Evening star., 1935-03-17
CHAPTER XLVI.
BY FRANC G. CARPENTER.


ton society is growing more
and more common. 1t used
Il to be that only the Oldest and
homeliest put enamel on their
faces, and in such cases it rarely ex-
tended below the neck. Now many
young girls enamel, and with low-cut
dresses they must, to carry out the
illusion, enamel arms and bust as
we'll as their faces and necks. A sort
OF enamel powder is now used which
is put on and rubbed until the flesh
shines like polished wax.
The illusion is well enough when
the maiden has a form like that of
Mary Anderson, or the neck and bust
of a Venus de Milo, but when she
is Of the scraggy build, all angles
and no curves, the effect is horrid
There are nine scraWny girls to one
plump one In Washington society,
and l think, If the men could have
the matter put to a vote, they would
decide in favor of high-necked dresses
and sleeves buttoned tight at the
wrist.
Fortunes are spent here in paint
and powder every season and had 1
the income from the rouge alone, I
would not have to work to support
myself in good style.
Miss Bayard's death Is another Of
fering on the funeral pyre of Wash
ington society. There is no doubt
but that Kate Bayard was killed by
social overwork. with the terrible
strain which its costumes and its
duties entailed upon her. Mrs. Endi-
colt has not been well and num-
ber of the young ladies Of the higher
circles here have suffered greatly
from their nightly wining and dining,
their dancing and their reception Civ
ing and going. The decollette dress
has grown lower and lower, the
change Of the administration and
perhaps its Jeffersonian simplicity
has made it as open as possible.
Dresses were low enough in Ar
thurs time to Sprout the seeds Of
consumption in many a fair woman'S
chest. but it is even worse this year,
and in many cases there is nothing
but a strap over the shoulder to hold
up the loW-cut corsage. Society peo-
pie here remember how Miss Kitty
Veach, whom it was said young Allan
Arthur was to marry, nearly caught
her death OF cold at the White House
one night. Clad in a very low-necked
dress she went with young Arthur
into one OF the colder halls or onto
the porches, forget which. The
wind struck her and she was laid
up for weeks.
1t is no wonder that these Wash
ington bellies should be injured by
their mode OF dressing. They wear,
during the day. the heaviest Of cloth
dresses and hannels. When they
go on the streets they wrap them
selves in sealskins and, if they dc
not wear cloaks, they have their
shoulders and chests covered with
heavy wraps or furs. Warm even
to perspiration by such dressing, as
the cold night air approaches, they
throw of all their heavy clothes
and, so far as warmth is concerned,
they might as well be attired in the
Summer costume of an Indian squaw.
The Dress Suit Question.
Attorney General Garland's action
in not attending the state dinners at
the White House is construed on
different grounds by the different
elements of Washington society. Mr.
Garland's friends say he excludes
himself from social Washington on
account of bereavementS in his fam
lily. Another explanation is that
Garland has made holy vow that
he will never wear a dress suit. that
such thing has never been known
in his family and that he does not
propose to be the first to introduce
it, The matter Of the dress coat
and Washington society has been q
troublesome question to many a mar
before Garland. Senator Joe Brown
worried his soul about it for months
before he made the attempt anc
finally compromised the matter BY
having a swallow-tail made out ot
chinchilla beaver and wearing a rec
flannel chest protector under the
bosom Of his shirt.
Brown was influenced by his health
as well as by the fear Of his con-
stituents. Ex-Secretary Kirkwooc
would not wear a dress suit while hi
was in Washington. He often ap.
peared at the White House reception.
in black string necktie, frayed al
the edges, and coat and pantaloonS
of broadcloth, shining with age.
Senator George of Mississippi Is
| another man who affects that phas,
| OF SnobbishneSs that causes a mar
| to dress roughly rather than we'll
George promised his constituents ii
a speech about two years ago tha
he would neither wear a dress coat
in Washington nor ride in a car.
riage. He has kept the promise re.
ligiously, going about at all time.
dressed in business clothes.
In speaking Of this matter of dress
to me the other day. a leading Sena.
tor said:
Public opinion has changed of lat
years and the people want their repre-
sentatives dressed like gentlemen. II
underdress is a greater weakness thar
to overdreSS and it will hurt the mar
more who affects it. The day of BLU
Jeans" Williams has passed away. Tn
standard of intelligence is too grea
today for dirt and rags to represen
greatness. In 90 years you will hea
no more Of the buncombe Statesman
whose chief capital is dirty shirt,
| slouch hat and a shake of the hand
The day of respectability has sue
ceeded that of the commonplace. tn
people see that rough clothes do no
make the good Democrat any NOR,
than those Of dude the gentleman.
Two rich Congressman have beer
having trouble about an overcoa
lately. Before he came to Congress
Gen. Viele of New York bought /,
brand-new made-to-order overcoa
which cost him $50. It was cut 81
that it pleased even his fastidiou
taste and 1t fitted him like the pape
on the wall. The other day while il
attendance upon committee. he lait
his fine overcoat on pile Of those o
his fellows. One Of the last to leav
the committee room, he found his finl
overcoat gone and a rather cheap ant
decidedly shabby one in its place. 1
was, as he said afterward, a hand
me-down worth $14 at high figure
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