Year: 1877

them Before they went to bed on Saturday
night, all the Boston women shook out their
waterproofs, got their plainest gowns on con
Venient hooks in the closet and put rubbers
and umbrellas where they couldn't possibly
be overlooked, and having so prepared for
Monday, got themselves into n proper frame
of mind for Sunday Perhaps you wonder
why this preparation was necessary Simply
because they had been hidden to an opening
of French costumes and bonnets at Jordan a.
Marshs to-day, and all their experience war
ranted them in the belief that it would be n
day for waterproofs and umbrellas. Not n
mere grey day, such as our autumn gives
us with II too lavish hand. but an uncom-
promisingly rainy day, when there is steady
drip, drip, drip, from morning to night, when
to enter horse car is to plunge into Turk
ish bath, when everybody and everything
looks utterly miserable and even Worth's latest
creations seem hollow mockery.


All Boston went to bed in glitter of star
light last night, but with the firm belief that
it was to wake up TO searching east winds and
pitiless beating rain, and general drabness
of landscape, for wasn't there an opening, and
"Nlh Nlt z1lltltllh anu I1OuOIublth gong 10
Hartford? Doesn't it always rain when there's
an opening, and was it ever known to be sun
shiny on Ancients' Field Day? The CLERK
of the Weather" has turned out IA practical
joker. He fooled everybody to the top of
their bent, and this morning there was gen
eral awakening to mellow autumn sunshine,
and air that was like wine in its exhilarating
effect. The Highland Railroad incontinently
run its box cars back into their shelter houses
and took out the open Ones which were
speedily filed by gaily dressed women whose
waterproofs were hung away on the farthest
peg in the darkest corner of the closet and
the Ancents started for Hartford with II look
of dazed bewilderment on their faces 1t was
plain enough that there was II mistake some
where.


But it was II relief to look at the dainty
Hentenaar and loves of French bonnets from
Eugene Pariset and Caroline Rcboux by IA
mellow sunlight instead of by the lcadcn gray
of II stormy sky.


l hardly know how to commence to tell
about all these French glories, marvels of
workmanship from the hands of the world
acknowledged artists.


can at the best give but a vague idea


One thing this opening did, it corroborated
all that has been said regarding the modes for
the winter, and fulfilled every prophecy. For
evening and dinner toilettes, damasks in silk
or velvet are exclusively used, in combination
with plain velvet silk or satin; for carriage
toilettes velvet is considered quite the thing,
while for street costumes, the rough 6ourettes
in combination with silk are most decidedly
the mode.


wonder who will be the possessor of a dim
ner robe l saw to-day from Madame Hen
tenaars, of silk and brocaded velvet and
which costs the modest sum of SGOO-enough
to keep some family in food and shelter for
year. 1t was in one Of those indescribable
bronze shades that look rs though they had
caught the goldenest sunshine i'll their dark
folds and held it there close captive, relieved
by pink and tilluel. The robe was in the Prin-
cesse style, one piece from throat to hem; the
front was brocaded velvet, bronze ground in
which We're tiny pink losebuds and tilluel
green leaves the long, square train was of
the same lined with plain silk, which was
shown by having one corner turned over and
fastened. The side breadths were of silk,
with peculiar dmpery, which was edged by
heavy chenille fringe, headed by a passe-
menterie of bronze and tilluel, embroidered
with crystal beads and ornamented with pink
flies" tied in at every conceivable place
the edge of the skirt-except the train-was
finished with knife pleating of bronze, un-
Il 81
pink and tilluel.


And we talk of hard times. Yet somebody
buys this gown and somebody else buys a rem
iniscence of Madame Pompadour in shape of
pale pink brocade from Worth, with reliefs
of pale blue; an artistic gown, looking for all
the world as though it had skipped out of II
Vatican fan or Dresden vase and there is
sure to be an owner found for a myrtle green
satin brocaded in tilluel and blue and finished
with wide band and fringe of herons plu-
mage which Jourdain ~ Aubrey sent over to
tempt American women with.


1t was positive relief to turn from them to
n costume of Pingat's, most exquisite in de-
sign, and so lady-li and wearable. 1t was a
| combination of indigo silk and cashmere the
square backed overskirt slashed in deep
point in front showing fine kilt plcating of
cashmere which reached to the knee, the
whole finished with doublc-faced ribbon of
indigo and cardinal, the cardinal showing OH
| ly at the sides, and in loops to the bows. The
waist was a yoke blouse, belted at the waist.
| You don't know how unique it was in style,
nor how simply pretty. For the rest-well-
we all know pretty well what it is. Silk and
bourette in combination on bronze olive and
| green with reliefs of tilluel, cardinal, garnet,
pale blue, yellow, white, everything in fact.
Velvet moss-like fabrics make the polonaises
| and over dresses, and silk is employed for the
skirts and trimming, That is the general idea
of gowns this season and yet there is a dis
| tinctiOn in spite Of the seeming sameness a
bit of drapery there, an added loop there, q
fold somewhere else, and you've no idea how
the whole effect is changed. There is one
thing only that is imperative you must look
| perfectly straight from head to foot, and be
tied back until you shall resemble n Chinese
lady in your gait. Merely this and nothing
more, that is if you are willing to take French
fashions without American notifications,


But the bonnets! Don't you congratulate
yourself that pretty cottage bonnets are com
ing in vogue again? They are SO becoming
and so pretty. Mr.. Gregg has always elunl
to them through every vicissitude of fashion
and beside the assertive poke" and saucy
Normandy could always be seen the modest
cottage. Plush and satin are to the fore al
dress up bonnets with gorgeous trimmings o.


foliage and feathers, such foiago-all the glo
ry of autumn with summers splendors burned
it. But let me tell you how you may have {