Evening Star Newspaper, August 27, 1898, Page 17

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1898-24 PAGES. 17 (Copyright, 1898, by the International Literary and News Service.) Special Correspendence of The Evening Star. NEW YORK, August 26, 1898. “But, madame, broadcloth will be con- sidered the most desirable of all materials this autumn,” said the clerk, with the air of one not to be contradicted. “Yes, I know,” replied the customer, im- patiently; “but broadcloth simply cannot be kept presentable for traveling.” “If it is a traveling dress madame de- sires.” the clerk conceded, “here is a beau- tiful vicuna— “Just as bad as broadcloth.” the cus- tomer interrupted. “Show me a good brown tweed or a close wale cheviot or some of your best serge: " this as the clerk rattled down a bolt of cloth upon the counter and held up the loose end of the material in being a deep yoke of green and white silk, barred with green velvet ribbon. Pierced glass buttons entered into the scheme of decoration. “Don't have a tailor dress,” said a wo- man of experience to a girl who was going west to attend a convention of college wo- men. “If you do you must either ruin the fit of the bodice or sit upright in the car all day long.” For fatiguing journeys nothing has ever been devised to equal a plain jacket, blouse and skirt costume. The girl to whom the advice was addressed chose a brown tweed skirt of the shade of the copper beech tree, with one of the new hussar jackets of the same material. The skirt was untrimmed; the jacket had double-breasted fronts, large revers and a deep sailor collar. It was unlined, though the fronts were faced with a bronzy green silk, and was trimmed only with eagle-patterned buttons. A sup- ply of blouses and shirt waists completed a comfortable outfit. Tailor dresses for September walk in the paths they entered last spring. Gray soils too easily. Blue? | spots. Gree’ Oh, I can’t wear inless I get > dark that it shows | Y¥ particle of du: Brown will suit me or a gvod mixture.” ber of thero dre: have two for sensib irg when autumn brown y good tra thin a k or take their out- ner of early ing The bodic rown back of Cuban r a design tn cea vests were pro- » hips in w a trifie, a he top with faced black bi ovable vided: one of red and black, like the revers, ene of whi cloth braided with black | also. \ The going-away dress of a bride, for which of course all rules of utility are re- laxed, was of nut-brown covert coating made over taffeta of the same shade. The | skirt opened on the left side over a narrow anel of w e cloth, upon which was out- da spiral de mn narrow green and gold cord The bodice was laid in V plaits back and front, the upper portion | dressy t | frcnt and at the side: Their ancient code of “severity” is even more operly disregarded, and in elab- cration of effects they rival confessedly “ They are made of the and most beautiful broad- They are cut, so far, upon the gen- eral lines laid down during the summer, though even closer attention is patd to the skin-tight fit about the hips, while the length of the skirt has been increased in as well as behind. A lady horrified a fashionable dressmaker by walking into her rooms in a skirt that licplayed some part of the shoes, “What!” exclaimed the dressmaker. “You haven't joined the Rainy Daisies?” “No,” said the lady. “But I can't spare both hands to hold my dress up and I can't spare $50 for a flounced and lace-trimmed petticoat for folk to look at when my dress is held up.” “Get a bicycle dress, then,” advised the | dressmaker. ‘‘People wear very long dresses and very short dresses, but the rather short Gress—well, it looks peculiar.” Which goes to show how quickly the eyes become accustomed or unaccustomed to a fashion. Also it leaves the woman Who does not choose to wear a bicycle dress in as bad a predicament as before. A beautiful cloth costume finished with- in the week was of a new and soft shade of tan. The skirt was decorated with three bards of black lace ribbon put on slightly waving lines. Bold leaf designs in black Chantilly were scatie:ed between and above the lines irregularly. The bodice was arranged to pouch very slightly. Black lace ribbons, starting from the shoulders, frcm under the arms and from the sides of the waist, met on the bosom. The leaf designs were repeated on the upper part of the bodice and formed small epaulettes or. the shoulders. There was a folded bei of black satin. The picture hat of biack sivaw wos trimmed with plumes. Cloth, Braid and Far. Another dress, which anticipates the sea- son almost unforgivably, is of a smooth fine cloth, in color between old rose and fewn. The skirt is striped down at inter- vals with lines of black silk braid, and is bordered at the bottom with a narrow band of mink fur. The bodice is of a close-fit- ting coat type with basques, which round out half way over the hips and suggest a man’s dress coat—remotely. Crystal but- tens down the front give a finish much in vogue. A dress worn this week at a Staten Is- land garden party was of a purplish blue veiling, made over taffeta of the same color. The clinging skirt, even exaggerat- ing the prevailing smoothness and scanti- ness, flared suddenly at the bottom in a bunch of pointed ruffles. A black satin sesh tied in large bows at the front of the waist fell in fringed ends to the ground. The blouse bodice turned back in large re- vers, faced with smaller lace triangles, upon a vest of folded green chiffon. The lower part of the bodice was crossed by bayadere ruffles of the dress material, A more elaborate costume that appeared on the same occasion was of harebell blue cloth, the skirt simulating an overdress open down the front and edged with black lace on each side. About the hips this overskirt was incrusted with cream-col- ored lace, marked off by shirred ruffles of blue ribbon from a lower black lace sec- tion. Below the black lace was more of cream color and again another division of black at the bottom. The arrangement of the bodice was equally complicated, black and white lace bretelles meeting on the bosom under a yellowish velvet knot and a full, hanging, yellowish lace ruffle. ‘The cream-colored serge dress is the most popular of early autumn promises. It is worn with one of soft black satin, lined, for instance, with turquoise-blue serge siik and fastened with turquoise buttons. There {s as much gray as ever, though gray usually gets frost nipped along with blue some time in September. Geranium red is making its annual appearance, along with a great variety of plum shades bor- dering on crimson. Watered and shaded silks are announced as the most fashion- able wear, but are hardly seen as yet ex- cept on sample cards. Solid colors have much the better of novelty goods, the lat- ter being used only as trimmings and auxiliaries. Plain Sleeves Not Popular. The attempt to compel the use of the pervectly plain sleeve is apparentiy aban- doned. A few drestes are turned out with the shoulders uncompromisingly tight and severe, but the majority of women prefer a little fullness at this point or at least a jockey or epaulette, and for once the ma- jority of women are ruling. The regime of glass buttons is only be- gun. Certain things belong together. When We get one of them we are sure to get more of the same lot. There is a fashion group which includes crinoline, flounced dresses, shawls, fichus, fringe, open-work- ed silk stockings, sandal shoes, ringlets, glass buttons and earrings. We have been Setting items out of this list for some time. We have net reached shawls yet, but we are to wear shawl-shaped wraps this au- | tumn, and, with the exception of crinoline, we have about all the other things; notably the ringlets and earrings; glass earrings, by the way, go with our glass buttons. Crystal set in silver is the newest thing in jewelry. Having adopted pretty much everything cut of the hoopskirt group but the hoop- skirt, it is prophesied that that, too, will come. Let us hope for the variety adver- tised in the sixties as permitting a lady to “ascend a steep stair, lean against a table, throw herself into an arm chair, pass td her stall at the opera and occupy a fourth seat in a carriage without inconvenience to herself or others, or provoking the rude remarks of observers, thus modifying in an important degree all those pecullaritics (of the hoopskirt) tending to destroy the modest English women.” But this is wandering a long way from glass buttons. PASSING OF THE TOMBOY. Girls Are Healthier and Happier Be- cause of Outdoor Life. From Harper's Bazar. Temboy has become an antiquarian’s werd. Women who were little girls twen- ty years ago know how potent of reproach | vsed to be when it was still In vogue e homes of the land. you are not a lady when you are en you never will be,” many mothers in varying language, to their daugh- who were more eager for romping an for making tatting or engaging their it If hearts in crochet. The descriptions of th ing of Harriet Hosmer in an active outdoor girlhood were looked upon with ne complacency, mingled with curiosity, use she had a talent for marble and and because her health was not st, and open-air exercise was known to be good for high-strung girls of excep- tional endowments. But others who show- ed a lively liking for playing with their brothers, and following them and other girls’ brothers afield’ or into tree tops or row boats, bore perennially the tomboy stigma. There was never a girl of the old unacknowledged regiment of the ad- vance guard of athleticism who would have given up one of the joys wherefore she made battle against the conservatism of her time for sake of being rid of that title. To be sure, thousands of “little women” 1 deep inward protest against the implied in the appellation, but i not know how to say that they only following the need of nature— girl nature as well as boy nature—in find- ing out personally the pleasures of gal- loping on bareback horses or diving i woodland “‘swimmin’ holes” or resting 0 @ game of “mumblety peg,” when some boy's jack knife twirled from eager fingers to make those soft, delightful, unforgetta- ble thuds of success into the good green ground, The young girls of today have the free- dom of their muscles unquestioned, and enter by right into an inkeritance of’ bicy- cles and golf clubs, boats and bathing Guits, saddles that are not side saddles, basket balls and base balls, too, that their elder sisters acquired by a sort of slow encroachment of the Zeitgeist. The spirit of the time is embodied in the girl who is to be the woman ruling the destiny of man in the first quarter of the coming century. She will step over its threshold into her kingdom with the sure-footed grace gained in climbing moun- tain heights. She will accept its posstbili- ties and responsibilities with less stren- uousness than nineteenth century women have always shown, because action is her birthright, not her conviction, and health is to her a necessity, like a religion, The passing of the tomboy 1s complete. The gir! of today at her American best ts a hearty, healthy, happy, graceful child. She is not expected to be a young lady, although she is trained toward the serent. ties of that gracjous estate. She is a part of the oiward-Moving life of her times, as she seems to be a part of her wheel when flying along city avenues or through Woodland roads. She cannot remember to go through violent infantile exertions without arriving anywhere. The progress of the modern young girl- on-wheels has nothing self-conscious in it. She moves joyously, gracefully, fair to see, along the pathway “blazed” for her through the jungles of conservatism by the pioneer tomboy of the past. There were always tombcys in all generations, except that which is now femininely rising. They were not confined to the time when a girl who rode a sixty-pound tricycle to a college door was sure to be asked if she Co her mode of lccomotion lady- ike. Once in a while you may meet ladies of fifty or seventy or ninety, gracious and sil- ver-haired, young-hearted and with a live- ly interest in the thoughts and pursuits of all girl kind, who will tell you in sweet voices that they were called “great tom- boys’’ when they were little girls. And if they recount to you their maddest, mer- riest pranks, their wildest and most daring adventures, you will find that these were | commonplace beside their granddaughter’s thirty-mile bicycle ride of yesterday, cup- winnifig yacht race of the day before, far heralded golf championship of last week or this morning's swim of a mile seaward out toward Spain. It must be owned, too, that the girl of the period far surpasses her predecessor in strength and staying power. All this outdoor life means vigor, grace and buoy- ancy. It is a fine thing to watch a girl athlete. She is bewitching. ———+e-_____ A Use tor Rose Leaves. From the London Mail. gentlewoman’s life. daintily than in their selection of scents. preparing her own favorite perfume, and of the blush rose which grows so plenti- fully in country gardens, placed them in linen. floor. tossed them lightly about to Be sure t! turned occasionally, and on the mo! in_the chests of drawers. the four corners. -———+e+—____ anonymous letters. ents. when she learned to ride, her babyhood’s yelceipede having superseded the baby- Jun.per wherein ber elder sister wes wont Her royal Highness has kept the dog. Our grandmothers considered daintiness in every detail to be the great secret of a Thetr delicacy of taste was never shown more effectively nor more Every lady of the period was an adept in from one dear, old-fashioned grandmother I have learned how she gathered the petals little, loosely-meshed bags, sprinkled over them a few drops of some aromatic tincture to coax out their peculiar sweetness, and then scattered the dainty bags among her She did not confine herself to the blush rose, but gathered all varieties early in the morning, then shook them lightly in an airy room over newspapers spread upon the Several times during the day she t no moisture remained. The next morning she made flat bags of common muslin, which she filled with rose leaves. The bags were then placed for a day on the paper, of the third day sprinkled liberally with violet toilet water, and consigned to their places More expensive rose bags may be made it desired. Threads may be drawn and two or three rows of baby ribbon darned in the Spaces, a frill of lace may be put. about tne edges, and tiny bows of ribbon fastened at The Prineess of Wales receives many 'y corne to her on all sorts of subjects, often inclosing pres- Recently she received a box with holes purctured in the sides, and when it. Was opened a tiny white dog jumped out. NOW IT IS THE STEALING FAD. Society and Club Women of Chicago Pilfer Souvenirs. From the Chicago Tribune, “Kleptomania,” remarked a well-known club and society woman of Chicago not long ago, “is a decidedly over-worked word, and stealing an ugly one. But the present fad or fancy for collecting ‘lucky souvenirs’ —abstracting them surreptitiously from the houses of your friends and acquaintances— surely partakes of the character of one or both. “A year or two ago the fad began. A popular Chicago woman remarked one day to an intimate friend: “Oh, my dear, did you know that I have begun to collect souvenirs for luck. They do say,’ and she laughed as women do when not quite sure of the approval of their con- sciences, ‘that to steal a souvenir brings one the best of luck. So I borrowed,’ with another nervous ripple of laughter, ‘the an Statue which stood upon your library table.” : “The woman of whom the statue had been ‘borrowed’ felt like remonstrating in no gentle terms, for that statue had a souvenir value to her as well, nd she really cherished it. But the borrower was an old and well-loved friend. She was taken by surprise, and hardly knew how to act, 80 she let the matter pass in silence. Per- haps by this time she has begun to collect souvenirs in this manner herself, for the seems to have spread fast and furiously, and about seven out of every ten people whom one meets are afflicted with it.” “Yes,” declared another Chicago woman Who has a wide and varied acquaintance, ‘I’m sorry to say it, but it is growing actu- ally unsafe to expose anything pretty which has no excessive commercial value in Chi- cago. Women take whatever they fancy under the cover of the new ‘lucky souvenir’ fad, and although they seldom abstract anything of great cost or worth, all man- ner of dainty and simple things with which the average woman surrounds herself dis- @ppear constantly. I had a little silver pa- Per knife, for instance, which cost only a couple of dollars, but which had been given me by a dear friend, and one day T saw a. Woman of my acquaintance who is sufter- ing severely from the new fancy eyeing it with admiring glances, I feared for its safety, but could not well remark upon the intentions of which I suspected her. calmly picked up the ines COweYer shi e e into ine. front of her waist. "1" SPped It “ ‘Lucky souvenir, my dear,’ she told me carelessly, although she really ia the ce to blush a little, ‘and it's so prety ee Ports enjoy it Bua a, respond e@ little ‘I notice the pretty things = sad chosen for the so-cailed “lucky souvenirs.” Tye lost a few such trifles myself,’ ‘Well,’ she answered, blushing a little more, ‘when you come ‘to my house you must help yourself to something, too.’ g0 the matter ended. But it’s an outrageous fad, in my opinion, indole rad pinion, and the women who most cherished stick pins your eyes, apparently consi @ thing in plain sight, or, this, to tell you of it afte: straightens the matter out, @nd morally," ‘Poth ‘sostaily TABLE AND’ BED LINEN Supply Never Was Prettier Nor More De- sirable, A Well-Arranged Linen Closet is the Housekeeper’s Delight Marking Towels. —— Frem Uarper’s Bazar, The possession of ‘a well-stocked linen closet is, proverbially a great comfort to the mind of the good housekeeper, and cer- tainly every woman who likes to have nice things about her does take a great deal of pride in having pretty linen. The care of linen now is a point well gone into, end there acre very few houses built with- out a linen closet, even though it be a very small cne, well arranged to show the piles of sheets, pillow cases, towels, &c., as well as the table linen, each and all with a sachet bag of sweet lavender; for it is well understood that lavender is the correct scent to use. One of the nicest wedding presents that can be given any ene is a stock of household linen, for to buy all that is required costs a great deal of money, and it is an expense that people feel they must sometimes go without when they have to provide it for themselves. Never has there been a time when linen could be bought cheaper, but at the same time there are more expensive qualities cf linen to be bought than ever before, and fashion has instituted a great many ctanges in the more expensive articles. Bed linen, to begin with, comes in sev- eral different qualities. At the bargain sales at the different department shops advertised at intervals there are a great many bargains to be found, but the great trouble is that the sheets that are sold then are not always full length and width, and nothing is more annoying than to buy @ sheet too short cr too narrow for the bed for which it is intended. Even ready: nade sheets now are sold with the hem- stitching. This is very effeciive and dainty in appearance, but from a sirictiy econom- ical point of view is not a good thing. Careless laundering very soon does away with the entire hem long before the sh is worn out, so that it is foolish to buy any of those excepting for best. There are, of cours?, a great many different qual- ities of linen. Some are very light in weight and very fine; others that are quit2 heavy are much thinner after they are washed. The best are of the medium weight and of a medium price. In a well- stocked linen closet it is a good plan to have six pairs of handsome fine hem- titehed sheets, and these will look par- ticularly handsome if they have the mono- gram embroidered by hand just under ,:he hem in the center of the sheet. On ‘the other sheets a plainer monogram is used, or even the initials of the name. It is still the fashion to have a strip of lien, hem- stitched in a very elaborate monogram, put on after the bed is made, and turned down over the coverlid. This when the white coverlid is used But besides the plain hemstitching there are often most elaborate pizces of drawn work let in. This Grawn work is sometimes put on both ends of the sheet, but that is rather a fcolish waste. Pillow cases must match the sheets, but for those that are left on during the day there can be more elaborate drawn werk than on those that are merely for use, and finished only with thé hem and the hem- stitching and an elaborate monogram. A great many different styles of bed- spreads bave lately come into favor. The plain white Marseilles. counterpane is rarely en now, and its place is taken by a white linen of a heavy qualit a most elabo: ate drawn-work put in. all around, else in squares, always an enormous mono- grem, or a very fine white organdie or Jawn embroidered by hand in colored flowers, or even painted by hand and fin- ished with a lace ruffé. The cé8t of these bedspreads is always excessive, but they represent many hours of .werk and wor that cannot, be done by machine, The ma chine-made 'drawn-work {s er used in these bedspreads, and it is remarkable that patience ard human fingers can accom- plish such results. Under ‘all the thin spreads is a silk spread of a light weight, plain color. This shows through the in Sertion cr the sheer muslin, and is also used for the lace spreads that have not yet gone out of fashion, although the fine laces are now more used than the heavy. guipures that were at one time in style. ‘he Fayal-work is greatly in demand for the bedspread, and the pillow ca to match the bedspread, but it is still too expensive to be within the reach of every- body. There are some simple bedspreads of dotted Swiss put over the silk and trimmed with ruffles of lace, but these are not worthy of comparison with those of the plain linen embroidered by hand. There is a great dea ravagance in the present use of linen, but cer- tainly it does make a great deal of differ- ence to everybody that the dinner table should always look fresh and inviting. The German linen is used as much as the other kinds, and there are a great many beau- tiful designs in it, but the double-faced damask is still considered the handsomest and the most fashionable. In the ordinary styles of tablecloths there are no grat changes as to pattern. The snowdrop, the polka dot and the all-over flowered designs are in constant use, and are to be had in many wonderfully cheap cloths. This quality of tablecloth does not require to be marked, except with an initial in some place where it is not too evident. Of course the initial must be done by hand, for in- delible ink marking is neyer used. There are a great many different qualities of towels shown, some of which are very cheap; otners are not worth buying. The so-called bargains are, as a rule, too small to be of any use, and while they look very well before they are washed, after they are washed are thin and poor. The old-fashion- ed huckaback towels are the best for daily use; but it ts a good plan to supplement them with two or three dozens of fine dam- ask ones. It is astonishing how much bet- ter an ordinary towel looks when it is em: broidered with the initial letters. These can be done in red embroidery cotton; but the best towels should be done in the white, and should also be all of white themselves the others can have a red or blue borde: in buying this colored border a better qual- ity of toweling can be secured. One of the new kinds of fancy work this summer has been the marking of towels and bed linen. The cheapest and least trouble are those marked with the fancy braid, which, if neatly sewn on, looks very much as though it had all been embroidered and stuffed. Of course this will not bear close inspec- tion, but it is a good style of marking, and one that is excellent when not used on too fine materials. There are two things on which it is worse than folly to economize—table napkins and towels. A soiled napkin or towel should never be given to 4° guest, nor, indeed, should ever be used by one’s self. It is true @ napkin that has become tumbled may possibly be pressed out; a towel never can- The cheapest way to keep a linen closet go- ing is to put the linen away when it comes home from the wash, first looking to see if there is anything that should be mended. A pair of sheets that are wearing out should be taken and.made into one good one; towels when the fringe wears off should be hemmed, and if a single piece is missing from any set it should be replaced at once. In this way'a Ugen closet can be kept in good order and well filled for half the expense that there would be if it were allowed to go to Dieges all at once. The careful housekeeper should exercise over- sight as to the laundering ‘of her linen. The laundresses now have a bad way of using chemicals that bleach the linen, but very soon destroys it. Its use can soon be de- tected by small round yellow stains, not unlike iron rust, 2 c Good-Looking Nurses, From London Truth. If I were ill, and required a nurse to look after me, I certainly should prefer that she be fairly good looking, because— all things else being equal—a good-looking young woman is a more pleasing object than one whose virtues are entirely inter- nal. I, therefore, agree with the hospital committeeman who observed, according to the statement of a matron at the recent annual conference of matrons of hospitals and infirmaries, “For-pity’s sake, let the }nurses you choose be good looking.” The “new womal of course, will regard this aS @ monstrous suggestion. But I, like Sir William Harcourt, have no.particular ad- miration of this new product. I hold fast by the low and degrading heresy, that looks go a long way in the appreciation of men for women. 2 HOUSEHOLD HINTS spicy Seckles and the luscious Flemish Beauties, under the warmth of the August sun, have now reached perfection, and the provident housekeeper is busy storing them away against the coming winter's days of need. While most of the common varieties of pears lack the decided flavor that makes them a choice preserve when used alone, they will be found delicious used in com- bination with lemon peel and juice or the green ginger root, which comes in the late summer and autumn from the West In- dies. Even hard pears or “windfalls,” pared, cored, filled with sugar and grated lemon rind and baked, closely covered, un- til juicy and tender, may be canned and kept indefinitely. Gingered pears make a rich sweetmeat. Peel, core and cut rather hard pears into thin slices. Allow to eight pounds of sliced fruit eight pounds sugar, a pint of water, the juice and rind ot four lemons, and half a pound of ginger root sliced thin. Cut the lemon rind into long. thin strips and put all together in the preserving kettle. Simmer gently for an hour, then pack in jars or cans. Pickled pears are always in order and will prove an appetizing addition to every Sunday's dinner. If the pears used for pickling are the tender little Seckles, they do not need paring, but the larger varieties usually do. The stem should be left on, but the blos- som end removed. As fast as pared drop into a pan of cold water to prevént their turning black. Make a rich sirup, allow- ing to eight pounds of fruit four pounds of suger, one quart of vinegar and one cup mixed spices, cassia, buds, stick cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Tie the spices in a bag and boil with the sugar and vinegar. Skim thoroughly, then add the fruit—a por- tion at a time, and cook slowly until scalded and tender enough to be readily pierced with a straw. Skim out the fruit, put in a stone jar or glass cans, boil the sirup @ little longer and pour over. The old method was to repeat the scalding of the sirup for two or three mornings, but this is not necessary. Keep the bag of spices in the jar if the pears are put in one large crock. A few cloves stuck in each pear are deemed an improvement by mony. Juicy Bartletts, While brandied peaches have iost pres: tige these few years, save in the families who cling tenaciously to the culinary tradi- tions, which include pickled oysters, pound cake, fruit cake and their ilk, there occa- sicnally comes the request from young and ambitious housekeepers to know the modus operandi of preparing the rich and delicious sweet. Select any fine peaches that will not cook to pieces, drop in hot water, and let them remain a few moments, until the skin will slip off. Weigh and allow three- quarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit. Make a sirup, allowing a cupful of water to each pound of fruit. Boil, skim until clear, add the peaches, and cook Just as the urtil transparent. peaches are taken from the fire add brandy, allo a half cup or the best brandy to pound of fruit. Seal. The peaches may be halved or left whole, if desired; but if they are halved use scme of the pits to improve the flavor. Every one who has been in France or at any of the better French restaurants S the this country will recall with longing delicious puffy souffle : potatoes w ways accompany the order of beefsteak These potatoes are the despair of American housewife until the secret of their evolution is discl and she can follow suit. The potatoes must always be sliced lengthwise—else they will not pu out—and cut a little thicker than Saratoga potatoes, in order to make two crusts. If they stand in cold water an hour before cooking, so much the better. When ready to use drain and wipe d Have two ket- tles of fat ready for the frying—one smok- ing hot, the other even hotter. Drop a few at a time in the first kettle. When half done skim out and drain for three or four minutes in the oven or back of range, Where they will keep warm. Then drop second kettle, when they will immed puff up, and cook until well browned. While the French cook aly uses by preference the small yeliow Holland potatoes, any mealy kind will produce satisfactory re- sults. ‘ Many are the summer sojourner: country who learn from bitter ex} that there is a vast difference between woodbine and poison ivy and that the latter is apt to impress itseif on the mem- ory in a way not readily forgotten. While some people can handle the ivy with im- punity, in others the poisoning is so evi- dent that it affects the entire body, and calls for the care of a physician. In or- dinary cases a weak solution of baking soda and water applied to the affected parts will usually suffice to allay the irritation. The juice of the tomato is also reeommend- ed as a specific. A good point to impress upon children before allowing them to roam the woods and fields at will is that the poi- son ivy to be shunned has three leaflets and white berries, while the harmless wood- bine has black berries and five leaflets. Pear marmalade is a welcome addition to the housekeeper’s fruit closet. Cut up fine flavored pears, but do not peel or core. Cook half an hour in a very little water, then press through a sieve so as to sep- arate the pulp frem the seeds and yeel. Measure the pulp and allow three or four pounds of sugar to five pints of the strain- ed pulp, the Juice of two lemons and the grated peel of one. Cook the pulp and sugar together until thick. Orange peel may be.substituted for the lemon, and part apple pulp may be used in combination with the pear. Put in little earthen pots or glasses, and seal. For plain canning or for making brandy pears, the “Bartlett” stands facile prin- ceps. Select ripe but firm pears, peel and boll in a rather weak sirup until they are tender. Take the fruit out, pack in cans and fill the jars containing with a rich, hot*sirup made with or without brandy as desired. A few bits of lemon peel or ginger root may be added to taste. Peaches served whole should have the down removed with a soft brush. The very large, Soft ones are frequently served cut in two and eaten out of the skin with a spoon. A doily should always accompany the service of peaches, as there is no stain so difficult to remove. Renewed applica- tions of Javelle water or chlorate of lime are the only means .of removing peach stains. Corn to be at its best should be gathered the same day it is to be used and left in the husk until just before cooking. Strip the husks from the ear, remove every bit of the silk and plunge into boiling water. Over the top of the kettle put a layer of the thin inner husks. Cook from eight to twelve minutes, according to the ‘size of the corn, sprinkle with salt and serve pip- ing hot. Never cook tomatoes in a tin or allow them to stand in metal. ——_+e+_____ Many a woman, no bigger than a gun- beat to look at, when cleared for action proves to be a battle ship.—Lif>. ——_-+ 0+ ___ FOR UP-TO-DATE WOMEN Freshening Spring Gowns and Hats for Early Fall Wear. A Blouse Waist Can Be Easily Chang- ed to a Belted Princess--Shoe and Glove Hints. Special Correspondence of The Evening Star. NEW YORK, August 24, 1898. With the thermometer steadily trying each day to accomplish a century, it is hard to turn one’s Janguld attention to arythirg more sericus in the line of gowns than dimity and organdie. Yet the fact remains that now !s the time to refurbish gowns which did duty in the spring and were then laid aside on account of the heat. These are the Ight-weight woolen gowns, which were donned when we folded away in camphor, pepper or cedar our heavy winter clothes The skirts and coats which were made in the spring are, of course, not in need of any change of ferm or line. Indeed, a well-cut, well-made gown can, in almost every instance, be worn elther two winters or two summers without alteration. That is why really good gowns of a good cut are such an investment, they wear longer and better than more inferior frocks, and can be depended upon to always show their origin—just as a lady is always a lady, though her day for silk and satin raiment may be over, and ber present surroundings modest or obscure. But about this season braids and facings, dust ruffles and linings require a thorough everhauling. Much of this work a skillful reedlewoman can do for herself. Most taliors, however, wil dust thoroughly and put new braid upon a skirt for a dollar; also doing the necessary pressing to re- juvenate the cloth. It usually pays to have him do it, as there is a finish to their work and a vigor to their pressing which is not to be had at home. is nas been a very damp summer. If > has been near the seacoast it will be found that light-weight cloth skirts have crept up in tre tront and down in the back. Whether this is due to the material, the lining or the interiining the braid should be taken off and some happy medium of length between back and front arrived at now. When autumn comes we may not have quite as intense a desire for new rat- ment and a distaste for old as gentle spring brings us, but we do want to appear in gowns whcse imperfections have been skill- fully remedied. In the spring the floun had not become so much a matter of cours as it is now, but if the gown one intend: to wear traveling or shopping and knocking about for the next few months is made on long lines it is quite as well. For princess effects are undoubtedly gaining ground, and a skort woman should bear this in mind in freshening up her wardrobe. For her long lines of trimming and double skirts which almost simulate the once he- jJoved Greek overdress are far better than the eternal irt cut en forme.” From Blouse to Prince: The princess effect, by the way, gives on> an excellent method of altering the Russian biouses into very chic gowns. If the one one wishes to remodel is full both back and front, the back must be refitted and brought smoothly into the belt. The full front will need little change. Simply bring the fuliness into @ narrower compass, so that the droop will all be in one piace. Then cut off the skirt of the coat and re- The coat will then termi- at the waist line, and when united to the skirt by some reliable method, one has one cf the new belted princess gowns. All of the belted princess gowns are in two pieces, although they giv2 the effect of being all made in one. Aiihough coat sleeves grow smal! those on our gowns will do very well for autumn, as so far the change is not great. It is well to look carefully into the silk linings of coats at this season of th» year. If they are found to be worn about the sleeves, as is often the case, a cap of silk should be put in to protect the worn silk. It is not necessary to have this cap of silk, how- ever; there are many excellent linings which slip on and off easily. If this is not resorted to, it will soon be found neces sary to completely relicve the whole sleeve, lik once grown tender will never again bear hard wear. 2 Most of the new coats are made with revers, and if one had last season a coat whic a pretty but not easy change to have it turned beck this fall with revers of silk in harmony with the gown. A coat wiich closed tight in front can be freshened by putting frogs across to fasten it This same frog effect can also be a to draw together a jacket which in ihe front has her3tofore been worn wide open. Freshen Up the Linings. To return to linings, it is now a matter of taste whether they shall be part of the gown or only joined to it at the waist Ine. In the latter case it is very easy to either change or repair them, as the case may need, and in the former a fresh lining will be found to have a wonderfully rejuvenat- ing effect. Of course, silk linings must be aired and strengthened and coaxed to last as long as possible, just as good tabl> linen must be darned and kept in service to the last thread. But one feels no tender solicitude about percaline or silesia. And if after they have lost their body and fallen into “beggar plaits” they can be replaced, so much the better for the skirt. This, too, is the time to consult the fur- rier as to Ways and means of making over and restoring capes, muffs, boas, coats and the like. Fur seems to undergo a curious contraction as time goes on. Of course, it is not probable that it shrinks, but’ in these days of luxury and generous models the fur jacket of yore will only contain enough fur for the collarette of today. This should be remembered and the furrier exonerated for not making us large circu- lar capes out of our skimpy out-of-date jackets. This, too, is the appointed time to exam- ine any demi-saison toque or turban which happens to be in stock and see if by the substitution of fresh foliage it will do duty for an every-day hat when sailors are called in. Now for Silk Waists. Silk waists which are dark enough to wear amid the gorgeous hues of autumn foliage should now seek the cleaner’s or have some rejuvenating process applied to them by their owner, remembering always that deodorized benzine is a highly ex- plosive substance. Gloves should be sternly examined and their cleanliness insisted upon. Boots and shoes should pass an examination as to the straightness of, their heels and the whole- ness of their soles. When all these affairs, as well as ribbons, ties and collars, have been overhauled and refurbished, we may feel that. we have made good use of the last end of our holiday, and sit and wait with tranquility the first early activity and festivity of autumn, knowing we are not kin to Miss Flora McFhinsy. MABEL BOYD. as WOMEN WHO GAMBLE. History Shows Many Instances Where They Have Had This Pass: From Pearson's Weekly. History is found to contain many in- sternces of women, queens and slaves alike, in whom the passion of gambling has gained a complete mastery. These women seem to lose all restraint over themselves, they become transformed, and in the end, when all their finer instincts have de- serted them, they sink into the uttermost degradation. It is notcrious that English ladies are fond of betting. With the majority, of ccurse, this Is merely a harmless amuse- ment. Others haye been known to lose everything that they possess, and finally, to have gambled their souls to the highest bidder, and then to have crept away and put an end to their: wretched lives. Gold- smith’s story of the did buttoned closely to the zhroat, it is | time the most anient gamblers in the world. In Lovis XTV's reign so many families were ruined through the passionate love of the mothers and daughters for a game krown as “toca,” that it was forbidden by law on pain of death. At Versailies an exception was made to this rule, and here the queen herself frequently jiost large sums of money. The frenzied gambling of Mme. de Mon- teepan has become proverb! in France as “Le Jeu de la Montespan.” At Basset she would play for es much as £4,000, and weuld grumble heartily, and the king also, if no ene dared cover her stakes. One Christmas evening she lost an immense fortune, bur recovered, with three canis, £60,000. Three months later she lost £160,- 000, but won it back again almost imme- distely. In 1682 the crash came. At “hoca” alone she had played away as much as £200,000, In Louis XV's time matters were in much the same state. On June 2, 1765, for instance, the Duc de Richelieu under- took to teach Madame Du Barry lansque- net In her boudoir. Within a few minutes however, he had lost no less than £25,000. This immensely amused*the king, who was looking on, and who was delighted with his favorite’s good luck. i Madame de Pompadour, it will be re- membered, gambled for enormous stakes. In Charles the First’s time women played freely. ‘That they had few scruples about so doing is shown from the fact that the King’s wife, Henrietta Maria, Bassom- pierre, a well-known “sport,” ‘and Buck- ingham, ir 1626, played for stakes in @ wiudow overlooking Cheapside while they, waited for a procession to pass. j In Charles the Second’s time, however, | women gambled to an extent hitherto w known in English history. In those dis-{ solute days the pleasures of the English ccurt were not far different from those of! the French. The Duchess of Mazarin, for instance, a niece of the famous cardinal, lost more than a million pounds, and ended her days in beggary. Nell nne lost| £5,000 to her rival, the Duchess of Cleve-{ land, and this at one sitting. The latter, in her turn, squandered an immense for= tune at the basset table. So fast was the evil spreading that in 17% Chief Justice Kenyon threatened to send any lady to the pillory, however high in rank she might be, who should be con- victed before him for playing faro. This provoked from Gllray, the well-known caricaturist, an imaginary picture of the first ladies in the standing in the Pillory. Beneath was the inscription, “Daughters of Pharaoh. During the following year many ladies were heavily punished for refusing to com- ply with the law. Lady Buckinghamshire, for instance, together with Lady Luttrell gnd Mrs. Sturt, were fined £0 for playing ‘aro. Ladies at the present day do not openly gamble for stakes which amount to thou-! sands of pounds. It rests only with their. consciences to say how much they lose at. Mcnte Carlo and in private deals during the course of the year. ‘ a The Frozen Dinner. From the New York Herald, ‘ow is the befitting time of the year for a “frozen dinner.” Such a title sounds strange, yct not unattractive when it is thought of in connection with the close of a very hot day in town. For that matter a “frozen dinner” would be quite as ap- propriate and quite as excellent a plan for, out of town, yet somehow it seems to be more useful as a relief for the city dweller of the summer months. The idea is a decidedly new one, the best | of it being that while heretofore it has been! carried out elaborately and expensively, it can be modified so as to keep all a frozen dinner’s characteristics and yet bring the! cost of it within reasonable limits. It is such a dinner as is implied by its name— that is, every article eaten is frozen or iced until it has a pleasing chill on it. For the first course there’ are iced clams. Consomme frappe or iced clam juice fol- 1 lows. Then comes salmon frappe, with Tartare sauce, or pickled fish served co cold. The next course is frozen boned chicken, with truffles (or perhaps frozen boned tuskey), served with tomatoes filled with shaved ice and acompanied with may- onnaise dressing, lettuce and water cresses packed in ice, and very young beets pickled and brought on the table ice cold. The en- tree consists of timbales of mushrooms and sweetbreads, also frozen. These are es- pecially fine’ served in this manner. A Roman punch comes in here, or be=/ fcre the entree. With all this is dispensed a moselle or champagne cup, ed to the extreme, end as the dinner wears on sher- bets or ices of frozen fruits. A frozen mar-' ron glace concludes the repast. For such a dinner as this the table should have a special deccration. There should be no color on it, much of the success of a “frozen dinner” depending upon the unre- lieved whiteness. Everyth should be served in cut glass dishes. To preserve the cool effect there should not be a particle of china of any sort visible. An effective cen- | terpiece, if practicable, is a block of ice With fruit frozen within it. The confec-; tionery that is so important a feature of every @inner nowadays consists of frozen and glaced bonbens. ee New Engagement Ring. From the New York Herald. Even the engagement ring of the New York girl telis the story of the times she | is living in. It might not be thought that lovers, generally all sufficient unto them- | selves, would be influenced by considera- tions of patriotism and memories of the war that has just come to an end, but there are evidences that they are. The new en- gagement ring is patriotic in the extreme, and several engaged girls are proudly wear- ing it. It displays the three national colors and is really three rings. These are quite sep- arate and distinct. Each is a very narrow band of gold, on which is set seven very. small stones. There must be no display. Each must be extremely simple, and the combined effect of the three very quiet and elegant. The first band or ring has rubies for its seven stones. These are ranged in a row. The second ring, of seven other stones simi- larly placed, is of diamonds, the whitest that can be found. The third ring shows blue in its seven sapphires. — All this is rather expensive, despite the fact that the stones necessarily are small omes. So it can safely be sald that not many engaged girls will be able to “sport” a ring or rings of this variety. It is a be- trothal present, however, that any girl who once sets eyes on one of them will envy, AT HER EXPENSE, uid you love me just the sam@ if I hadn’t a cent?” ’ He (absently)—“I would love you more, I abhor this new-mown hay perfume.” Daily News (Galveston). “After all,” remarked the sentimental wife, “home is the dearest spot on earth.” “That's what,” replied the practical head of the family, as he finished auditing last month’s grocery bill.—Chicago News. j Hicks—"‘You say you know why Peckhen went to the war. Why, man, you never saw him in all your life.’ Wicks—“But I've seen his wife. She—“Have you heard ‘Songs Wi-aout Words?” He—“I've heard a lot of them without music.” After that the incident and the piano were closed.—Indianapolis Journal. Miss Antiquate—“Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that my family cams over in the Mayflower.” Miss Cutting—“Indeed! But then I sup- pose you were too young at the time to res) member much about the trip.""—Chicaga Daily News. +00 AT HIS EXPENSE. The Man—“I wonder if your father would have me for a son-in-law?” The Maid—“Very likely. Papa and I ale ways disagree.”—Boston Traveler. \ He—“There’s nothing half so sweet in 1if@_ as love’s young dream. } She—“I don’t know; peach ice cream’g| pretty good.” \ “Maria, it is said that women tell more lies than men.” “No, William; they’re not so skillful, and they get found out.” Mrs, Fairleigh—“Does your husband ever cemeeeee pete Boome Sean So bis meethr’ er’s?” - Mrs. Warwick—“Not now. He used to, Fo ee ee aid you break , Warwick—“I compared his beha }to that of my first pusband rit Bien