Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1892 — THE LADIES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE LADIES.

*l?jis tffeatfint nevsltv in the igwel 1 *mv ElCDwwt? UVV vt vj tU Duty 1C Wc. 1 lers’ fairyland is, however, the parasol seta, which come enclosed in a leather case lined with satin, and consist of a gold and jewelled knob, the thimble-shaped apex of the stick and the eight or ten tips or points required in mounting an elegant sunshade.

Moths, and dragon flies are favorite forms for brooches, either made -in gold filigree, with jewels for the colored spots on the wings, or with jewelled bodies and delicate translucent enamel wings, exquisitely veined and tinted. This clear enamel is very effective, too, in certain orchid forms, and very much worn in brooches and pendants. ---

The number of women who deserve to be branded as “souvenir cranks" is-untold. They are usually individuals with more time to use than taste to use it well, and more money to spend than judgement to spend it discretely. And though time and money are scarce to a good many people, they are still more frequently met than tastes and judgement. Consequently the name of the souvenir fiend is legion. In her most frequent form she collects spoons, bearing on their handles such dainty and appropriate devices as monuments, halls or legislature, birthplaces of poets, cathedrals and bridges. The bowls are engraved with names in heavy lettering that scrapes the mouth of the tea-sipping guest, or else with heads of famous divines, novelists and patriots, which somehow gives one the feeling of a caunibal every time one raises the spoon to his lips. All these spoons mean nothing to the collector. She has not prowled about the crooked streets of Salem and learned to love them, although a witch adorns the handle of the spoon which stirs her afternoon tea. Perhaps she has stopped over a train or two to ride through the city, or perhaps she ordered the spoon from her New York silversmith, but as for its being a souvenir, she never thinks any more of Salem when she handles that witch-ridden bit of silver than she does of Egypt. Still she has a collection of souvenir spoons.

H There was a little scene in a Mad ison avenue horse-car the other day that would have made a picture after Du Maurier’s heart. A young girl inclining to plumpness got in and greeted with effusiveness a widow concerning whose figure roly poly seemed the only applicable adjective. The widow glanced at her young friend aDd said politely: “Why, Marie, how well you are looking I The mountains must have agreed with you. You are as plump as a partridge. ” To which Marie tactfully replied in tones of horror: “Oh, don’t tell me that! It there’s anything I dread becoming its a fat woman. After a few minutes’ silent and salutary reflection Marie remembered a neglected errand and got off the car. AN EMPIRE GOWN. The illustration depicts an empire gown in embroidered batiste, made up over a sky-blue glass taffeta, the batiste being of a lighter shade. The guipure collarette aud cuffs are in salt gray. You will note how the pleating is done at the front; at the back there is a wetteau in gaufred pleating. The sleeves are also in gaufred pleating. The ribbon used is in a light green velvet. Some of the combinations of mauve and cream are delightful. For in-

stance, an equisite cream muslin printed with mauve sprigs of flowers is set off by a deep sash of mauve and cream ribbon. The front of the corsage has a fichu of lace brought down under the sash and the bottom of the skirt is garnitured with two tiny flounces, lace embroidered. The individuals who delight in playing mild and harmless jokes upon the public have a new device. Some enterprising inventor has made a pin, a piece of white wood representing with great accuracy an almost smoked out cigarette. The joker fastens it upon a crease in his waistcoat, and the general public, thinking they see a man about to become ablaze, rush up and attempt to knock it off. Then the joker, if he is a large, athletic person who liken to have a fistic flavor to his jests, pretends to resent the indignity and administers a sharp rebuke with his bands. UK.ii content merely to

roar loudly at the guilelessness of the would-be savior he does so. Any with decided views on woman’s sphere and a horror of masculine females may stir up quite a little excitement by the purchase and Judicious use of one of these toys. - -..1 . __ Then there are also those remarkable beings who make collections of household linens and dignify them with the name of souvenirs. That doesn’t mean that they boy exquisite doylies here, and a set of hemstitched pillow shams there. That would be too reasonable for the souvenir collector. She takes ygly infinitesimal bits of linen, marked hideously “ Worth’s Southern California Hotel, ’’ or “ Fast Flying Bail Road Company, ” and conceals them in her valise. Then she tells the chambermaid or porter that she has mysteriously mislaid or lost the towels from her room, and that she will pay for them. By no possibility could she desire to remember anything about that single night in the stuffy sleeping car, or the few hours in the cheerless hotel, but she triumphantly produces the worthless, uninviting scraps and bids the visitor look upon the souvenirs of her journey. She is especially glad when she gets into a place where the linen is all marked, “Stolen from Blank’s Boarding House. ” If she can show such a souvenir as that she thinks it adds a sort of sparkle of wickedness to her collection. For once the hon rible mania of gathering souvenirs has come upon her, she loses all her former faculty for nice distinctions. In fact every “souvenir" she adds to her cabinet may be said to mean a power gone from her mind. “ A PRETTY SHADE HAT. , The illustration shows a very pretty shade hat in open work, trimmed

with red poppies and a band of red ribbon. On the crown there is a little rosette of red ribbon and of crepe of the same shade.

True souvenirs aren't shown at afternoou teas. Sometimes when two women spend the night together a little collection is brought forth and the stories about the articles in it are told. There may be some withered flowers in it, but those ore not likely to be remembered. There may be a broken fan, a single loose wristed glove and such things?. Novelists maintain that those articles find a place in most women's memorables. But more likely there are such prosaic things as a stamp — which the possessor will never use upon a fetter—a blunted lead pencil with a romantic tale whioh it will not write, a useless theatre coupon, an uninteresting looking button or a piece of string. And the owner tells their history quite -merrily,' for by the time oue gets to relating the stories of souvenirs they are far enough in the past to be only am ing'“In fact,” says the wise woman, cynically, “women make collections of things they don’t care about to remember —places they will never think of agaiD. And they keep souveau'iuf events that tbey would like to remember. But the only things they do remember my dear, are the ones of which they have no souvenirs." 1 . And now it is said there are love microbes. It may yet become necessary to boil the kisses and burn the embraces.

PRINCESS OF WALES.

A DRESS THAT WILL WEAR.