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.