Year: 1872

Dolly Warden.


Every now and then a whim
seizes the public and takes posses
sion of peoples senses, though why
or wherefore, it would be hard to
say; but when once it has got a
fair hold, it has to be hamored until
it is worn out or supplanted by some
other novelty At the present mo-
ment the name which predominates
everywhere, which is advertised in
the papers, posted on walls in bills
in large black type, stuck up in win
dows of dry goods stores, and heard
in everybody's mouth, is that of
Dolly Warden, tbs Sprightly, CO.
qnettish beroine of Dickens histori-
cal novel, "Barnaby Rudge." But
the novel was written thirty years
ago, and there seems to be no appa-
rent reason why the London lock-
smiths pretty daughter should all
of sudden start out into popularity
greater than she enjoyed when she
was first introduced to the world
She was then made the subject of
many picture, and the celebrated
artist, Maclise, at the suggestion,
and under the guidance of his friend
Dickens, painted what may be call
ed a portrait of her, if thero can be
such thing as the portrait OF an
imaginary character. 1t was, how
ever, q realization on canvas of the
conception of the author, aad it has
given to her the bodily form and the
costume by which she will hence
forth be identified. Just as we form
but one conception now of Uncle
Toby and tho Widow Wadman, or
of Sir Roger de Coverly, and the
Spectator, or of Mr.. Pickwick and
Sam. Weller, in consequence of our
familiarity with the celebrated pic
lures and illustrations in which thew
are represented, so will our notion
of Dolly Warden bo limited to that
of the artist, combined with the de-
scription which Dickens has given
her. In this she appears in CHERRY
colored" hood and cloak, and q hat
trimmed with cherry colored rib
bons, &c. But, graceful and attrac-
tive as she is, there is nothing in
common between her and the young
ladies of the present day, who have
their own peculiar grace and attrac-
tiveness. She lived and fourished
while our war of independence was
going on, in which her lover lost an
arm. To find any one who would
resemble her we should have to go
back to our great-grandmother's
time; and herein is q partial mys-
terry of the Dolly Warden Juror.
Some one-in all probability an en-
terprising dressm maker-started the
notion that one of the most striking
novelties in the way of costume for
ladies would be revival of the an
tiquated fOwered chintz overskirts
worn by English ladies in the mid
die of the last century. and it has
been as successful hit as any that
has been made for some time. Ac-
cordingly the low bodied dress, with
skirts well looped up, sleeves tight
to the elbow, and then suddenly as
suming the Dimensions of sacks
leaving the portion of the arm be
low the elbow bare, is to be the cos
tune Of the season, at home it is to
be hoped, for it would scarcely do
for walking or riding in without
some modification. And patterns of
every hue and every variety of sprig
and flower are displayed in the store
windows, to the no little anxiety of
paterfamilias, who begins to wonder
what sort of appearance his wo-
menfolk are going to assume when
they step forth out of the hands Of
the modiste, with their straw hats
looped up on one side q la Dolly,
and their Powered skirts loopcd up
on both sides, displaying the scarlet
or brown undergarment in which
our great grandmothers delighted,
and which they wore short, so as to
display the clocks of their red stock


ings, and the shining silver buckles
of their high-heeled shoes. And
along with Dolly Warden hats and
dresses come Dolly Warden jewelry
and knick-knacks. 1t was an inpe-
nious idea to revive this in the name
of Dickens popular heroine, but it
might as we'll have been done in the
name of CIarissa Harlowe, or Sophia


Western, or Evaline, or Olivia
Primrose, or any other heroine of
the period, for they all dressed in
the same costume as Dolly Warden
did. So far, indeed, as looped
skirts are concerned, they have
been in vogue, more or less, for a
century and half, and at this very
time are fashionable in walking
dresses. The Dolly Warden over
, skirt is not so mnch q novelty in
itself; the attraction of it is to be
found, one may suppose, in the
lowered pattern of the material OF
, which it is made.


, Our fashionable bellies have scarce
l Iv rocovared from the HGrecian