Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1901 — FASHOIN AND FANCY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FASHOIN AND FANCY

FOOT NOTES. The becoming sandal slipper of the moment is sometimes adorned with one and sometimes three or five narrow straps. Very becoming also is the shoe with a fairly large buckle and tongue. This is khown as the Greek or court shoe. Very dainty shoes are of fine gray suede, destined for wear with an all-gray costume. WOMEN’S WORK IN RUSSIA. It is well known that women enjoy in few countries greater equality with men than in Russia. This fact is attested by the following partial compilation of the public positions in Russia now open to women; Dentists, teachers, midwives, apothecaries’ assistants, chemists’assistants, physicians, assistant prison directors, telegraph operators, post officials and various railroad offices, including that of station ftiaster. * CUBA’S FIRST‘POSTMISTRESS. The distinction of being the first postmistress in the island of Cuba belongs to Senorita Ysabel Maria de Los Rios, who holds-a commission to handle the mails at Gibera. She receives a salary of $1,200 a year. As a clerk iq this office she displayed so much executive ability that her appointment to take charge of it meets with the fullest approval of the department officials and patrons of the office. Senorita de Los Rios is the oldest of a family of thirteen children, ami is in her twenty-third year. She is a daughter of the late Judge Jose de Lbs Rios, who was postmaster at Gibera at the time of his death recently. There is a possibility that Senorita de Los Rio, will not remain in office long. She is engaged to be married. TO GROW THIN. Avoid sweets of all kinds and liquids in greater quantities than will absolutely quench your thirst; even a mouthful of water with meals is to be strictly tabooed. Saccharine has become such a common substitute for sugar that it is used in place of it by women who follow no other rule to keep down their flesh. Abstaining from water or any other liquid at meals is also a point to be observed in the reducing of one’s weight. For an hour preceding and for an hour following each meal no liquid should be taken. This process is not difficult, especially as any quantity of water can be consumed an hour after a meal is over. The effect of this sort of abstinence is really remarkable; it is as good for the general health as for the reduction of fle-li. American Queen.

QUEEN VICTORIA’S BEAUTIFUL CHINA. Among the modern china that Queen Victoria admired and prized is a Belleek tea service from the Irish factory of that name. It is mother-of-pearl-like and lustrous, and the bases of the larger pieces, such as basin, which is one of the choicest pieces of the set. are formed of coral branches and adorned with a few small sea shells. Every make of fine china is represented among Her Majesty’s tea services, but the pride of them all is one of the most delicate Sevres, with a claret-colored ground on which are heads in medallions and landscapes in panels. A remarkable modern afternoon tea set is of the wonderful Burmese china, brought out a few years ago when Burma was opened up. It is a sort of pale primrose color, shading to pink at the edges, much decorated with gold, and so thin that it seems like inviting disaster when hot tea is poured into the cups.— London Gentlewoman.

MILK AS A TOILET LOTION. Theoretically, on account of its cream and albumen, this is valuable, but the advantages are more than counter-bal-anced by the very irritating character of the salts and sugar contained in the milk. As a rule, milk renders the skin red in a patchy way. Skins differ very greatly in their sensitiveness to the action of milk. When it can be used without subsequent irritation it should always be wanned—not boiled. It must be borne in mind that milk quickly undergoes septic change. If used as a lotion, and the skin is not cleansed daily with hot water, soap and rinsing, pimples may be expected. The milk bath of the experts, about which such wild statements have been made, is never adopted as a routine agent for treating exposed parts of the skin. It is always followed by careful cleansing, and at the first sign of irritation. popular or otherwise, by proper remedies.— Home Notes.

SOCIETY LIFE MADE EASY. Foimal calls between women have always been considered more or less of a farce, even among the most rigid adherents to the practice. The task of making anywhere from* a score to a hundred of these very brief visits per week, even when the “call” consists only of leaving a card at the door, is not to be lightly considered. London society people arc patronizing a "social bureau” which advertises in certain society papers that it is "prepared to send out visiting cards—the work undertaken by experienced ladies with accuracy and dispatch—by coupe if desired.” The extent to which this enterprise may be developed affords opportunity for much chjprful conjecture. If "experienced ladies" can be engaged to send out visiting cards, why may they not also be employed to attend dinners and balls and other social functions; to ride in tbe park of spring afternoons;, to shop, and even to attend church? There seems really no limit to the scope of the work.—Harper’s Weekly. CORDOVAN OUSTS ALLIGATOR. Cordovan has taken the place of alli-

gator for wear in wet weather. This is largely imported from Germany. It is made from certain parts of the horse hide, and is a Very durable leather. It is impervious to water, and has a very smooth surface. It is not imported in sides as most kinds of leather, but comes blocked to the shape of the vamp. Unlike calf, it does not stretch in wearing, but retains the shape of the last until the very shoe is worn out. Formerly it was very expensive, but recently the tanners have conquered many of the difficulties in preparing the hide, and with reduced cost it is now popular. This season, in all the many original designs for tasteful footgear, ooze calf plays a conspicuous part. Its soft, velvety feeling and appearance no doubt commend it to the favor of the fair sex. it -is really skins of fine fibre being selected. The dyes are percolated or oozed through it: hence its name/ The velvety feeling is given to the flesh side by a scries of sand papering-;. while the grain side of the skins is slightly pebbled. This permits of many combinations from the same skin. The peculiar texture of a calfskin permits of its being dyed a "fast color” in any color and shade from jet black to a bright orange or cream white’. Gray, tan and russet arc most in demand. Not onl is ooze calf being used in the manufacture of shoes, but it is now used to quite an extent by the makers of albums. pocketliooks, hand bags, card cases, pen wipers and a thousand other novelties. — Pittsburg Dispatch.

PRETTY NEGLIGEES. There are no end of pretty negligees made of the soft, artistic liberty stuffs. They are most effective when made up on rather aesthetic lines, so many of the figured liberty materials reflect the art n uveau tendencies with their color schemes worked out in dull greens and blues. A score or more shades of yellow figures in one ravishing piece of soft mull. One of the artistic liberty boudoir gowns is made of deep cream mull covered with a yellow rose design, its yellowish green leaves and heavy brown stems giving a certain character to the material. It is made in one piece and is gathered in loosely at the waist line. The lower part is trimmed with a group of narrow ruffles, each edged with folds of pale yellow crepe de chine. Around the bust line there is draped a broad riblvon of orange panne velvet that is knotted into a butterfly bow at the top of both sleeves. On to this ribbon there are suspended ten long tabs of pale yellow crepe de chine edged with narrow ruchings of orange mousseline de soie. Over the bishop sleeves of mull shorter tabs of the crepe de chine fall. These, too. have a finish of mousseline de soie niching.

WOMEN TO GO TO SOUTH AFRICA. A meeting was held in England recently to arrange for the emigration of English women to South Africa as soon as peace is restored. Lady Frances Balfour presided. The wives and children of men already in South Africa are to be assisted to go there, and it was stated that as keepers of respectable lodging houses and nursing homes, dressmakers, milliners, housekeepers to direct native servants, as market gardners, poultry farmers, certified teachers and nursery governesses, capable women should be in great demand. Those who were failures at home were not wanted, and all should be prepared to rough it at first. So far as possible, funds will be provided for respectable women who desire to emigrate to that section. The Hon. Mrs. Lyttleton Gell and the Hon. Mrs. Evelyn Cecil were among the speakers. “BUTTON HOLES SOLD HERE.” “Button Holes for Sale Here” is a sign which peers out through a rather dirty window of a tower floor tenement on the East Side. In view of the possibility that it might mean just what it said and that the dealer really sold holes for buttons a reporter investigated. A woman whose dress was a mixture of bathing suit and ball gowm answered his knock. "You sell button holes here?” was asked. “Naw; we make ’em!” she exclaimed, with as much disgust as a very squeaky voice was capable of showing. “Well, the sign in the window says”— “Never mind the sign!” she snapped back. “What do you want with me?” She was finally persuaded to tell something about her new business. “You see, it’s this way,” she began. “The working girls who live over here have to dress pretty well, and do it on little money. Most of ’em makes their own glothcs, but they have not too much time to do the work in. Now, if you was a woman you’d know that it was mighty hard to make button holes, ’specially by hand. Poor girls can’t afford button hole machines. They make up the dresses and bring ’em over to us, and we put the button holes at so much a hole, ’cording to the kind of stuff and how well they wants it done. An’ that’s all there is to it.”— New York Tribune.

FASHION NOTES. Many pretty hats are bound around the edges this year. White alpacb is extensively used for outing costumes and frocks for cool days. The ostrich feathers which are worn so much, not only on Gainsboroughs, but on all kinds of dress hats, are but little curled. The Gainsborough hat hardly knows itself when it looks in the mirror this year. It is masquerading in all colors and materials, and there are even large and small Gainsboroughs. Animals are growing large in jewelry. One can get a brooch in the shape of a bulldog’s head which seems half the size of life. There are other animals if one ii fond of the jewel menagerie.