The Blackpool Herald. — 1893-04-07 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

GOSSIP FOR LADIES.  The sun shone gloriously on Sunday, and the fair sex came out bravely in new garments at the church parade on the North Pier. There was a pleasing preponderance of men, who, as is their custom, congregated together and smoked, allowing the ladies to promenade without masculine attendants. I speak now of the unatta,hed blessintts—the married and engaged couples were as devoted as ever. One's eyes grew weary with the glare of green and Purple so universally worn, and rested with positive relief on the subdued tones of fawn, grey, and brown; and the tailor-built gowns contrasted favourably with the frilled and furbelow'd toilettes, possibly because they were few and far between.  One felt thankful that crinolines were not in fashion, or a block must have been the result with such a crowd. Wide skirt, were very much en evidence, all bearing the stamp of r newness, thiee rows of flat trimming bellig go leraL Shot effects seemed popular in silks and bengalines, many being ornamented with passementerie and galon. Twotall girls,evidentlr sisters, looked styliah in smoke-grey ,g•-• i. serge, very limply made in the itubsian , ile, with belts of narrow black velvet; black bats, trimmed with bows of goffered black lace and small bunches of hehotrope conipleted their ladylike costumes. A smart dress that was original and elegant was a combination of black and bright green; the bands of the skirt were of the latter colour, epaulettes and sleeves also, but the vivid hue of green was judicioney toned down with bands of velvet of a darker shade; a dainty chapeau of the two colours was worn with it.  A well-made fawn tweed was very much admired, the trimming being of brown velvet, which appeared on the skirt in two bands, and in the yoke, which was covered with a deep frill of cream lace; a stylish black hat completed this toilette. The same lady, on another occasion, wore a veritable Granny's poke bonnet of black, with very wide brim, but it suited her perfectly, as her face was/really pretty and young looking. There were not many poke bonnets to be seen, but those who had chosen thaw in most instances were unfortunate, as they seemed to belong to the ancient worried permagion. and this headgear always adds years tO 00ell apparent age. A gown that was remarkably chic was of fawn check tweed, fitting without a wrinkle, with which was worn a Leghorn hat, the brim turned up irregularly, with a simple trimming of petunia-coloured velvet and flowers. A green shot bengaline made with a &mays, edged with passementerie, had a vest of petuiria ells, with same coloured bands on the skirt. One of the most charming hats I noticed was dose fitting and almost covered with snowdrops; but large hats seemed to be the favourites, " `"•- back. Our English girls are not successful as their American cousins in the right angle, that charming angle which becomes half defiance and half cuquetry. It is a great thing to know just the right tilt, for too much is rakish, and too little is inane.  Corners are very often the "bête noire" of the housekeeper, not as regards receptacle,* for dirt, but as regards utilising the space to the best advantage. So much has been written on the subject, with illustrations, about decorating corners in sitting-romps, that I will only touch on those in bedrooms. How often one sees in small rOOMS where a wardrobe cannot be squeezed in, all manner of garments depending from hooks on the door—ghostly shapes that make one think of suicides on entering in a dim light. Possibly there are no recesses in this small room, so we will use the corner, in which to stow away those belongings that will not pack into drawers, nor into those convenient band-boxes concealed under the :bed. Get a joiner to make two triangular shelves to fit the corner. Have these placed one above the other at a convenient height, then under the lower shelf have a straight piece of wood fixed, on which to screw some hooks; a curtain of cretonne arranged on a rod across the corner completes this arrangement.  Another idea is to fix a triangular enamelled writing table in the same way as already described; two pieces of board, one smaller than the other, can be fitted in above, one to hold pens, letter rack, and other paraphernalia, the nighest to be used as a book shelf, and to my mind no bedroom is properly. furnished without its books, so that when suffering from sleeplessness, one can reach down a favourite author to while away the weary hours.  The April number of the "Young Woman" , has just been sent to me, and I am delighted with it. It ought to and a place in every home where there are young girls, for the articles are most practical, helpful, and common-sensible. Mrs. Fenwick Miller writes on "Courage in Women," and the following is worth quoting, "We would not have women lose gentleness, unselfishness, homeward care or purity, but we would have men put on these virtues more, and we would hope for women that they may become more courageous, honourable, and public-spirited, broader minded, and more sell-reliant, and resolute and individual in character." Then there is a sensible chapter on "Worries," which all young wives should "read, mark, learn, and inwardly , digest," and an interesting interview with Mary Davies, who, I am pleased to note, sympathisee with the Women's Suffrage Question; she remarks, "I see no reason for witholding the vote from my 6el; nor have lacy objection to women sitting in Parliament. It is often forgotten that only a comparatively small numb* r of women would be ambitious fn that direction, and they would be elected by the votes of men as wed as women.'l