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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1908)
THE SUNDAY OREGOMAN, PORTLAND. MAY 3. 1908. ililil KKE5r9npEHCE. Bvcffi, f fA5niM5 Peaott Hilt Fashions for the Matron Fair, Not Fat, at Forty THIS is a most kindly fashion sea son to the matron, for never have linos in gowns been less trying to the. matronly figure nor fabrics belter united to the slight tendency to obesity which is very apt to appear when the woman passes 40. First, as to fabrics. The most desir able effect to obtain in your house gown, party frock, dinner robe every piece of wearing apparel save the most decided tailored modes is straight nous and slim ness, and for this purpose the home dressmaker must select the clinging fab. Tics. In expensive goods this includes all the very soft silks, in which I wish to in clude particularly the crepe-finished fou lards, which are exquisite in colorings and designs, and cost about a dollar a yard. Another good silk is the chiffon foulard, and still another the soft-finished messallne. There are also Innu iiiimerable gauzes and chiffon cloths with silk and satin stripes in. beautiful color ings. Taffeta silk, unless in a very soft, satiny finish at a high price, is practic ally out of the running. The novelty Filks are' peculiarly effective, and the new 'bordered satin-finished foulards are the richest things on the counters. These come in three patterns, Persian, Japan ese and Kgyptian, with borders showing the native art of those countries in ex quisitely subdued colorings on equally subdued grounds, such as ashes of violet, a full grayish blue, a soft brown, etc. The border appears at the foot of the skirt and is employed in trimming the waist. Another peculiar novelty which is en Joying a tremendous vogue is a satin striped chiffon cloth, the stripes zig-zag-glng and interweaving with an effect which one woman aptly described as seasick. Even the rough silks used for complete atreet costumes, which means a princess or Kmpire frock with a loose coat, are very soft and pliable, suitable for drap ing rather than pleating. Next to silk in point of popularity for the matronly figure comes the soft nets, filet, princess .and chantilly patterns In lace. These, whether in black or white, are made over a white silk foundation. Incidentally, a well-known modiste states that the matronly figure requires for Bummer frocks a lining of finest habitue, never taffetas, to secure slenderness. In wash materials the best fabric for clinging gowns is mull either in silk or the clever mercerized imitations of silk. The woman with a tendency to embon point should sedulously avoid stiff, wiry materials of any sort, and her skirts, in particular, should be made to hang loose ly around the waist or rather over the hip line. The skintight skirt is extremely trying to the stout woman. Many women who are either very short, or too stout for their height, have asked me whether they dared to wear a bor dered or trimmed skirt. That depends entirely upon the adjustment of the bor Good F.ormand Mother GOOD form and mother! I can almost hear some flippant young people laugh at the phrase. The very Idea of having special rules of etiquette in dealing with mother! Why, mother docs not mind! Be not deceived. Mother does mind end sometimes, like th eproverbial worm, she turns. And that is why I am writing this little talk on the rights of mother in her own home, at the hands of her own children. But Hist' some anecdotes to Justify the talk. A young woman was entertaining a dozen or more guests. One group sur rounded the piano, with its litter of latest tones. Four young people were playing cards in another corner. A bowl of fruit punch was on tap. Beyond sight in the lantry were plates heaped with sand wiches, dainty cakes, salted almonds and home-made candies mado by mother. "Where is your mother?" asked a sweet-faced girl of her fluttering hostess. "I hope she Is not suffering from our common enemy, the grip?" 'Yes yes," answered the girl, hastily, "she has had a touch of It." She did not dare say to her thoughtful young friend that mother was probably sleeping the sleep of exhaustion, not un sZf&&K : UREV MESSAMK V1TH BANDS AiVU Bit AID. der or trimming. Vandyke points in the border are certainly less trying than the straight or scalloped effect, and three graduated folds, or bands of trimming close to the foot of the skirt are less try ing than either a broad, solid band or trimming which is arranged to run al most to the knees. The princess gown made from soft, clinging material is much better for the matronly figure than the tijo-piece dress with the connecting girdle. In fact, the princess,, with the suggestion of a short waist line or Empire girdle in the back, is a real boon to the stout woman, pro vided she does not make it skin tight. A princess frock laid in fine tucks over a chemisette of lace or net is far better for the motherly figure than one abso lutely tight-fitting, in heavier fabric, however carefully it may be tailored and fitted. The newest cut for the princess frock shows a very deep yoke or chemisette, sometimes coming well below the bust line and outlined by folds, piping or em broidered bunds. The lines are abso lutely square and the opening as seen from the distance is an oblong, a trifle more narrow at the bottom, of course, than across the shoulders. Sometimes the chemisette or deep yoke is made from the plain lace or net, sometimes it is strapped with the cloth or silk used for the princess gown or with ribbon velvet in precisely the same shade. A word as to coats. The mature woman will find that a Iouls or cutaway coa. finished witli deep points. Is excel lent for her use. The newest coats have only one or two buttons, an excellent feature for warm weather. Some excellent modes for matrons are shown in this connection. One of the smartest is the princess skirt with double .breasted Empire jacket. The skirt has a shaped panel down the front and is cut in seven gores. The panel Is finished with buttons eto follow the line of the Kmpire jacket which is double-breasted. This can be worn with a, blouse of net or lace dyed to match the cloth, or tn cream tr ecru with strappings of the cloth or silk used in the gown. A pretty blouse model is the surplice design showing an economical way to utilize -a short pattern in silk. This is really an overblouse or jumper, but com bined with a matching skirt in some 'soft silk, piped with another shade of the same color or velvet ribbon, over a guimpe of net or lace, it would make a most effective house frock. The house gown in gray messallne, banded with darker gray silk and braid, shows one of the most desirable uses of the pleated skirt: also the deep chemis ette effect referred to in another para graph. The fourth illustration shows a skirt and simple blouse designed for trlm ing of stitched bias bands. If these are used in self-tone and material on the skirt, the height of the wearer will not be cut off. while the oval finish of the blouse is extremely good for the woman with a tendency to a double coin. MART DEAN. mixed with bitterness, due to overwork in preparing the refreshments, and then being told by her daughter that as only young people were coming there was no need of her putting in appearance. Another picture, In another parlor! A young girl flushed with the triumphs of suddenly acquired , belledom. entertain ing all at once three very nice young men. It is Sunday afternoon quite late and she hates to lose her sense of power. So she asks them all to stay to tea and how Mother works! No one was expect ed for tea, so she sends one son to the delicatessen shop for bread and salad, gets another to open Jelly and pickles, beats up hot biscuits and finally waits upon the unexpected supper circle with cheeks flushed, hair somewhat awry and wrath in her soul for the broken day of rest. You call this the selfishness of youth, but it is more than that the height of ill-breeding. In the first instance, the mother should have received the guests with her daugh ter, and the daughter should have helped to get the refreshments out of the way In time for Mother to dress for a proper appearance before guests. The mother need not remain in the room during the entire evening, but common courtesy BI.OI SB OP STITCHED BIAS FOLDS. , gives her the right to meet her daugh ter's guests. ' In the. second case, the daughter should have slipped quietly from the room and asked the mother whether it was convenient to entertain three young men for tea and then it was the moth er's privilege, not the daughter's, to ex tend the invitation. When' a young man calls for the first time at your home, dear girl, introduce him to your mother. Insist that she come into the parlor or library for a few min utes and meet the stranger within her gates. The young man will respect 'you the more for this bit of formality. When you are at a dance or evening party or tea and your mother is among the dowagers or wall flowers, do not studiously avoid her, as if you were ashamed of her or she had cause to be ashamed of you. Introduce your part ners to her when the dance is over, see that she is served with tea by one of your men friends if you are at a school or college function, and make the men whom you meet understand that you are not a girl without chaperonage or family pride, but that you have parents whom you are proud to have him know, a home which he should deem it a privilege to enter. It is not necessary that your mother drop into the parlor every time a man calls, but it is her privilege to be intro duced to every new man whom you en tertain under her roof. If you are' studying or working in a large city far from home and mother comes to visit you. make her the guest of honor. Make it very clear to the young men who have been extending courtesies to you, that during her stay. Mother is your honored guest and due deference is to'be paid to her. If a man really cares for you, he will honor you for showing this respect to your mother. If he does not honor you for it well, he is not the man you want to marry. PRUDENCE STANDISH. Chalk for the Milk Dealer. Indianapolis News. Harry Laughlln, the famous billiard player, tells a capital story. "Once, when I had my own saloon in Columbus, O.," he said, "I was a good deal disturbed by the loss of chalk. Chalk disappeared at a tremendous rate, and 1 said to my helper, 'Keep a better eye on the chalk. Jim; I'm no millionaire.' " 'I know the gents wot pockets the chalk, Mr. Laughlln,' Jim said, 'but they're regular customers. I guess you wouldn't want me to offend 'em, would you?' " 'Well, no,' said I. 'I wouldn't. Tou might give them a gentle .hint, though. Use your diplomacy.' "Jim, I found out later, used his diplo macy that night. He walked up to one of my best patrons, who had just pock eted a piece of chalk, and he said: " 'You're in the milk business, ain't you, sir?" " 'Yes, why?'- the patron asked. " 'I thought so,' said Jim, "from the amount of chalk you carry away. The boss likes enterprise, and he told me to tell you that if you wanted a bucket of water now and then you could have one and welcome.' " My Neighbor. M. C. Brown in Sioux Falls Press. Our domiciles stand side by side With but a step between. My trees their cooling shadows throw Across her plat of green; And often when she sauters forth To view her snug- domain, I trv to catch her eye, but all My scheming is in vain. She will not look at me perhaps She holds it as a sin That I should stand beneath my tree And drink earth's beauties in; Or if she turns my way at all TIs with a glassy stare That makes me wonder at my gall In being anywhere. t . She moves majestically along That is, as best she may. For she is neither tall nor fair, And Just a tride gray; I -fancy she was pretty in The dim. dim long; pro, But now ah well, what matters it? She holds me as her foe. Sometimes T think "how nice 'twould be To dwell in friendship sweet. To nod and smile as neighbors do Whene'er we chance to meet; But ah, alas, I know 'tis vain. We never can be friends She cultivates a garden, and 1 keep a nock ot hens. SITRPL.ICE Ways of Dressing the Neck The woman with a short neck and I double chin is dally confronted with the problem of dressing her neck in a becom ing fashion. She looks at her thin sis ters decked in fluffy lace ruffs, or high linen collars, and yearns for such frivol ities. But believe me, they are for the thin women only. The tailored shirt waist has reap peared this season, bringing with it the demand for starched linen collars. The short-necked woman must' wear a very low, narrow collar, else her double chin wilil be pushed forward and made to look twice its natural size. Even in large cities it is sometimes difficult to find low ' linen collars, but if you per sist you will find them. These collars should be of a comfortable size, for a tight collar always makes the face red. In selecting' a bow to wear with these tailored collars, look at the broad ones and admire them, if you will, but buy the one that is long and narrow. A very grave mistake that elderly women are prone to make is wearing black dresses with nothing white about the neck. If she be 80, a woman is not too old to wear white about the throat. It lends to the sallowest skin a softer glow than the dull black of her dress. In warm weather the elderly woman with a short neck will be wise to turn in the collar of her dress and wear a piece of soft net about her throat, pinned down with a fancy brooch. This is a very pretty fashion. On her black church dresses she -will have a standing collar of material like the blouse she wears, and always, without exception, wear little white turnover collars of organdie or Swiss. New York letter In the Philadelphia North American. A comparison of the present Sunday observance with Sunday observance 10, 20, 30 or more years ago shows, for one thing, the effect that a rapidly increasing population has on New York's social customs. A woman, well known socially, traced the other day some of these changes from the time New York society was well with in the 400 mark, and met sociably three times every Winter at Vard McAllis ter's subscription dances held in the old Delmonico ballroom at Twenty sixth street.- That was before the in flux of new people had become very noticeable and before splendid private ballrooms began to multiply, to say nothing of restaurant and-hotel ball rooms easily hired for private uses. "When I was a child," said the lady referred to, "the Sunday dinner was quite a feature of the week. Usually it brought all the family together. "Married sons and daughters came home for It; also unmarried sons whose business or profession kept them away on other days. Very few formal din ners, though, took place on Sunday. It was not a favorite day for entertain ing? at dinner nor for making; many calls tn the afternoon. "At that time society did more walk ing on Sunday afternooms than it has ever done since or probably will ever do again. Few of the richest people, who owned the finest carriages, dreamed of taking them out on Sun day, Churchgoers walked to church and back, and after the dinner which was apt to be prolonged, almost every body but old folks went walking, the favorite promenading being up and down Fifth avenue. "Twenty years ago, If one wanted to see any particular person of a Sun day afternoon, all he or she had to do was to take a stroll on the avenue. Nowadays, of course, fashion carefully avoids Fifth avenue -of a Sunday, ex cept at church time, but it was not so then, and the sight was a very pretty one. ' "No, it wouldn't be possible to re vive the custom for the reason that .everybody is now doing something else on Sunday afternoon. Mind you. I don't mean that the Sunday midday Sunday in High Society BI,Ol'.E. Even widows when wearing the deep est mourning, wear these turnover col lars of white. A little trick of dressmaking was told me the other day by a fashionable modiste. When a woman has a verv short neck, site must have the neck of the blouse cut rather low and set the collar down on it, thus , giving the wearer the appearance of having a nine n. utgner neck than she really has If the matronly woman is going to invest in a feather boa, she must get a flat one, not round. Marabout is bet ter than ostrich feathers. Inasmuch as the flue is shorter. These stoles or boas must reach nearly to the knees in order to be . becoming, for the shorter ones only tend to take from the height of the stout woman. Box-pleated neck ruffs of tulle, net, etc.. are simply out of the question for the matronly woman unless she has a long neck. For the woman whose head is set close to her shoulders they are the most unbecoming thing she could wear. In some of the smart city shops I have seen neck ruffs made of flat loops of ribbon, falling over the other, forming a sort of cape effect about the shoulders and finished in front with very long streamers of the same , rib bon. But these loops must be long and flat, not short and puffy. Many of the Spring jackets are made without collars of any sort, and this style is to be commended for the ma tronly figure. The jacket is finished with a little braiding, or hand embroi dery about the neck, thus giving a woman a very flat appearance about the throat. These collarless jackets ar seen on many imported models. MARY DEAN. dinner and the absence of much enter tainment were due to religious scruples only, for they were not. In society then as now there were many persons who had no religious scruples what ever. "Newcomers, with larger fortunes and a disposition to spend money and have a good time, made their influ ence felt, although they had to take many a snub from the conservatives before they made much headway. One of the first to Institute Sunday evening musicales I remember was Mrs. Paran Stevens. "She had a splendid house, plenty of money, a decided talent for entertain ing. Nevertheless, at first her Invita tions were refused right and left. "Then came the Sunday dinners in the new restaurants and hotels, which were opened and included small private dining-rooms. At one time to dine even at Delmonico's of a Sunday would have given society in general a shock! "Thirty years ago gay Sunday sup pers at a public restaurant were prac tically unknown, and not till after evening dinners on Sunday came into fashion did Delmonico's or other res taurant men show much disposition to cater to Sunday trade. "After that, however, it was very different, and during- the next five years Sunday observance in society un derwent a tremendous change. Men began to pay their dinner calls on Sun day afternoon, which meant that instead of an informal dropping in ofrelatives or neighbors of both sexes for informal chat, drawing rooms began to fill up about 4 o'clock with men mostly. "I think just as large a percentage of society goes to church In the morning today as went to church when I was a youngster. It is the poor who don't go to church, not the rich. "Go to any of the large churches where society worships of a Sunday morning and you will see nearly everybody there. St. Thomas', St. Bartholomew's,- St. George's, Grace, Trinity chapel, the Fifth-Avenue Presbyterian, the Incarna tion and a half dozen more are filled with pewholders who often have to listen to eloquent sermons about keeping Sun day in Puritan fashioit. "No, I do not think churchgolng has fallen off 'at all. If there is any merit In attending church. New York society is Just as good as It ever was." Frankly, nothing irritates me more quickly than to hear some woman who is nearing or may have passed the 40th mile stone pronounced "vain" for trying to improve or conserve her good looks. The critic who passes such judgment is first of all behind the times. This is the age of the young-old woman, not the cal low maid, and it is every woman's duty to approach her 40th birthday with a smile, not a frown. .What is more, she owes It to her family as well as herself to do everything possible to make herself more attractive. This' is not vanity, but common sense, for the woman who has"' said farewell to all hopes of beauty is never an agreeable person to live with. Her entire attitude is colored with bit terness. The most Important factors in retaining an appearance of youthfulness are the preservation of the figure and the care of the complexion. Quito frequently there is a common remedy for defects of figure and face, for instance, hot water and lemon Juice, Invaluable for reducing too, too evident hips and abdomen, are prime complexion aids, stirring the torpid liver and thereby clearing the skin. The average woman who through stress of domestic duties or indolence has covered the youthful linea of a once good figure with fat, imagines that she must enter upon some desperately in volved system of reduction. This is a grievous error. I know one woman who devoted but one hour in the 24 to in telligent, persistent reduction work, and lost 30 pounds in three months, ten pounds a month. But bear this in mind she did not notice any great change at first, and yet she never wavered from her dally exercises and diet. Here are tho three exercises she used. all of which aimed to reduce the hips and abdomen and waist line: A L.ie flat on the floor, shoulders, spine. calves of legs and heels touching the floor, the hands clasped behind the head at the base of the brain. Relax, that is, become perfectly easy and restful. Then, inhaling through, the nose with your mouth closed, raise the right leg four time slowly, each time forming a right angle with the body. Exhale, resting, and then raise the left leg four times while Inhaling. Rest, exhaling, and alternate the two legs, right and left, eight times, inhaling. Exhale, rest, and repeat the en tire exercise. This sounds and is extreme ly simple, but when you can do the exer cise say 20 or 25 times, rapidly, with ac curately timed inhalations and exhala tions, you will have eectired some of yoifr old-time elasticity and the heavy hips will begin to go down. B Stand erect, heels together, toes out? chesty high, abdomen in, chin on a line with the body. Inhale deeply on four counts and raise your hands above your head, palms forward, arms the width of the chest apart. Now, exhaling forcibly swing forward from the waist, keeping the arms stiff and bending as far as possible. At first your hands will not touch the floor or come within six inches of it, but when you have become accustomed to the exercise, you will be able to touch the floor, and then rest assured your waist will be longer, Ite measurement smaller and your adbomen greatly reduced. C For this exercise you will need a bath towel at least a yard long. lAe flat on the floor, face downward, with the towel stretched as far as possible over your head. Now, Inhaling deeply, fling the towel backward until it catches around the ankles. This forces the body to form a sort of cradle with the trunk and particularly the abdomen as the single rocker. Then, rock from side to side at least ten times, inhaling and ex haling regularly. The more deeply you draw your breath, the more good the ex- ercise will do you. If possible take this ex ercise on a bare floor that is absolutely clean, avoiding the dust which accumu lates in rugs or carpets. Give 15 minutes night and morning to these exercises. Give 15 more to a bath as hot as you can stand it without feeling a reaction or sense of lassitude, and 15 to sitting quietly night and morning and sipping a cup of boiling hot water Into which has been strained the juice iof half a lemon. Sip this very slowly. Do not wait until It cools and then gulp it down. Every day, if possible, walk several miles outdoors. Do not send your fleet footed children on errands that for the good of your health you should do your self. And walk briskly as if you had a definite mission or a destination to reach. As to diet, stop eating heavy cereals with auear and cream. Do not touch candy, pies, cakes, rich puddings or peas and beans. Reduce your allowance of potatoes and sulwtitute salads and fruits. When oranges are in season, eat two a day. Stewed prunes and apricots are also good in the reduction diet. Follow these simple directions for three months, and the maternal heaviness you dislike will fall from you. and, thanks to an active liver, your skin will lose the thick, coarse look which proclaims ad vancing years. KATHERINE MORTON. SOME USEFUL RECIPES ICED COFFEE-Mako two quarts of strong, black coffee, sweeten to taste. Put this liquid Into a pitcher that can bo literally packed In ke so that the coffee will bo ice cold when ready to serve. Serve in email glasses with a heaping tablespoon of vanilla ice cream on top. If ice cream cannot be procured, then use a heaping spoon of lee cold whipped cream. Ice cream is preferable, howevef. NUT KISSES Take the whites only of four esrgs and beat to a stiff froth, add gradually one pound of granulated sturar, beating constantly. Then add one cup of nut meats chopped very fine ny nuts will do, such as hickory, walnuts, pea nuts or butternuts). Drop from a tea spoon into little round cakes on a piece of buttered brown paper in a baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven, hBMON SNAPS One cup of butter and two of sugar beaten to a foamy cream. Add to tills two eggs and the grated rind of one largelemwn with its juice. A scant teaspoon of ' soda dissolved in two table spoons of sweet milk. Knead very stiff with flour, roll out very thin, cut out in shapes with tin cutter and bake in quick oven. TEA PUNCH. The following recipe will make twelve large glasses. Squertie the juice of six large lemons and grate the rind of three or four of them. Add to this juice three quarts of water and brown sugar enough to suiH individual taste. Let it come to a boil. In a large pitcher put ten teaspoonfuls of Ceylon tea. pour the boiling lemonade over It, and let It steep for ten or 15 minutes. Then strain and let It get perfectly cold. When ready to serve, fill glasses with cracked Ice. and into each glass put a thin slice of orange and a tiny sprig of mint. Unfair.- The stars are out when I'm In bed. Its not the least bit fair To let such little tilings stay out ah niKtii, aione, up tnere.