Southern ladies' journal., October 02, 1886, Page 3, Image 5

About Southern ladies' journal. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1886-18??

Image provided by: Arkansas State Archives

                
Young People's Page.
Our young people who here read the
ff orks of Charles Dickens, English nov
elist and writer, will enjoy with us no lit
tle refflinicent touch trom the interesting
pen of Dorothy:
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>‘La Russe” as the white chemiette is
called that now beams and glows upon
the age from black dresses that are so
much used as to be called constitutional
(not the dress but the custom has the
term), and La Russe continues the fa
vorite, and is seen broadly displayed
with wide pleats ; or narrowly appearing
between two rows of black buttons that
skirt the confined plastron. Aad here
language going to sea suggests platoons
of fashions that are simply indiscribable.
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A fashion writer thus makes plaint
over things that should be righted in
this world:
“A little while ago a Pittsburg paper
complained that in this world of oppres
sion and sorrow it was grieved to see that
nine men out of ten went about the
sheets with their collars buttoned the
wrong way, and a Buffalo paper, feeling
that at last it can be certain of sympathy
now makes moan that ten men out of
eleven button their cuffs wrong. Make
haste gantlemen, and learn to fasten
the right side of your collars first, and to
make rights and lefts of your cuffs, for
verily a spirit of criticism is abroad in the
land, and it may be tomorrow that a new
prophet will arise to announce that you
unfold your handkerchiefs improperly,
wput on the most inconvenient coat
sleeve last instead or first, and witli so
many new things to learn pressing on
vour minds, brain fever will be immi
nent.
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And still “out of sorts” she writes :
' 1 his is to he a patchwork winter, it
stems. 1 h a t j s sa y, a p women w ho
Glnnot afford to employ artist, and who
h‘ lv e not the courage to fight the ordin
<ll' dress makers’ desire to follow a sec-
fashion plate, must content
l, ’emselves with being clothed in a mix
lllle(d materials. The new figured and
l "P e d materials are to be used to trim
ln( l e, skirts in many varied ways, bc
being used for draperies; and a
°1 one materiel, even if trimmed
an °thor, will be an unfashionable
;i , U \ It must not be trimmed alone;
i| l( / ,n ' ) ’ na ti ()n must be the foundation of
trimrn ’ n g. To every word of this
T J artisr ic reader will give Sir William
"drill s famous rejoinder, and dress
I loßu >therself.
A correspondent in mentioning the
pleasures of Americans in France says :
When 1 arisians live in the country,
as hundreds of them do during the sum
mer months, they consider it necessary
to change their mode of living altogeth
er . 1 hey give up their dissipated town
mannersand cultivate pastoral simplicity
with great zeal, although the chalet or
villa where they pass their villegiature
may not be more than six or seven miles
by rail from Paris. They buy goats and
chink their milk, lunch and dine re<»u
larly out of doors, and go to bed at nine
or ten o’clock. The game of tennis (not
lawn tennis, but the old-fashioned jeu de
paume) is played with spiiit at the north
ern, seaside places. It is the most fash
ionable pastime for the moment of the
male visitors, and like thirteenth century
argenterie and Louis XIII, carving en
joys the prestige of being a revival. As
there is more than one lady in France an
adep in boxing and fencing, it is possi
ble that the fail sex here may take to
tennis playing. They did so in the last
century, when masculine-minded women
were not fashionable. An old writer,
speaking of a lady who was a well-known
tennis player shortly before the great
revolution, says: “She would come
upon the sceue wearing a short skirt and
a short mantle with full sleeves, aud she
could handle the racket skillfull v at sixty
years of age.”
IN OUR MIDST.
For the Southern Ladies Journal:
You do not divine it? You do not
believe that an array of characters who
play their part on paper alone, are of
benefit to mankind, supposing some of
their traits true to life, you never meet
any of them? 1 take an optimist view.
I see the story of life held in view, and
read in full, from the cradle to the grave.
From different ones we take a phase, of
youth and age, poverty and wealth, and
our hearts and sympathies are expand
ed beneath their light. By their aid,
we peer into lives, the inner part of
which we hitherto had no conception.
We glide along and follow now a lady
fine, in marble halls, then, a common
place girl, fighting her way ’gainst
many odds ; now a paladin of romance,
then, an he nest, rough handed laborer.
We see them and feel their thougnts,
and give a hearty band-clasp over the
bridge of ignorance which hitherto di
vided us.
Dickens, the great photographer of
human nature, introduces us to the gal
lant Captain Cuttie, who, from his in
born gallantry, persists in kissing to the
ladies aa iron hook, which takes the
place a right hand formerly claimed ;
but we find other Captains, though mi-
nus the hook, who possess traits equally
ridiculous. Who has not met in his
walk a jovial, genial spi.it, invulnerable
to misfortune.’ You called him a care
less. happy go-lucky, but / call him
Mark Tapley. Man a bleak house is
brightened by the cheerful presence of
homely little Esther, or may be, a gay
Dolly Varden. Peculiar Miss Mickleby,
is no longer peculiar when we reflect
with shame for our sex, on the many
who yearn for matrimony, and miscon
strue actions as far from intentions, as
the crazy mans offering ot carrots.
Little Nell is even now following
father or grandfather, trom place to
place of temptation, ever striving with
her young feet, to lead him to ] aths of
pleasantness and peace. Little Paul—
but hush ! He was a favorite ; with his
dark bright eyes, and small body, al
ways ready with some old quaint saving.
Now, he knows what the waters on the
wave-washed shore are saying, and we
—we miss him I Miss Molochs, Brave
Lady, we know. We have seen her
struggle, know her worth and mourn her
loss of companionship. She did not tell
us,she makes no moan ; but witli th* aid
ofthese authors, we have learned to read
these hearts of ours and know it They
draw from a more romantic book, whose
characters are fraught with much that is
unreal. They look back, and present
us with outlines which we resject be
cause of their very truthfulness. But
when they bring such a character before
us, as Donald, Mitchell’s “Old-fash
ioned Grandmother’ we drop the scales,
and welcome the dear old lady in our
midst. She was with us many years.
Her faltering foot step always found the
sick and suffering ; tho’the light of her
eye grew dim, she saw with her heart,
as she always did. How manv of us
were comforted by her peaceful resig
nation, and when the end came it was
no rude shock, no torn leaf from life’s
page ;we felt the story of life is all read
and the giver has turned the last page.
Dorothy.
Prince Karamoko went to see the
French soldiers at Chalons and much
admired the polished breastplates of the
cuirassiers, whereupon the commanding
general gave him one of the bits of ar
mor. The negro put it on, delighted ;
and then his face clouded and tearscam®
to his eyes. “What is the matter? ” in
quired the general. “Alas!” cried
Karamoko, “as soon as I gm home my
(father will take this from me and wear
it himself.” Then the general gave him
another one, and all were happy.
We were lucky to have escaped a
shaking on the 29th, of September. .
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