like seating the little col
ored boy on the steam valve of the
boiler of a Mississippi steamboat.
X
Cyril Maude, an English actor, ex-
patiated upon this subject at lunch the
other day and told two stories to il
lustrate it. He said that Mrs. Pank-
hurst said to him. "Mr. Maude, you
realize that ] am a hardworking
woman, don't you? You have firm
belief that no woman has been more
strenuously active in the worlds ac-
tivities than ! have. And yet, here Is
my secret desire. i want to be but
terfy. When this war is over | want
to be dressed like a butterfly and fit
ter to and fro in pleasure"
Mr.. Maude went on to say that Mrs.
Pankhurst added the last part of it in
the most whimsical manner, showing
that she was true woman to the
core.
The second story was that no one
could realize, in the work of NUM-
tions in England, why it was that
over thousand girls applied for work
to one factory in day, while none
could be gotten to go to another fac
tory. Upon investigation Of the mat
ter the women. who all spoke out at
once, said that it was because the
successful munition factory had the
most becoming caps in their uni
forms Mr.. Maude added that it was
necessary to change the caps and cos.
tunes in the other place before they
could get the women to apply there
for work
BY the way-and this has nothing
whatever to do with clothes, but mere
ly gossip--Mr. Maude also said that
those munition factories were most
successful where they had dancing
tions We're given to the pupils. who
danced steadily until they were called
back to the machines. and the idea
proved an enormous success.
So runs human nature. Why try to
make out that it Is different? It's
very glorious thing. after all, this hu-
man nature, and 1t doesn't hurt us to
acknowledge the defects and cracks
manity was far more fascinating and
lovable than II was human?
X X
Well, Mrs. Pankhurst is not the only
woman who wanted to be butterfly
in so ardent q way that she burst
from the chrysallis as soon as the
armistice went into effect and turned
herself out into the sunshine in
radiant colors. At this season OF the
year there is an especially good chance
to show ones self OF in bright hues.
for the southern season beckons, and
even those who have not the money.
the time or the inclination to drive in
the Georgia woods, to dance at night
in the Georgia clubs, to swim in Palm
Beach waters, or to frivol in tho
cocoanut grove can still follow the
trend Of fashion that is launched for
these resorts.
There is nothing startlingly new in
: the silhouette that need frighten one
away from the clothes one possesses.
but all the signs OF the moment in
duce one to believe that the orient
will again rule In the contour of the
figure. Nothing else could explain this
definite change In the drapery of the
skirt 1t has tilted upward in back
for a year; 1t now tilts up in front.
American and French designers
joined hands in making gowns that
were reminiscent Of the 1880 periods
and ouAp thN,yu OH n,Yr in TONS Vuaro coy-