Evening star., 1935-12-08
nv Jessie FAINT EVANS.

WlSeSt changes ana CONTRASTS
that have come about in our
~ school system are the result
of pupils and teachers being more
suitably dressed for School-room pro-
cedure? Even in the school buildings
erected Just after the Civil War, whose
clocks are the subject of museum &C
quirement and whose heating plants
ought to be, the clothing and class
room activities of pupil and teacher
are so different from what they were
a even so years ago that recourse to the
family album is necessary to visualize
the scene.
For instance, take the little boys
who attended the first and second
grade schools half century ago.
y There were no kindergartens until
later. They came to school in white
shirt-waists buttoned on to boX-kilted
skirts, the latter often fashioned from
their mothers. The buttons were
often nearly as large as quarters, and
were always pulling out the button
holes, no matter with what number
thread they were worked. Wise teach
ers kept safety pins at hand to bridge
the gaps between missing buttons or
to keep their more active charges from
entirely parting company with their
kits.
Black Saved Hands.
Little girls whispered behind the
backs of little boys whose mothers
ID sent them to school in black sateen
shirt waists with a frugal eye to cut
y 81, tlr.fo III.
washing. Fourth or fifth grade boys
whose mothers took a real pride in
their outfitting were Lord Fauntleroy
suits to school. Really stylish ones
were made of velvet, although these, of
course, were only worn to school on
very special occasions, when their
proud wearers either aroused envy in
the souls of their masculine associates
or had their noses punched for trying
to outsmart their fellows. The real
feature of these Lord Fauntleroy suits
were their wide collars, edged with
cambria embroidery, lace or ruffles
according to mothers station in life,
her ingenuity or the resources of her
sewing bag.
Mrs. Frances HodgSon Burnett, au-
thor Of Lord Fauntleroy" and wife
of DR.. Burnett, an eminent Washing
A ton opthamologist, from the Burnett
home on Connecticut avenue opposite
Farragut Square, must have delighted
in seeing the facsimile hero of her
famous brain child confronting her
everywhere on the streets of Wash
ington. These same little boys, and
sometimes astonishingly large ones,
often wore curls which came down
to their shoulders. When you stop
to think that these curls had to be
achieved by being faithfully rolled in
kid or rag curriers' every night, accord
ing to the school of curling procedure
to which mother belonged can any
one doubt the potency of mothers
influence in the home? Firm fathers
often had to take a hand in the
liberation of son from his bondage
of curls by taking him surreptiously
to the barber shop for real mans
haircut. Cooperative but understand
, ing BARRIERS assistants always softened
the blow for mother by saving several
of the curls carefully rolled in paper
for the head of the house to present
to his spouse after she had sufi-
ciently dried her tears from the shock
of the homecoming. Perhaps your
fondest possessions today, Mr. Promi-
nent Citizen, is gold brooch or a
1ocket in which mother fondly en-
twined bit of your Lord Fauntleroy
curls after that shearing of your
locks.
Hand Me-DOwns for Girls.
Little girls school dresses were apt
to be cut down from mothers or
auntie's or older sisters. Styles did
not change materially from season to
season, or if they did great concern
apparently was not given the matter,
provided the dresses were not too tight
or too short. In the main they fol-
lowed those of their elders and were
, at best none too f1attering to little
growing bodies. If the fashions have
done nothing else, they have at least
devised more becoming and suitable
Clothing for girls of school age. More
often than not, little girls of this
period wore aprons over their school
frocks. Both apron and frock were usu-
ally taken off upon your return home
TO be carefully set aside for the next
day while you donned dress in which
you could help mother around the
house. There were ruff1ed gingham
aprons for every day, white cambria
or cross-barred muslin ones for Spe-
clal occasions, trimmed with tatting
or crocheted or knitted edging.
There were three prevailing STYLES
OF hairdressing. You might wear it
banged If you were just a little ad-
Vanced. Two more sedate fashions
were either to wear it pushed back
from your forehead with a comb or to
have it neatly parted in the middle
and braided in plaitS. Little girls
whose hair was thick enough to be
worn in two plaits or long enough for
their owners to sit upon these self
same plaits were of course. greatly
to be envied. You were blessed of the
gods then, as now, if you had curly
hair.
Hair Ribbon Era.
Hair ribbons were the feature of
your toilet for school and for every
other occasion. Grose- grained. moire,
slngle-faced satin, double faced satin,
all had their advocates as to stvle
ana ourablllty. bow on the top of
your head, as well as one where your
plgtan ended, was an all-important
decision. There was also that burning
question as to whether your hair
should be braided to the end or left
loose inches above. No gift was
more highly priced than that of
new hair ribbon. Unfortunate. in
deed. was the little girl who had to
come to school with her hair tied
with bit of cord or calico. She had
the commiSeration of her group, as
DID the one whose mother was too
busy or two careless to keep her part
straight. Sickness was to be obtained.
as was well known, by 100 brushings.
night or morning and there WAS po