Year: 1872

Every now and then whim seizes the nub-
lie and takes possession of the people 5 senses
though why or wherefore it wOuld he hard
TO say but when once it has got fair hold. il
mas to be humOred until it is worn out or SIM
planted by some other novelty. At the pre-
sent moment the name which predominatps
everywhere, which is advertised in the nanrrs
posted OH walls in bills in large block tvpe'
stuck up IN the windows of dry goods stores,
and heard In everybOdys mouth, is that Of
Dolly Warden, the sprightly, coquettish heroine
OF Dickens historical novel, "Barnaby Rudge" :"
But the novel was written thirty wears ago. and
there seems to be no apparent reason WIN the
London lOcksmith s pretty daughter should ali
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
Macllse, at the suggestion and under the puid
ance OF his friend, Dickens painted what NAV
be called portrait of her, if there can be such
thing as the portrait of an imaginary
character. 1t was, however, realization ON
canvas of the conception of the author. and i
has given to her the bodily form and the cos
tune by which she will henceforth be identi
he'd. just as we form but one conception now
OF Uncle Toby and the Widow Wadman. or Of
Slr Roger de COverley and the Spectator or of
Mr.. Pickwck and Sam Weller in consequence
OF our familiarity with the celebrated pictures
and illustrations IN which they are representcd
so will our notion of Dolly Warden be limited
to that OF the artist, combined with the des-
crlptlon which Dickens has given of her. In
this she appears III a ''cherry-colOred" hood
and cloak and hat trimmed with cherry color
ed ribbons, &c. But, graceful and attractive
as she Is, there Is nothing in common between
her and the young ladies of the present dav.
who have their own peculiar grace and attrac-
tiveness. She lived and Rourished while
our War of Independence was going on. and in
which her lover lost an arm. TO find any one
! who would resemble her, we should have TO 90
! back to our great-grandmOthers and herein i
partial mystery of the Dolly Warden furor
| Some One-in all probability an entcrprisine
! dressmaker-startedt the notion that one of the
! most striking novelties in the wav of costume
! tor ladies' would be a revival of the anti0uated
! tfOwered-chntZ Overskirts worn by English
ladies in the middle of the last century, and it
| has been as successful a hit as anv that has
been made for some time. Accordingly. the
low-bodled dress, with skirts well looped m.
sleeves tight to the elbow, and then suddenly
assuming the dimensions of sacks leavino the
portion of the arm below the elbow bare. Is to
! be the costume 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-win


dOws to the no little anxiety of DateyE1ni7jas
who begin to wonder what sort of appearance


his wOman-fok are going to assume when thew
step forth out of the hands of the modiste


with their straw hats looped up on one side,
a la Dolly, and their Powered skirts looped up
on both sides, displaying the scarlet or brown
under-garment, in which our great-grand-
mothers delighted, and which they wore short.
so as to display the open clocks of their red
stockings 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 ingeni-
Gus idea to revive all this in the name of Dick
ems popular heroine, but it might as well have


been done IN the name of Clarissa Harlowe, or
Sophia Western or Evane, or Olivia Prim-
rose, 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 voge, more or
less, for century and a half, and at this very
time are fashionable in walking dresses The
Dolly Warden Overskirt is not so much novelty
Ill 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 scarcely recover


ed from the 'Grecian bend )" aud the luxuri-
ance OF their present pompadour over dresses
makes the transition to the tight bodice, low


bosom, AMI bare arms OF Dolly Warden rather
sudden. Very young ladies will doubtless ex.


pect to double their atttractions-if such a
thing be pOsSible-in their Dolly Warden cos
tune. And ladies of more mature age, who
retain their youthful appearance, as many do,


may also appear to advantge in it-dt home -
Phttd. Led0er.