Evening Star Newspaper, February 1, 1896, Page 15

SLOPING SHOULDERS ——4 And Smaller Sleeves Are Predicted for the Spring. PRETTY GOWNS FOR YOUNG MISSES Bridesmaids’ Gowns for Post Len- ten Weddings. gee BOYS IN COURT SUITS Ss WINTER brightens into spring, there is talk of slop- ing shoulders. Wo- men with beautifully rounded arms will welcome the change, if it carries the bodice material well over the curve of the shoulder and to the upper arm, closely defining the form; then let the milliner do her worst! The wers. may be a meek and dejected affair like a leaky balloon; the best might mot be much better than one tentative ex- ample from London. This is a spring Jacket of mottled silk caught across the bust by a band of velvet fastened with a light enamel button. At each shoulder an- other button and a bow, at the back of the reck a bigger button and an enormous bow. As for the sleeves, the mottled silk clings close ta the figure well over the shculder, and to it are attached elbow sleeves of lace, shaped like a lamp shade. The total effect is light and graceful, and decidedly smart. Winter gowns are still made with the Higher sleeves, though perhaps of more moderate size, and there is great use made of dark materials, of braiding and of stitching. Simplicity is always smart. Wever was there such a season for chal- Yenge to the Audubon Society. The slaugh- ter of fur animals rendered necessary by the present fashion of wearing fur on every kind of outdoor and indoor garment is semething Brobdignagian. A pretty toque— to eyes not Audubonian—is made of fulled red velvet “Au Nid;" that fs to say, like a nest, wherein, upon imaginary eggs, sits a pretty bird of paradise with its egret poised, all as natural as life except that in Teal life birds do not have their wings fastened down with silver buckles. Per- hafs Mr. Grant Allen would call this as barbarous as the shark tooth necklace of the South Sea Islanders. And why isn’t it? if it isn’t! There is a very pretty fashion in misses’ gowns. A mauve or other fairly dark vel- gown was doubtless comfortable, and her fairy one captured the prince while the elder sisters went unwed in their sordid finery. Weddings, the philosophers say, are the end and aim of social greetings. Were, perhaps; scarcely are, now that the mar- ried belle has become an international in- stitution. For weddings of the post-Lenten in most cases fully planned and far advanced. ‘The custom of pressing the children of te is growing in favor because of its pictur- who will be debutantes along with the new century, are already delighting themselves in the prospect of white satin frocks, whose net-covered yokes are embroidered with period, the preparations are already family into service as train bearers esqueness. Two pretty blonde girls, ABOUT FOOD WE EAT Unole Sam Furnishes Valuable In- formation About Diet. BOT PAULINE PRY 18 OF THE OPINION That Woman's Aid is Needed to Make the Facts Available. —— THE PEOPLE —_+—_—__ (Copyrighted, 1896, by Pauline Pry.) URING THE PAST week I have been looking into Uncle Sam's relations with “the coming Mary Ann, and I must say I think the old gen- tleman is neither just nor wise in this | attain. I have found scat- tered in various di- visions of the gov- ernment several . lines of work in pro- gress which have for their common object to reduce the cost of living and increase the efficiency of labor by perfecting the health conditions of the people. These lines of work of Prof. Atwater’s investi- gations of the chemistry and economy of foods, pursued in the Agricultural Depart- ment, in connection with the food experi- ment stations, Investigations of foods and food adulterants being done by the chem- ist of the Agricultural Department; inves- tigations of household pests, fitfully con- ducted by the entomological division of the same department, and investigations of the sanitary conditions of the people, barely under way in the department of labor. Certain incidental ends are sought by these special investigations—as, for in- stance, Prof. Atwater’s work is meant to FOR pearls and silver sequins. They will wear little white satin caps similarly embellish- ed. Boys are quite as picturesque in court suits of silver laced blue, with deep, skirt- ed coats, blue knee breeches, Ravenwood hats, silver shoe buckles and chased swords! But how clumsy they are and how they dread the ordeal! And how much more fun they will get out of their suits and swords as plarthings, afterward! Boys and girls are different. ‘The bridesmaids’ gowns are no longer de- signed tn unison, but in harmony, to_bor- row the phraseology of a sister art. For a wedding, with four maids, these arrange- ments have been settled upon. For a bru- nette bridesmaid, with big, brown eyes, a coffee berry gown with ecru lace, the front of tan and tan silk linings to the lapels; hat, tan and brown. For another brunette Garker and of smalier physique: light pink sparingly used with dark and light green, hat mainly pink. For medium blonde: greenish blue silk, with dark blue in com- bination. Blue hat. For a lighter blonde: paler blue without the green tint, darker blue and a touch of red. They stand in that order—graded from the warm colors to the cool, with the touch of red to restore the first impression. If these four girls v.ere to agree upon a compromise costume, it would be a pink wedding, without doubt. But the bridesmaids’ gowns, when all dif- ferent, can be worn for other uses, which a uniform design could hardly be. A com- promise plan sometimes favored is to have two blonde maids similarly attired in pinks or blues, and two brunettes in warmer, heavier tints. A white brocade with chine flowers makes up well with a bodice of white chiffon, red ribbon showing at the bust opening and upon the shoulders. ‘A dark blue frock looks pretty with a develop the production, as well as the use, of nutritive food, and the investigation of food adulterants is intended ‘to serve com mercial interests, while bringing about ul- timately the establishment in this country of a pure food standard. However, since the production of nutritive food depends for its success on a demand for such food, and since legislation establishing food standards must have its inception in a pure food sentiment, even these incidental ends are served only as the results of the in- vestigations tending to them are under- stood and applied in the house. It has therefore ssemed to me that Uncle Sam might wisely and economically group these scattered Investigations in a household di- vision of the government, which, recogniz- ing the channel through which the benefits of this scientific work are to be realized by the people, would operate with direct ref- erence to the economic objects sought, thus doing away with a lot of scientific fluff, that inevitably obscures a subject pursued, with reference to no purpose save that which the scientist's microscope re- veals. Opposed to a New Bureau. I made this suggestion of a household division, or division of domestic economy, to Secretary Morton about a year ago, who objected to it solely on the ground he takes against in any way extending the paternal- istic features of the government. Admit- ting the necessity of such paternalism, the Secretary of Agriculture assured me he saw more warrant for the existence of a household division than for much that is now in operation in the de- partment. The assistant secretary, under whose especial direction such a division would exist, has cause for opposing its creation in the general plan of organiza- tion of the Agricultural Department, which is constituted of many separate divisions, eighteen or nineteen in number, and the chiefs of all these, instead of being repre- sented by a much smaller number of chiefs of bureaus in their relations with the head of the department, are every one directly associated with the assistant secretary,who very naturally does not desire “that the number of subordinates and the burden of the detail of thelr affairs, which he must agsume, should be increased.”” Dr. True, director of the food experiment stations, under whose supervision Prof. At- water's investigations are made, told me he feared a household division would re- peat the history of the food experiment stations, which in the beginning were at- tempted to be run with simple reference to the utilitarian objects sought, the result being that the scientific value of the work done was sacrificed to the superficial and popular character of the endeavor. Views of Mrs. Henderson. This did not alter my opinion, however, but to make sure that no microbes from the female suffrage convention had entered my circulation and affected my reason, I talked over the matter of a household di- vision of the government with Mrs. John B. Henderson, whose conservatism as a mem- ber of society is as conspicuous as the suc- cess of the public work she has done in advancing educational interests, both by the school of industrial arts for women she has established, and the books she has written on nutrition and dietics. Mrs. Henderson dismissed from my mind all fear that I have become a crank in this matter, and from her broader knowledge of the subject assured me that there is more of the science of nutrition available for immediate application in our homes than I had been led to believe from fol- lowing the reports of Prof. Atwater’s in- vestigations. Prof. Atwater seems more and more loth to assert that any exact facts of nutrition have been discovered. But while making Veteen biouse and skirt, cut with a low, fround yoke and left open down the front, yith a vest and plain sleeves of white or ecru accordion pleated silk, Is simple and beautiful. The yoke and front can be out- Iimed_ in embroidery, and the cuffs should re of dark satin to match the stuff, with urn over edges of lace. The gown has something of an Italian look, and can be made in a great variety of materials, Perhaps this girl's gown—in the instance which I saw—was more beautiful than the costumes of the two guests who were leav- ing as I came, the one In an English pelisse of oriental velvet, green and red, twinkling with sequins, bordered with ermine, edxed With sable, and wearing a toque of sable trimmed with quills; the other smartly ar- rayed in a huge Gainsborough hat of ¢strich plumes and felt, and a dark tailor- made gown with Elizabethan collar lined with caracul. Nine times out of ten the ped of the household are more beautifully than the women. Cinderella's ashy blue and white striped collar, cuffs and waistband and a full white chiffon front. A pretty white satin gown, with very long shoulder seams supporting lace elbow sieeves over the white satin, is well decked with festoons of pearls looped upon sleeves and corsage. A bodice of cherry colored chiffon, with white lace and steel embroidery, looks as brilliant as an oriole over a lusterless black skirt. Lapels square and lace bordered, epaulets square and loaded with sequinage, fichus Icng and narrow—these furnish variety. The wide lace collareite brings us back to where we were two years ago. A beautiful effect is produced by square epaulets of fine ecru lace over a bodice of very dark green velvet, which opens in front over an ecru silk vest with a yoke outlined with lace. Tea gowns are made with huge square epaulettes, lace laden, with Wat- teau pleats at front and back and with heavy cord girdles loosely knotted in front. If the figure is very slender the cord may pass across the back. For stout or medium figures it should be attached at either side, under the lapel, which, bordered with lace, flows uninterrupted to the hem. Rose pink erepon with ecru lace, and a touch in the borders of very dark red, will suit most complexions. A tea jacket of black velvet can be worn with almost any combination of silk waist and cloth skirt. It is smarter and less languid looking than a full tea gown. The extremely wide collars of the mo- ment are often cut deep into separate tabs of embroidery-decked light cloth falling over the darker material of the gown. ELLEN OSBORN. Ss No Question About It. From Truth. Bruder—“Do you think the government should own the railways?” Burrows—“Well, I think it would be bet- ter than the present plan of having the rail- ways owning the government.’ An Important Point. From Life. “Now, Freddie, the moment you're naughty, Louise will put you to bed.” “Say, ma, which of us is to decide if Tm naughty?” this assertion, these reports none the less sustain the notion I have of the wisdom of adopting a househola division of the gov- ernment as the medium of their develop- ment, for the reascn that as Prof. Atwa- ter more and mcre disclaims exact knowl- edge of the science that is to enable us poth to reduce the cost of living and live better, that {s with increased capacity for labor and enjoyment, he also more and more petitions assistance in perfecting his investigations. The assistance he desires is In tho analysis cf foods; the study of dietaries, that is, the actual food consump- tion of people in different places and un- der different conditions of life, and the study of the food supply of particular places and of the composition of certain ciasses of food materials of which but few analyses have thus far been made; the di- gestibility of food, and the effects of cook- ing upen digestibility. ‘Temperature in Cooking. ‘Among the specific questions which need investigation are the temperature best adapted to the cooking of different mater- fals in different ways—as roasting, frying, boiling, steaming and stewing; the chemical changes involved in the process; the loss of nutritive materigl in preparing it for use; the effects upon flavor, palatability, and increase or decrease of its digestibility. This represents a wide and useful field of inquiry, which is almost unexplored. My idea is that Uncle Sam's domestic science work could be advanced to the ben- efit of both the government and the people if it were brought to tho particular atten- tion of worcen, and the direct relation ke- tween the home and this work could not be more distinctly and profitably enunciated than by having*it done in a household di- vision, as I have suggested, with a woman acting as chief of the division. + Professor Atwater says that to remove the ignorance which debases both our na- tional stomach and our national food econ- omy, two things are needed: “The first is a more definite knowledge of the actual facts. The second is that the information be brought to the people.” Holds Undisputed Sway. That women and not men are best quall- fied to serve these two necessities is a mere declaration of the superiority of the sex in a sphere in which there has never been a question of woman’s right to reign, as a few words explanatory of the study of ro- tation will readily show. ‘The actuel facts of what we eat, how it is prepared and cooked, and how it affects the various members of the family, the housewife stands in a natural position to determine, and for such technical knowl- edge as she requires to do’ the work, she may go to Uncle Sam, though I question whether it is generally-available, in conse- quence of the existing method of publica- tion, Put out by the Kgfcultural Depart- ment as farmers’ bulletins, its practical character is lost sight of, both in the chan- nels through which it s the people and as a result of the formlsss shape in which it appears. The gcverhuient endeavors to direct this information to the people by means of educational),{nstitutions, but I have observed how, in a most distinguished representative institution, Drexel Institute, there is a perversion of thé original purpose sought, and institutions of learning teach, as the government studies domestic science —as an end in itself, making to an unfortu- nate degree an intellectual diversion of what might be at every step of its pro- gress, a useful, fruitfdi theans of training ithe Becbis to live better and more econom- ally. ‘ When a Woman is Needed. Dr. True has told me that in the matter of utilizing the results of Prof. Atwater's investigations in constructing the tables and dietaries, published in the reports, the government has been at a loss how best to proceed. In this emergency, a woman chief of a household division, who would bring to the office the intellectual require- ments of a scientist and the practical ex- perience in dietaries of, a housewife, would unquestionably | serve’ the government. With little or no experience in science and not much in housekeeping, I can myself Perceive that if the daily dietaries calcu- lated in Prof. Atwater’s report on “Foods: Nutritive Value and Cost” were done in the form of average menus for the day, they would much more exactly and graphically represent a standard of living to the pub- Hc mind. In creating a demand for both nutritive and pure foods, it is the women of the country who must be educated first. My belief in the possible utility of a science of nutrition long hung fire over what seemed to me a forever irreconcilable factor in final equations—the personal factor. I re- cently put this difficulty before Mrs. Ellen H. Richards, professor of sanitary chemis- try in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who instantly made the matter simple to me, at the same time revealing how the sclentist’s perception of truth gains point in application through the ex- perience of a mother. “It is all very well," I said, “‘to figure out the number of calorics a man must have, and be able to cook them hygienically, but how can you make him eat when you've finished? You must get your calorics swallowed before the science of nutrition can so much as begin to operate, and my experience and observation are that the average man would rather be poisoned than eat anything you tell him is good for him.” Learning to Eat. “Precisely,” answered Mrs, Richards, “and right there lies woman’s opportunity in the social economy. Women must learn domestic science, and through their posi- tion in the home, make living the science a habit with men. I know how it is with my boys. If I tell them anything is hy- gienic, as you say, they hate it. Therefore, I don’t tell them. I just put proper food before them, and they eat it, until after awhile their palates become educated, and they finally will not eat anything else.” The literature bearing on domestic science published by-the government up to date comprises a report on Fcod and Diet by Professor Atwater; Furmers’ Bulletin, No. “3—“Foods: Nutritive Value and Cost,” by Professor Atwater; Farmers’ Bulletin, N 21—“Methods and Results of Investiga- and Economy of ssor., Atwater; Farmers’ : ‘Meats: Composition and by Chas. D. Woods, office of ex- periment stations, and “Suggestions Re- garding the Cooking af Food,” by Edward Atkinson, with introdyctgry statements re- garding the nutritive value of common food materials, by Mrs. Ellen H. Richard: reports on Food an] Head Aduiterants, se’ eral in number, by the chemist of the Ag- ricultural Department; ,reports on Insect Pests of the Household, by Professor Riley; reports on the Cost of Living and on Housing the People, by Commissioner of Labor €arroll D. Wright. The Cost of ‘Living. On first going into the science of nutri- tion a woman's mind may be a bit upset by the technical knowledge necessary to be gained in order to intelligently proceed. This is not much, however, and familiarity soou makes calculating a dietary an almost involuntary exercise in the ordering of a meal, but to acquire this familiarity many will doubtless be stimulated by rerceiving in advance just what good the bother of it is. My experience has developed this: I know that I would like to reduce the amount cf money spent in feeding my family. I know that relative to what certain other families live on I am ex- travagant. At the same time habit has rendered the particular features of this extravagance so_ much in the nature of necessities that I don’t know how to go about cutting down rations and expense. If my dinner does not include the regular order. from a savory soup to a salad, fol- lowed by a corresponding dessert, there is just as much of a “goneness’’ in me us there would be in another, perhaps, who had missed an entire meal. Nor have I, in myself, in my experience, any means of determining just how much of this “‘gone- ness” is really in my stomach and how much in my mind, Now, in this extrem- ity, I learn from one of Professor At- water's reports that selentific inquiry has established that a man’s rations is suff- cient when it contains about 3,500 calorics per day—a caloric being the unit of heat estimated necessary to raise the tempera- ture of a pound of water 4 degrees F., and the unit of energy adopted in estimating the fuel value of food. My physiology has taught me that the potential energy of food is heat developed in the process of diges- tion, and the physiological chemist tells me different food materials velop heat in different degrees. Professor Atwater has figured out the heat-producing power— that is, the nutritive value of a large, varied assortment of food materials, at the same time showing what percentages they contain of the several clements that respectively sustain the several necessities of my body—part of the food I eat going to repair my machinery, while the rest keeps it in motion. In particular, that is, the protein (albuminous substance) in my food, of which meat contains the greatest pgr- centage, makes the tissue of my body, and the starch and sugar (carbohydrates), and the fats I consume supply the heat neces- sary to life and activity. Making a Dietary. Now I am ready to construct my dietary. I first make out a list of the provisions I have purchased during a week. This is only a beginning, understand, and a dietary calculated thus will be only a rough esti- mate on which to base a first saving. To practice perfect economy of health and money would require the establishment of a dietary for each individual and each meal— @ much too complicated matter for the be- ginner to even think about without the risk of brain fag or complete nervous pros- tration. Back to our mutton; then: I make out a list of the provisions J have purchased dur- ing a week. In my position as careful housewife I know pretty’nearly the amount of waste there has been, and so am able with a fair degree of exactness to reckon the amount that has been constimed. Then I take one of the tables prepared by Prof. Atwater showing the composition of differ- ent food materials, ahd ‘by a simple arith- metical process I am: able to discover how much and wherein ¥:am extravagant. I figure out that my diet as a whole is ex- cessive a certain number of calorics, I am eating too much—eating. at the expense of other needs to which»part of what I spend for food might intelligently be directed, also at a corresponding sacrifice of my ca- | pacity for enjoyment and labor. “The physi- cal ability I have is ati approximately fixed quantity. Consequently if my energy is taxed to digest and otherwise dispose of an excessive amount of food to the extent of this excess, I am lit @ the possibilities of my body in every other exercise of which it is capable. The far-reaching waste of over- eating is taking into account in reckoning even the attainments of the spirit accord- ing to the ancient Vedas, and the law is laid down that the man ‘who eats too much so sacrifices his whole range of possibilities that he loses forever the powcr of seeing God. “But that's another story.” Where the Extravagance Lies. Having determined in the gross that any food supply is extravagant, hy further con- sulting Prof. Atwater’s reports I am en- abled to determine why and wherein it is so. He prescribes the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats relative to one ennteer pane sees Ge sex ete eee that ould properly consu! : Working out these factors In my diet, I find of just what elements of food I am eating THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1896-TWENTY-POUR™ PAGES. more than I need. Here, then, is a per- fectly sound basis for cutting down ex- penses, and I may assert from my own ex- Eerlence that it is the only basis on which a housekeeper not of Simian extraction can make a beginning in the practice of do- mestic economy. An intelligent woman for- tified by a clearly defined reason for any domestic reform she undertakes, acquires indisputable authority in enforcing her views against the habits of stupid servants and—hush! self-indulgent men. I may know that my market bills are out of all proper proportion to my income, and I may know that my family has dyspepsia in various forms, and I may think we eat too much, but I have neither the moral courage nor any certain ground on which to attempt a change, unless I can prove the necessity by intelligent means, and precisely this Uncle Sam, through the agency of Prof. Atwater, has enabled me to do. Having determined that my diet is ex- cessive a certain number of calorics and varies excessively in the relative amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates I con- sume, by going over my dietary I find that I have my choice of many different food materials in cutting down. Thus the ex- cess of carbohydrates may be contained in undue amounts of either bread, potatoes, sugar or other foods similarly composed. The protein is contained almost entireiy in the several kinds of meat I eat in different degrees. I will then select the most ex- pensive of thes2 in making my reductions, but here I must recollect that “the cheap- est food !s that wh'ch furnishes the most nutriment at the least cost.” In other words, I must consider that in buying food I want to secure not so many pounds of this or that stuff, but so many nutrients and so much fuel value per pound. Prof. Atwater has ready for me tables showing the cost of staple foods so considered, and consulting this I find still greater poss!- bilities open to me in reducing the cost of living. Choice in Meatn. For instance, I find that for 10 cents I can buy 0.36 of a pound of protein and 1,825 calorics in the neck of beef, whereas the same amount spent for the rib will yield me only .13 of a pound of protein, and 1,149 calorics. Or, I-find that 10 cents’ worth of veal cutlet will yield me but .05 of a pound of protein and 155 calorics, when I may get 10 cents’ worth of loin of veal (chops) and have more than twice as much food value in my purchase. Or, I may buy 10 cents’ worth of beans and combine with it 5 cents’ worth of pork and have a food value equal to % cents’ worth of rib beef and a quarter of a peck of potatoes. But having advanced thus far fn reduc- ing living to a science, I must now consid- er further what enters into the question of cheap living. Food taken into the stom- ach does not realize the conditions of economy unless it is digested, co that, in estimating tke nutritive value of a meal I may be planning, I have to reckon on the palatability and digestibility of the dishes that occur to me, and while, theoretically, this would cover the subject, in experience I know it is further complicated by the per- sonal factor and a certain mechanical sense to be satisfied in establishing a diet. The matter of palatibility and digestibil- ity involves the science and art of cook- ery, and right here is the new woman's greatess opportunity on earth, for as sure as man is an animal and his palate sur- vives the eliminating process of the de- velopment of the human species, so sure the scientific housewife must know how to make protein, fat, carbohydrates and calo- rics taste good, before she can hope to Impose her knowledge of the nutritive values of foods upon her husband and her sons. In this she is again fortified and en- couraged by science to succecd, for a care- ful reading of Prof. Atwatcr’s reports and kindred literature they suggest, de- velops the fact that in wanting his food to taste good a man is not simply sensual and self-indulgent, he is only acting In accord with a plan of nature whereby his digestion is aided. Agreeable food in- creases the flow of digestive fluids; like- wise a pleasing variety in one’s diet serves the economy of the body. Uncle Sam on Cooking. In his concern for the ‘advancement of the new cook, Uncle Sam has not hesitated to go into the matter of cookery for his benefit, and every woman who reads Ed- ward Atkinson's “Suggestions Regarding the Cooking of Food,” published by the Agricultural Department, will discern that she is not going to make any considerable progresss in reducing household expenses until she has solved the problem of the application of heat to food. This problem Edward Atkinson has work- ed on for more than a score of years, and he has told me that beginning it as a fad, he is satisfied that he has obtained a per- fect, practical result in his Aladdin oven. With this over, Mr, Atkinson claims that an unfailing recipe for all cooking is one part of food ‘material and one part of gumption, which sounds simple enough, but when I asked him in what market one is to procure the gumption, he was bound to confess it is born, not made, and can only be retransmitted to Mary Ann by a process of something like inoculation thus: The intelligent housewife herseif must go into the kitchen, and placing her intcl- ligence in the circulation of the body of work involved in the preparation and cook- ing of food, by this means the current of kitchen affairs may be so charged with gumpticn that Mary Ann there becomes a medium of it, and thus is made proof against her own and all the traditional stupidity that commonly disorders the kitchen, the cook and the cooking of our homes. For Each Housewife. ‘The personal factor in nutrition is 50me- thing each housewife must deal with ac- ecrding to individual circumstances, but in this Uncle Sam does not leave her alto- gether helpless. The study of the science of nutrition he affords her gives her both the information and the poise necessary to dispose of obstinate but clearly depraved conditions of the personal element she has to encounter. If she furnishes her husband an economical and hygienic breakfast and dinner, acccrding to accepted standards, and he habitually lunches down town at rcon on custard pie and beer, or hard-boil- ed eggs and whisky, she is not going to let this personal factor upset her dietary calculations, and she is going to stand firm as a stoic in refusing to recalculate the family dietary in the interests of his di- gestion, until he has first experimented with 2 lunch reform. Sense of a Fall Stomach. The mechanical sense to be taken into account in considering nutrition is the sense of a full stomach, which many men svutstitute for religion. This has so gener- ally operated agairst experiments in the use of concentrated foods as to have heen accepted as a positive factor of nutrition, Sir Henry Thompson, a noted English phy- sicilan and authority on the subject of food ana feeding, shows a physiological warrant for the demands of this mechanical sense in men. “To employ nothing in our diet but mat- ter which haz nutritive value, that is, can be absorbed into the system, is founded upon want of elementary knowledge of the first principles of digestion. No proper ac- tion of the intestines can take place unless a very considerable quantity of inert mat- ter is present in our daily food, existing aa material which cannot be digested. By this character, we are not to suppose that it is in the least degree ‘indigestible,’ in the sense of that term when employed to sig- nify ‘difficult digestion,’ but only that it passes unchanged through the body, neith- er receiving nor exciting any action. When there is a considerable portion of this in the food the bowels can act daily and regu- larly, having a mass which they can trans- mit. Wher, on the other hand, the food is so nutritious as to be almost entirely absorbed, there is very little solid to trans- mit, and the action of the bowels is infre- quent, irregular and unsatisfactory.” Using Woman's Influence. In utilizing the science of nutrition to the end of practical economy in the household, women are bound to encounter a defect of Uncle Sam’s domestic economy, which I am persuaded the household division of the government with a woman chief would tend to cofrect. If the chemists’ reports on foods and food adulterants were trans- mitted to the public in a way to direct the information these reports contain to the notice of women, in the ordinary course of human intelligence operating in the office of wife and mother concerned about the health and well being of her household, there would result a pure food sentiment in our homes which is the only hope of pure food legislation in our government. Adulterated foods, to be sure, are not necessarily unhealthy foods, but this is clear: Adulterated foods are unknown uantities with which it is impossible to deat intelligently in ordering a diet, either hygienic or economic. If we do not know what we are eating, plainly, we cannot de- termine either the true nutritive value or the true pecuniary value of our foods—a fact which has no expression whatever in any existing food laws. Uncle Sam has ab- solutely no regard for the American stom- = "15 Yall ponder COLLARETTES AND FICHUS. = =< ach, When he makes laws regarding pure food it is in the interest of particular Amer- ican pocket-books, to secure foreign mar- kets for American food products, without a scruple of conscience or one pang of re- gret for our great American dyspepsia. ‘Thus home manufacturers impose upon us what they will for us ta cat, and the for- eigner, whose food formula will not bear the light of European food standards, emi- grates and does business at the sacrifice of our national stomach, which thus becomes the prey of all the world. Pure Food Movement. If women will procure the agricultural reports on “Foods and Food Adulterants” they will find amid a maze of technical de- tail a fund of information to assist them in learning what we eat, and why a pure food movement is a woman movement that every housekeeper may help to realize by simply serving her selfish interest in the matter. After all, conditions of nutritive food and pure food have been secured, to perfect the application of the science of nutrition, 2 woman has nced of the knowledge of one more science—that of sanitation—for eat what you will, it wili serve you to little purpose in an insanitary environment. Facts and figures in support of this state- ment are to be had in the-report of the de- partment of labor in “Housing the People.” I don’t mean to flaunt the glory that is wo- man’s nor the greatness that is hers, at the end of the century in the face of Commis- sioner Wright's best endeavors, but if he were to try co-operating In his reports on sanitary matters with a woman—my coming chief of a household division, if you please— whose experience and ability would deduce from his statistics their practical bearing on every home, and point the responsibility de- i upon housewives in the information contain, the educational value of these reports might be redeemed from the natural dryness of statistics, and made pro- ductive in the experience of the people. . Requires Iron Nerve. I have not found any more fascinating and profitable reading, nor any of more par- Features of the Changing Fashions in These Detnil«. The new collarettes are split in front,an@ perhaps on the shoulders, too, which ex- plains why it is possible to buy a black neck trimming with white lace applique yoke and black chiffon bertha for $4.90. Another exquisite neckpiece is a com- bination of green chiffon and white lace. There is a stock of green chiffon with three little lace pansies peeping over the top on each side of the chin. To the stock is sewed 2 white lace yoke about three inches long, beneath which is a double bertha of ac- cordion pleated green chiffon with a white alenciennes edge. Its price ready made is , but an ingenious woman ought to make one for herself at a cost of $3 at most. ‘This is the style that is beginning to go out, though it is still very much worn. The new ones that are split in front have a V-shaped opening with the point at the top. A stock with a yoke of ribbon and insercion with lace gathered around it makes a pretty | ne@&& trimming that is cheap, but not ese pecially new. One variation that can be used to ade vantage is to make the stock pointed In front. A pretty collarette with such @ stock of gold-colored ribbon had a full ruching of white ribbon standing an inch above it around the face, A suitable collarette for second mourning has a yoke of black chiffon with white lace applique trimming and a double row of chiffon with a satin edge. A little later in the season we shall see embroidery collars out in full force. Many of them have cuffs to match. Most of them have collar bands of insertion, but a few turn in over the band of the dress, leaving the neck once more visible, This will be @ comfortable summer fashion, and it is to be hoped it will be popular. A collar like thi was made of white pique with bands of in- sertion radiating from the neck and edged with three-inch embroidery. The cuffs to match turn back and are also edged with ticular Interest to women, than Is to be had in Commissioner Wright's reports on the Cost of Living, and the Housing of the Peo: ple. which they are given to the public. It seems to me that the educational work undertaken by Uncle Sam in the general Interest of the people should not: be con- sidered fit for publication until it has been by a middleman (or middle-wo- man), who is able to assimilate the fruits of science, on the awful stones of which the average person chokes, and thus put into general circulation a product of scientific thought and common experience which old folks will wart, young folks will have, and the baby will ery for. Any other—the ting method of education seems to me class education—the education of a class whose intelligence equips them to educate themselves, which {s altogether at variance with the purpose of a “government of the people by and for tke people’—but that’s erough. This is getting too profound for digested eve ex: the little childish noddle of PAULINE PRY. —_—>—_—_ RENEWING OLD DRESSES. Some Suggestions as to the Economi- cal Use of Materials. Whether they will succeed or not it is hard to say, but the costumers will make strenu- ous efforts to introduce trimming on the A few Parisian skirts have gore panels with trimming running up and down beside them. This Is an advantage in re- modeling an old dress. Two skirts that har- monize may be put together by this means. There is no end to the variety of passe- menterie and jeweled trimming that can be had to give the refurbished gown an appear- Speaking of trimming, one can buy set plezes of it for yokes to old waists for about $3 which give a very dressy Go to the trimming sales and see what you can get in the way of festoons of jet or jewels and applique pieces when you are wondering what to do with a dress that new skirts. ance of newness. effect. is scuffed, but not nearly worn oute A remnant which one buys for $3 or $4 with the trimmings I have been talking about, and in this way one gets a pretty spring dress at very little cost—especially since haircioth is The new lining that may be made up very cheaply no longer an essential. is stiff but very lig! is much better than haircloth and much cheaper, too. A skirt nowadays need not be more than four or five yards wide. It is lined with cheverette, bound with velveteen, and finish. velvet trimming. A with a train had an im blue velvet bow just be- low the right knee. four ostrich tips standing out and up against the skirt. The bodice had large hue velvet sleeve puffs, with ostrich feathers and blue ve! ders and at the wats ——— — ee THE DENTIST’S PLAINT. t bows on the shoul- People Have a Habit of Forgetting Their Engagements With Him, From the New York Tribune. “It's strange,” said a dentist whose of- fice is m a down-town business building, “why so many men who are scrupulous in all their business transactions fail to keep their engagements when they have teeth to be filled. Two to one they will come around the next day and make some excuse. They had to go out of town or they had a sud- den call to court or there was a directors’ meeting that they had forgotten all about or their wife was sick—it’s always some- Yet I fear nothing less than the iron nerve of a newspaper woman would dare to attempt to dig through the awful form in There were three or Se them nearly four inches wide. -| Cuffs are the correct thing now. The Marie Antoinette sleeve, that is shorter on the inside seam than it is on the outside, has a cuff that flareseand is about four inches wide. A band of trimming or a puffed piece around the hand is also ad- missible. A new thing in the collar line is made of black satin. It is a stock with a small tie attached that appears to come from the back of the stock and tle in the small but- terfly bow in front. It has a white satin cording at the top edge, so that there is no necessity fer a linen collar, though one can be worn with it if desired. It can be bought for 95 cents, but made much cheap. er. ———__+e+—____ FOR WOMEN SKATERS. Valuable Suggestions About Skates and Shoes. From Harper's Bazar. The best kind of skates for a woman to wear depends largely upon the strength of her ankles and the amount of support she considers necessary for them. Many us@ the all-clamp American Club skate, made precisely after the pattern ef those in- tended for men.* This fastens by the clamps to the shoe at the ball of the foot and at the heel. There is a place at the back where a strap may be put on and brought up around the ankle for greater firmness. Those who are strong enough not to need this help dispense with the strap. Many dislike it on the ground that if snug enough to be of any service it binds too tightly, and by preventing a free cir- culation tends to make the feet cold. Im- provements are constantly being made on these skates, and a new arrangement—the sliding clamp—has appeared this year, which does away with the thumbscrew and is said to make the skate far more secure at the heel than ever before. When no straps are used especial care ought to be taken that the soles of the shoes are very thick and the heels broad and square} otherwise the clamps, upon which the en- tire responsibility falls, will not be able to get a strong hold. The half clamp is a compromise between straps and clamps, which sults perhaps the majority of women skaters. Instead of the rear clamp the skate has a high heel of stout russet leather, fastening around the ankle with a strap. The heel of the shoe fits into this and is protected and supported on both sides and the back. In the front the skate is kept on the ball of the foot by the usual clamp. All-strap skates—those which have no clamp fastenings at all—are still made and used by a few, though they have been quite generally superseded by the more reliable half clamps. The toe strap is often uncomfortable and seldom works as well as the metal contrivance. Shoes ought to be a very important con- sideration to the skater, as her skill and pleasure on the {ce will be governed in @ great measure by the kind she choos! They should be made of strong, heav: leather, which will stand hard wear and not let the cold through easily. The soles ought to be unusually thick, both for warmth and for the purpose of giving the clamps a firm hold, and the heels not too high. Laced shoes are better than buttoned, | because they can be drawn as tight as may be felt necessary, and because if a strap is used there are no buttons pressing into the foot. The farther they come up the better. Those of extra height, such as are | often used for bicycling, are admirable for the purpose. E' if gaiters are worn it is absurd to skate in low-cut shoes, or “ties.” This is done occasionally, but it is always at the skater's risk of a sprained ankle or a heavy cold, or, perhaps, both. The danger of having a skate come off while one is moving rapidly ought to be borne in mind, and every precaution taken to ree that they are firm before going on the ice. . thing of that kind. I tell you it takes an honest man to keep an engagement with his dentist.” “What kind of men are the worst of- fenders?” “Well, I had a date with a minister this afternoon, and it {s the second time he hes From Life. failed. I'don’t have many ministers as| Ringway—“Your sister expects me td clients, but I should say that they are the | dinner, doesn’t she, Willie?” worst, unless it is a newspaper man. You| Willie—“Oh, yes. She said she did know you are about an hour behindhand.” | know but what you might stay to breake The talk dragged here. Conversation | fast.” with a dentist while he is at work on your teeth is likely to be depressing under the most favorable circumstances, +00 A Good Reason. ——s0e- A Forerunner. From Puck, Mr. Scrapleigh—“I had an awful dream last night. I thought I was dead.” ¥rom Harper's Barar. Mrs. Scrapleigh—“The room was very, Dobson—“What made you give up that | Warm, wasn't it play you were going to have in your Ama- teur Dramatic Company? Did the actors all back out?” Fogge—"No; that wasn’t the trouble; but cur leading lady insisted on wearing a dress with a train three yards long, and the stage is only eight feet by six, so we de- cided to have a monologue.” Could Not Reeiprocaic. From Fun. Counsel for the defendant (sarcastically) —You're a nice fellow, aren't you?” Witness for the plaintiff (cordially)—T am, sir; and if I were not on my oath T'd say the same of you.” = = SUBTERFUGE. . A DARK From Hatper's Bazar. Effic—“Jack, papa sald we must not see cach other any more.’ Jack—“Indeed! Shall I turn the gas out?”