Most dressing is done to enhance the beauty of the face, but women should remember that the tint of the complexion, the color of hair and eyes, are but a small part of the personnel. The physique must be taken into account. The "type" is a fact fixed and inevitable, and the woman is wise who sets herself steadfastly to "develop and emphasize its beauties and overshadow and efface its defects."

It is only by real study that a woman grows to understand and analyze her "type" and suit all accessories to her own personality; to adjust, as it were, her "relations." Art, after all, is simply, as Edmund Russell admirably defines it, "relations, the right thing in the right place."

Study your own individuality and assert it in your dress. "No woman need be ugly if she knows her own points," and some points of attractiveness every woman has. Lord Chesterfield, that cynical man of the world, assures us that "no woman is ugly when she is well dressed." That is, dressed with reference to revealing good points and concealing weak ones. Time spent in this study is gain, when one remembers in how many ways actual outward ugliness is an impediment. "The greater portion of ill-tempered, ugly women are ill-tempered simply because they believe themselves hopelessly ugly." A woman, finding her fairer friends constantly preferred despite her vain attempts to please, grows disheartened, then sarcastic, envious, ill-tempered, half unconsciously.

"Knowledge is power; beauty and knowledge combined are well-nigh all-powerful."

Stout and Thin.

Texture, color and form must all be considered in relation to the personal appearance or "type." The beautiful in itself is not always a safe guide, but its beauty in relation to the wearer must be the test. Fair, delicate, slender women make a great mistake when they over-weigh themselves with rich, heavy fabrics, no matter how beautiful these may be in themselves. Instead, they should keep to clinging, draping materials, sheer lawns and shining silks.

On the contrary, the very stout woman may wear all manner of rich gownings that fall in gracious massive folds. Clad thus, her size will have about it a restful element of repose. Let her beware of closely fitted gowns. These tend to enhance the size they are supposed to conceal. Watteau or Princess robes falling from the shoulder in unbroken lines render her imposing. Little ruffles should be avoided, or frills of lace, and whatever drapery there be should fall from shoulder or hip; this gives long curving undulations that follow every movement.

The stout woman should leave black satin severely alone; reflecting the light, it reveals form and size relentlessly. "Revealed form is vulgar, suggested form poetic," says the high art of to-day, and who would not be poetic and gracious if she could? "If stout women," declares Edmund Russell, "would learn to move in grand, slow rhythm, and wear textures so heavy that the lines of their figures were concealed, they would have a grandeur and dignity that no slender woman could hope to attain."

Women must recognize their defects before they can hope to correct them. A tall, angular woman must adopt soft, fleecy materials, so made that they can float and curve about all ungraceful angles, hiding, or softening them. She of a deficient figure must never wear a plain, tightly fitting gown, unless it is relieved, and filled out with soft full vests, or veiled with falling folds of lace.

There is only an occasional perfect form that will bear the merciless revelation of the plain, tight habit, and even then the suggestion of a concealing drapery heightens the beauty of the revealed curves. "All dress should be governed by shawl instead of glove rule," assert the latest canons of costume.

Tall or Short.

There are proportionately more women that are too short, than too tall. Always a little sensitive to this defect, some try to increase their stature by high heels, which renders their gait awkward, besides being injurious to health. Others endeavor to add to their apparent height by cultivating a long waist. This they do at the expense of shortening the lower limbs, thus making themselves seem shorter than they actually are. Others strive to attain the same end by dressing the hair high, in this way too often adding to the apparent bulk of the head and giving a top-heavy appearance to the figure. It is here that a full-length glass becomes almost a necessity in the dressing-room, so that the entire effect of the figure may be observed at once, and defects of this nature detected at a glance. Sometimes a high ornament worn at the top of the head apparently increases height, but beware of any bulky style.

Long lines of drapery from shoulder to foot give the effect of height. Horizontal lines crossing the figure shorten the form.

Short, stout women, by wearing short basques that make a line about the hips, or ruffles and puffs at the shoulders, increase their bulk and shorten their stature.

Women too tall and slender use horizontal lines and puffed and ruffled effects to great advantage, thus increasing the apparent size of an arm by puffs and surrounding bands, or hips by the descriptive line of a basque.

The way of wearing the hair, also, may greatly change the whole appearance. Worn at the nape of the neck it is domestic; lower, romantic; on a level with the head, classic; on top of the head, stylish.

Decorations.

A tenet of Delsartean art asserts that, "A decoration is to make something else beautiful and must not assert, but sacrifice itself. Ornament that has no use whatever is never, in any high sense, beautiful."

A trimming with no reason for being is generally ungraceful. Buttons which fasten nothing should never be scattered over a garment. Bows, which are simply strings tied together, should only be placed where there is some possible use for strings tied together. In short, according to Mrs. Haweis, "Anything that looks useful, and is useless, is in bad taste." For instance, the dress imitating a peasant or a fishwife is never so graceful or piquant as the real costume, since the handkerchief covering the peasant's bare neck is much more picturesque than a bodice trimmed in form of a kerchief.

Slashes are at all times a most beautiful decoration. At shoulder, elbow, breast, edge of a flattened cap, the knees, cut just where a devotee of comfort might cut them to give more freedom of movement. The slash forms an unrivalled opportunity for displays of color. Deep blue, parting to display a glimpse of amber, white through black, the combinations are endless, and the whole gives the idea of a glimpse of an undergarment through an outer one. The contrast of a lining of vest, sleeve or panel is also a harmonious ornament.

Decollete Costume.

It is not the province of this work to decide the vexed question of the low-cut bodice for full dress. In this respect every woman will be a law unto herself, and every woman knows in her own mind the border line below which the corsage should not fall. All, however, do not know how greatly the hard, horizontal line of the low-cut bodice diminishes the appearance of height. Herein lies the great advantage of the heart or square-shaped opening showing the throat, since a dress high behind, or on the shoulders, gives all the height. Last, but not least, all the lovely curves of the throat are shown in this way, and any suspicion of angularity of the collar bone is hidden.

A dress should never end directly upon the skin. The line of contact should always be softened by an edge of lace, tulle, or ruching. First, for the idea of cleanliness; second, because "nature abhors sharp edges." In flowers there are contrasts of color, but they are always softened, each shade stealing a little from the other as they blend.

A regularly decollete gown is properly worn only during the same hours that a gentleman's dress suit is donned, that is, "from dusk to dawn."

Sharp edges should be avoided as much as possible in the entire costume. A glove that ends exactly at the wrist bone, or a boot at the ankle joint, with a straight line, is always ugly; so are dresses when they are cut in a circle close to the juncture of the neck with the shoulder, giving the neck a decapitated appearance. The line of contrast should always be softened with an edge of lace, or a necklace, and only round, pretty throats should dare such a display.

The skirt ought to appear, even if it is not, as a portion and a continuance of the bodice. That is, "if the bodice be cut to fit the figure tightly, the skirt ought properly to be plainly gored. If the bodice be full at the waist line, the skirt also should contain fullness, for this form signifies a loose, full garment bound at the waist with a girdle."

Full waists and plain skirts, or vice versa, betray at once that skirt and bodice do not belong to each other. This course, however, is admissible at times, for instance, in case of the lovely, loose tea-jackets worn now, or in donning any cool lawn blouse, or dressing sacque for comfort.

The trained skirt is a most graceful garb, adding to height and diminishing stoutness, but it is never suitable for the street. For house, evening or carriage toilets it is eminently proper and pretty. All the movements of the form are softened and dignified by its sweeping undulations until one comes to feel that short skirts are really a mistake for a house gown, since so much grace and beauty of motion are sacrificed thereby.

Graceful Sleeves.

Few women have beautiful arms above the elbow. Fatness is not correctness of form, so that a short sleeve, no sleeve, or the painful strap which is all so many evening dresses can boast, is by no means always a thing of beauty.

A sleeve that falls in lace and frills just below the elbow hides many defects, besides softening, and rendering delicate, the lower arm and the hand.

A sleeve long enough to turn upward as a cuff, is much more effective than a simulated cuff, just as the thing itself is always better than an imitation. A sleeve that stops short at the wrist joint should be relieved by lace to be artistic.

Full sleeves improve every form. The very stout should never make the mistake of wearing a very tight sleeve, since to do so simply increases the apparent size of the arm. A full sleeve bound to the arm between joints gives an impression of comfort and beauty like the slashed sleeve before mentioned.

Painters have immortalized beautiful sleeves, as well as beautiful costumes. Indeed, to decide on really beautiful gowns one must study the great masters—Gainsborough, Reynolds, Watteau—until the study of costume becomes what it should be—a study of art.

Purchasing.

There should never be trying contrasts in the quality of the various articles that go to make up the sum-total of dress. To expend almost the entire allowance on a gorgeous bonnet that puts every other detail of the costume to blush, or to wear a shabby cloak with an elegant gown are examples of injudicious expenditure.

Instead, let it be remembered how many articles must be purchased and then so expend the sum to be drawn upon that it will not be exhausted on two or three expensive articles to the neglect of the necessary accessories.

An important point to be considered is the surroundings in which the garments are to be worn. Whether one is to drive over country roads or walk city streets; whether they must last one season or more. In this latter case care should be taken to choose quiet colors and inconspicuous patterns.

If the gown must serve many purposes let it be of some plain wool goods, tastefully made, hat and gloves harmonizing in tint, the whole bearing the imprint of the true lady and suitable for almost any occasion. At the same time the entire outfit will have cost no more than the dearly-purchased silk gown that left no margin for hat, gloves, or shoes, and must be worn on every occasion, suitable or unsuitable, to the discomfort of the wearer and the ruin of the gown.

If riding about in the country, choose wool fabrics that will not crease easily, or show dust, and for summer, cotton materials that will come bright and fresh from the hands of the laundress.

The Young Girl.

Sweet simplicity alone should be the guide for the young girl's costume. The dewy bloom of the cheek, the clear young eyes, the soft rosebud lips, the sweet curves of the lithe form that come but once in a lifetime, are what we want most to see.

No heavy velvets or gorgeous trimmings should be worn by any girl under twenty-one. To call attention to her ornaments is to detract from her priceless ornament of sweet and fleeting youth.

Simple muslins and wools, soft, clinging silks and gauzes should be worn. Flowers are preferable to jewels. A necklace of pearls may be worn, should the complexion warrant, but other than this is a waste of money, and a waste of beauty.

Soft colors, where the skin permits, simplicity in cut, little if any trimming, and we have the costume most fitting for a girl to wear, and when we say "fitting" we have found the key to perfect dressing.

Diamonds and Precious Stones.

Women seem to look upon diamonds as a sort of social parole, while, in truth, there are but few women who can wear them without detracting from their own brilliancy; without sacrificing themselves to their jewels.

Dark, brilliant eyes and dazzling teeth may wear them safely, or, very clear, cool skins with bright, blue eyes may dare them at their own risk. Yet, to "tip the ear with diamond fire" is sure to call attention from the best points of the face, and in too many cases simply effaces and outshines the face itself.

Edmond Russell severely criticises diamond solitaires for earrings and esteems the stone a difficult one to wear except when small and used in quantities as settings for other jewels.

The secret of good taste in jewels is for a woman to seek out those gems whose colors harmonize with or heighten her own tints, as she does the shades for her gown, and confine herself to them. It is quite the thing now to have a special stone, as it is to have a special perfume. For instance, the turquoise is very becoming to some (it is Mrs. Langtry's stone), garnets or rubies to others. The pearl, where it can be worn, softens the face more than any other jewel. The moonstone is very nearly as effective, as well as the beautiful opal.

Rings, some authorities say, should be worn in barbaric profusion, or not at all. A slender, beautifully modeled hand can afford to be guiltless of rings. One less perfect in shape, but white, can be enhanced in charm by a blaze of jewels.

Plump Women.

In the days of the painter Rubens stout women were the most fashionable creatures that walked the face of the earth. Rubens would paint none other than those of very firm build, and so artistically did he drape them, so cleverly did he pose them, and so well did he color them, that every woman aspired to sit for his pictures. To be painted by Rubens was a guarantee of beauty, grace and feminine loveliness of every description.

The Rubens woman is a stout woman of good figure. Stout women nearly always have fine forms. Their bust line is good. It is low and the neck curve full, even if not very long. The Rubens artist makes the most of these good points and conceals others.

In modern times, however, the stout woman finds that the fashions are rarely meant for her. In view of this, a number of wealthy New York women have banded themselves together in a Rubens Club, with one of its chief aims the designing of dresses for the members. For this purpose a professional designer is chosen, an artist of no mean merit.

The president of the Rubens Club, who is a woman of beauty and wealth and great loveliness of manner, had the honor of having the first gown designed for herself. This was an evening robe of great beauty, a regular Rubens gown.

The materials were dead white cashmere and dull black satin, with a very little lace and jet. The under gown, or the gown itself, more strictly speaking, fell from the shoulders in a long, loose robe. In the front there was a center trimming of black satin and lace and a heavy ruffle of lace outlined the bust and suggested the waist. A few jets were added. The back fitted closely, and around the foot extended a deep band of the black.

Over the Rubens gown fell a robe of the satin. It was caught at each shoulder and fell into a train three feet long when the wearer walked. In repose it lay around her feet, giving her height and a becoming setting.

The good points of this gown are, first, the way it showed off the very plump neck of the wearer. The fine throat line was visible, but at the shoulders, where too much massiveness takes the place of fine firm flesh, the robe was draped. The arms were likewise covered at the top, their thickest part, and, as the robe fell over them when in repose, much of their apparent size disappeared.

The robe had one very odd feature. The train was a doublet one. The back of the robe was little more than walking length, but the ends were very long indeed. This made a square court train like a monarch's robe, and could be easily brought front by the hand, for trimming or drapery when the wearer was not walking.

Black Satin and Sparkling Jets.

In choosing the color of the gown to be snow-white instead of cream color, the artist knew what he was specifying. White is a diminishing color, while cream color enlarges. The same with black satin. Satin, being full of lights and shades, is uncertain in size, and it is preferable to silk or velvet, which makes the person thicker. The jets are dressy, wicked little ornaments that wink at you unexpectedly and disappear.

Much pains are taken in choosing colors, and then comes the artist's real work. The hardest thing is to fit out his patrons with street gowns that will be conventional, and yet Rubenesque. To do this he takes advantage of the cape idea. A stout woman in a neat fitting gown, not too close under the bust, looks picturesque with a golf cape swinging from one shoulder. It gives her height. The dolmans that open in front and fall low at each side are admirable also, according to his ideas.



COLORS AND COMPLEXIONS.



"A thing should be beautiful in itself, and it should be beautiful for you." "Good dressing includes a suggestion of poetry;" but to gain this poetic grace careful study must be made of hair, eyes and skin, for a dress that is beautiful in itself, or beautiful on one wearer, may be a failure on another.

Study to "compose" your costume well; then, donning it, cease to think of it or yourself. Lead up gently to all contrasting colors that are introduced into a costume for linings of loose draperies, sleeves, or as vests. Glaring contrasts, or "spotty" effects should be guarded against. All brilliant colors in a costume should be reached gradually like a climax in music, or a high light in a fine painting. Otherwise there is a jar, and the harmony of relation is broken.

Complexion Determines Dress Colors.

Sometimes a color used sparingly in a knot of ribbon, or glimpsed as a lining, is becoming, while the same color, used in quantity, or as a ground color of the costume, might prove inharmonious with the complexion.

It is well for every woman to choose a certain proved range of colors that she can bear, and to venture cautiously or seldom on new experiments. These colors will be found like a musical scale, to harmonize well in almost any combination. Thus beauty, convenience and economy are all consulted by loyalty to these proved shades.

Endless arrangements might be suggested on the economical side of the question. The light evening silk of the season before may be used for lining or form the long loose front of the tea-gown of the present. The rich draperies of last year's carriage gown may fitly furnish forth the natty velvet vest and dainty bonnet to wear with this year's street suit, and nothing be lost.

One more caution as to colors. The very delicate blonde who has reveled in palest, daintiest shades must beware of presuming too long on that evanescent bloom, lest she find herself basing the color of her dress on a flower that faded years ago. Or else, maybe, on one that has unfolded into a richer bloom, and by not adapting her color scale to the changes of time, she loses all the beauty of the present.

Another mistake women make is to forget that lovely childish curves of early youth change with the advancing years and the babyish style of dressing, so becoming then, may be worn too long. The rounded throat of the plump woman becomes muscular all too soon, and the delicate throat of the slender woman is too prone to lose its soft outlines.

The changes of color that occur almost always in cool, pale blondes are often but changes in beauty; still, these changes in complexion must be met with changes in dress.

Combinations of Color.

"A secret of artistic dressing is to match the hair as nearly as possible for day and the eyes for evening."

"The producing of an all-over effect by drapery, veiling, and head-gear of the same shade is most thoroughly artistic."

These two high art axioms may be given as a safe foundation for the choice of colors, in following which no one can greatly err.

The woman of mezzo-tints, of soft half-tones of complexion, hair and eyes, loses all color and force when she clothes herself with deep, intense hues. Low, warm, unaggressive shades are needed as a background to bring out all her own best points.

"Some people," says Miss Oakey, "have many possibilities of form and color which may be brought out under special treatment, but most people have only the one possibility which can be improved upon." Certain women may be dressed in one set of colors that emphasize the whiteness of their skin; and, in still another, that bring out their own color, while others must be content with one certain range of tints.

Red Hair, with Brown Eyes.

This type of woman may wear amber, deep lined with fawn or pale yellowish pink; dark, rich red, like a red hollyhock; creamy-white (creamy-white satin with pearls and old point lace); olives and dark greens, claret, maroon, plum and gold color.

Jewels—topaz, amber, pearls and gold ornaments.

All manner of lovely combinations may be made out of these colors; especially dark amber, approaching brown, contrasted with pale fawn or gold color. Topazes for jewels. Sable furs and the deeper shade of mink are exceedingly becoming, and the same colors of the fur can be had in most dress materials. There is also a certain shade of maroon which makes red hair a positive golden, and throws into bold relief the clear white tint of the complexion even when there are freckles. These same freckles are also improved by the wearing of this maroon color.

Red Hair, with Gray or Green Eyes.

This type may wear all the above colors, adding to them all the browns and purples. Amethysts may be worn with the grays. Grays and any of the above greens contrast beautifully.

The Ineffective Type.

This style of woman has dull, light brown hair, no brilliancy of complexion, usually gray or blue eyes. The type often numbers some of our most spiritual and intellectual women, as well as, very often, our constitutionally delicate women. It is a type very difficult to dress effectively. The black of velvet may be worn, and soft wools relieved by velvet or lace; creamy white, by casting reflected lights, clears the complexion. Be careful of this however. Warm, pale pink may be worn with it. Invisible blues and greens (in other words, very dark shades). The palest possible pink may be combined with these as linings, vests or ribbons. Pale pink, lined with a pink almost white; pale, but not chalky blues. Blue should not be worn in silk, unless of a very dull or lusterless quality.

Stylish and Appropriate Jewels.

If the eyes are blue, sapphires may be permitted (a gray sapphire is best); pearls, the greenish turquoise, moonstones, intaglios, cameos, antique coins.

This ineffective type frequently, because of better health, gains a warmer glow to the skin and a richer tone to the hair. In this case there may be added to the above colors yellow-browns, fawn-browns, and a little lighter green, contrasted with the darker greens.

Brown-black hair, steel-gray eyes, fair skin with color in cheeks, may wear all greens (save the very light), cream-white, fawns, grays, browns, reds, violet, a rich pink, and all blues. If any type can wear black with impunity, this can. For jewels, any desired stone.

Black hair, very dark eyes, golden-brown skin, warm color, brilliantly white teeth, may wear rich browns, clarets, deep amber, cream-white, warm pinks and flame-color. Avoid black and very pale colors. Yellow may be worn sometimes, but with a warning here to the black-haired type in general. A writer on color wisely says that "yellow is a color that should be suspiciously approached with black hair. It is very often but a vulgar contrast." For jewels, diamonds and all rich colored precious stones.

Black Hair, Rather Sallow Skin.

This style can wear black, but it must be relieved by white laces to soften and light up the face, thus giving the "effectness [Transcriber's Note: effectiveness] of a drawing in black and white." Dark grays, the dull reds occasionally. There is a peculiar yellow-red, dusty, unluminous, very dark, that can be profitably worn. Flame-color can be worn as linings, or trimmings, though since there is so little color in this style, no colors seem to have a true relation to it.

Dull gold is about the only ornament that can be worn, save a delicate onyx cameo. Flowers: white water-lilies, camellias, or the darkest, duskiest, damask roses, and none of these in such profusion as to appear conspicuous.

Black Hair, Clear Skin, Blue Eyes.

This beautiful combination gives a wide range of color for selection. Blues, especially sapphire shades, dark reds, pale pink, blue grays, white, both cream and blue-white, and black, solid and transparent. For jewels, pearls, sapphires, opals, turquoise, diamonds. White flowers, also violets, pansies, etc.

The woman with blue eyes should always have some blue about her. It is really extremely interesting to notice how blue brought up close to the throat and then a bow of the same in her hair intensifies the blue in the eyes, making even the pale, wishy-washy orbs a deep violet. When the blue beneath the face is too trying there must be some of the same put in the hair or hat, as the case may be. This applies to all colors.

Brown hair, warm brown skin, brown eyes, may wear browns, yellows, ambers, cream-white, rich blues, tans, fawns, all reds, olive-green and maroon; flame-color, and rose pink in small quantities. This type can wear sharp brilliant contrasts of colors if she choose, providing they keep within range. Black, blue, white and all cold, pale colors are to be avoided. The jewels may be diamonds and all rich colored stones. Brown-eyed women should wear brown for the very same reason that the blue-eyed woman should wear blue. Not necessarily entire brown costumes, but brown placed near enough the face to have the desired effect.

Dark brown hair, creamy-white skin and velvety-brown eyes, this combination is beautiful, and may wear the black of silk, or velvet with creamy lace to relieve the face. Dark reds, purples and maroons, peacock-green, olive-green, ambers, violet, rose pink, with pearls, amber, topaz, ruby, garnet, diamonds.

Chestnut Hair, Fair Skin, Blue Eyes.

This type can wear almost any color, except mauve and mysterious, pale colors. To wear yellow, she must contrast it with brown or subdued green.

Chestnut hair, gray or green eyes: this type must be more cautious, especially if the complexion be pale or sallow. Olive-green (not too brown), relieved with palest pink. White contrasted with old gold. Dark and light blues; purple with white; lilac and burnt cream mingled (pongee is burnt cream shade). Black with yellow greens. Red in small quantities. In almost every eye there is a touch of green. In some cases it is the predominant color, and when that is the case green should be worn.

Blonde, fair hair (pale gold or flaxen), blue eyes, with or without a rose flush: this is one of the few types that can wear blue-white. All cool, refreshing colors; cold silvery blues, pale greens, pale grays, black, even the shiny black of satin, are all becoming. Heliotrope, purple, cool violet, pink and lavender may be worn. It may be mentioned here that, while there are many other colors she can wear, the cool blonde will never be better dressed than when adhering to the colors that rightfully belong to her, and to her alone. Her style is never more charming than when arrayed in sheer, floating, gauzy materials. But since winter must come, silks, velvets and all wools are at her disposal in the desired shades. Amethysts, emeralds, sapphires and opals should be her jewels.

Almost Any Color.

The golden blonde gradually deepens in color as time passes on; she has usually gray-green or hazel eyes, and a warm, rosy skin. It is a type that has a wide range of color from which to choose.

Warm reds and even flame-color can be worn, but ambers, yellows and fawns will be the more harmonious. Warm pink, too, black, brown, warm greens, cream-white, turquoise-blue, violet, purple and warm gray.

This same type with pale, clear skin, instead of the roseate blue, must choose very different shades. Olive-greens, all soft yellow-greens, cream and transparent white, pale peacock and turquoise-blues, pale amber, mauve pinks, shades of amethyst and heliotrope are all suited to this type.

Pearls, opals, moonstones, turquoise and topaz, all flowers may be worn, also pansies, sweet peas, and pale tinted roses.

All blondes, save the cool blonde, deepen in color as time goes on. Let them watch for this, drop their palest tints, and adopt a few warmer hues.

Occasionally, we see a blonde in whom this deepening process has turned the hair to a golden brown, brought out the warm golden tints of the skin, and with it the blue eyes. Here the mistake is often made of ignoring the blue eyes. This should never be done. Fawns and old golds are good for this type. Browns, deep, rich pinks, blues, all greens but the palest, bluish grays, cream-white and pansy-purple.

Gray Hair.

Premature gray hair has a picturesque and charming effect, often giving beauty to what might otherwise prove a commonplace countenance. There are several types to be considered. Greenish gray hair, premature or natural, accompanied with brown, or dark gray eyes, and a skin in which the brownish tints prevail, can wear all dark greens and olives, blue, browns, and dark amber, warm yellows and dark, dusky reds, yellowish-pinks, dark blues and purple, especially the brownish-purples, also cream-white. Gray or black is to be avoided. This range of color will, of course, be chosen from, in accordance with the age of the wearer. For jewels, reddish topaz, and amethyst are beautiful for this type, and tea-roses a most effective flower.

Gray hair with a lighter, clear complexion and, perhaps, some color in the cheeks, can wear the loveliest harmonies in grays. Black can also be adopted and any of the first mentioned colors except brown.

A pale complexion with gray or blue and snowy hair, will be elegant in the black of lace or velvet.

Prematurely gray with fine clear complexion, either pale or roseate, together with blue eyes, is a magnificent type. The gray hair gives the brilliancy of powder, and diamonds combined with turquoise can be worn with fine effect; pearls also.

The Black Gown.

Women, as a rule, consider their wardrobe incomplete unless it embraces at least one good black gown. "So very convenient, you know, and suitable for so many occasions." In many respects this is very true. But there are several points to be considered. First, there are some types that should never wear black. Again, there are others that must carefully discriminate between the black of velvet, wool, satin, or lace, and the transparent black of grenadine and gauze. While to all comes the caution that, after thirty years of age, no woman can safely wear all black without thereby ageing her face.

Black certainly whitens the skin by contrast, but it brings out and deepens every line. Only plump, fair, unlined faces can safely bear the contrast.

In wearing black, the material whose tone is most becoming to the skin, must be chosen. For instance, very few skins can bear the glossy black of satin with its reflected lights. Black, however, may be softened by a profusion of cream laces or jetted until it scintillates with every motion, and for evening wear the bodice may be cut low, thus removing it from direct contrast with the face.

Various Hints.

Blondes may, if they choose, wear yellows in harmony with their hair. This possibility was first daringly acted upon by Worth with most charming results.

Blue eyes can always be deepened by wearing the appropriate shade of blue. White can be worn by women of all ages, and in almost all materials is it becoming. For evening wear and for day wear it is most satisfactory. Southern women make a point of dressing in it altogether.

For evening wear, where the complexion renders it possible, a very pretty effect is produced by wearing colors that relate or melt into the skin tints, such as pinky browns, soft drabs, ashes of roses or warm, creamy tints, like the heart of a tea-rose.

The Choice of Colors.

Much more lies in choosing a becoming color than people generally imagine. There is an old story told about some celebrated man, whose lifelong devotion to his wife was considered somewhat remarkable, as she was a very plain woman. One of his friends asked him what had been the first thing about her that had attracted him. He said: "A pink shawl that was lying on the back of the chair in which she was sitting made so pleasing a contrast to the white frock she wore that I thought only of that, and upon asking for an introduction to her solely on account of the pink shawl, I was then introduced to a wonderful fascination of manner and grace of mind which have enthralled me ever since."

A woman's surroundings of necessity play a great part in her appearance, but it does not by any means follow that luxurious furnishings have any more effect than the very simplest and plainest, particularly if they do not throw out well the beauty of the coloring. What shades of ribbon to choose, what colors to wear are far more serious matters than the majority of people realize.

The most stunning gown in the world, if it be unbecoming, will not be half so efficacious as the simplest and plainest of gowns of a becoming color and cut. This is emphatically a picturesque era, and wide latitude is allowed in the choice of what is becoming. But big hats, big sleeves, very stand-out skirts and a general fashion-plate air do not do for every woman, and she who has her gown made on the simplest possible lines will create more sensation in a roomful of very much gotten-up women than if she attempted to vie with them.

Harmony and Contrast of Colors.

The following is a list of colors which contrast and harmonize:

White contrasts with black and harmonizes with gray.

White contrasts with brown and harmonizes with buff.

White contrasts with blue and harmonizes with sky-blue.

White contrasts with purple and harmonizes with rose.

White contrasts with green and harmonizes with pea-green.

Cold greens contrast with crimson and harmonize with olive.

Cold greens contrast with purple and harmonize with citrine.

Cold greens contrast with white and harmonize with blues.

Warm greens contrast with crimson and harmonize with yellows.

Warm greens contrast with maroon and harmonize with orange.

Warm greens contrast with purple and harmonize with citrine.

Warm greens contrast with red and harmonize with sky-blue.

Warm greens contrast with pink and harmonize with gray.

Orange contrasts with purple and harmonizes with yellow.

Orange contrasts with blues and harmonizes with red.

Orange contrasts with black and harmonizes with warm green.

Orange contrasts with olive and harmonizes with warm brown.

Citrine contrasts with brown and harmonizes with green.

Citrine contrasts with crimson and harmonizes with buff.

Russet contrasts with green and harmonizes with red.

Olive contrasts with white and harmonizes with black.

Olive contrasts with maroon and harmonizes with brown.

Gold contrasts with any dark color, but looks richer with purple, green, blue, black and brown than with the other colors. It harmonizes with all light color, but least with yellow. The best harmony is with white.



Dress for Special Occasions



"The beautiful is the suitable." "A woman careless of her dress is either unloved, or unhappy." "Dress is to the body what good sense is to the mind." "Dress is really a department of manners," and appeals to the eye with the same force that gracious words and softly keyed voices appeal to the ear. Costliness is not the measure of the beauty of dress. Nay, rather suitability, harmony, becomingness, unobtrusiveness, fitness for the place and person are the qualities that make it perfect.

And because these canons of good taste are so frequently sinned against it has seemed best to give the proper dress and appointments for the proper times. Not as to particular styles for they are fleeting as the breath of fashion, but as to general principles which are well nigh changeless. Once certain of these fundamental principles, embarrassment and self-consciousness are banished.

Dress at Home.

It is, perhaps, the dress at home that tells most of the care and character of the wearer. Much regard is given to the dress for other occasions, but here comes the test of delicacy and refinement, the criterion of the individual.

Neatness is the first requisite, suitability the second. There is nothing more of an offense to good taste than seeing the delicate fabric, the ribbons, the laces of a once elegant toilet, degraded to the uses of the kitchen, spotted and soiled almost beyond recognition.

Have gowns adapted to the tasks for which they are intended. The neat gingham, the plain wool gown, are pretty and appropriate for the morning wear of any lady who must superintend the workings of her own household. Aprons, gloves, dust caps, which can be quickly doffed and will leave her neat and presentable for the stray morning caller without the necessity, on her part, of a change of costume, and on his, of a tedious waiting.

For afternoon the prettiest of toilets may be worn in the shape of house-dresses, or tea-jackets made of otherwise useless remnants of bright silks, and ribbons may be used to wear with otherwise presentable skirts whose original bodices have been long outworn. Trains, medium, are always pretty in the house, hence tea-gowns, from the richest to the most modest in cost, are always in favor. Avoid very short skirts for the house; they are awkward, and belittle you from a mental as well as a physical standpoint.

Observe the utmost neatness in every detail of the toilet for home or street. It is an old rule, but a very good one, that a woman may be judged "by her boots, gloves and pocket-handkerchiefs." To this may be added "finger nails," and last but not least, skirt edges. "No matter how elegant the general get-up may be," asserts one fastidious critic, "if a woman's skirt binding is muddy, frayed, or pendant, she is, to my mind, not a gentlewoman."

The General Fitness.

The style of the person should have much to do with choosing the style of dress for any occasion. Only people lacking the slightest originality of mind would think of blindly following the dictates of fashion without any reference to their own physical style.

Very short women should not wear very large hats. Women with very thin faces should avoid wide hat brims and many plumes. Women with large, full faces should not go to the extreme in wearing small bonnets. To do so is but to exaggerate the defect in each case. No matter what the extremity of style may be, there is always a happy medium from which to choose.

Flying curls and a great superabundance of ribbons and fluttering ends belong only to a young girl. To persist in an extremely youthful style of dress long after the passing of youth, instead of adding to the apparent youth of the wearer, simply defeats its own end by exaggerating the defects it was meant to conceal.

Small, thin women should not wear too much black. Let them wear a profusion of fluffy laces about the throat; soft, puffy vests, or, as one writer observes, "learn something from Sara Bernhardt and her consummate skill in concealing bones."

Short, stout women should see that all adornments, such as folds, plaits, etc., keep as much as possible in perpendicular lines. It is a mistake to think that perfect plainness will disguise the breadth, it rather emphasizes it. On this style of woman a loosely-fitted wrap has a better effect for the street than a tight, plain garment.

Common-Sense Sleeves.

A very stout or a very thin woman should never wear extremely light sleeves, no matter what the style may be. The stout woman should also avoid an elbow sleeve with loosely falling ruffles, and the trimming, if possible, should run in lengthwise folds or bands. This precaution tends to decrease the apparent size of the arm. The slender woman, on the contrary, is much improved by the puffed elbow sleeve ending with a fall of lace.

Let women learn to put on belts so that they will slip downward in front and up in the back. This does everything for the waist in making it look slender and graceful. If yokes are worn, it is well to remember that a deep yoke is more becoming than a narrow one. If it is short in front, it looks awkward, and if it is short behind, it gives a round shouldered effect.

Where a rich toilet is worn for any occasion, be sure that everything is in keeping. If the gown be of velvet do not wear with it a linen collar or cheap lace. If real lace is beyond the means there are always the filmy tulles and crepe lisse. If jewelry is worn, it should be of the best, be it much or little. The fan, also, for such a costume should carry out the idea of luxury.

Cheap, fanciful, pretty things have their place in connection with soft wool, or pretty cotton costumes, but "lightness or grace is one thing; magnificence or luxury, another."

A very young girl should never wear rich, heavy fabrics; they are unsuited to her youthful face and ways.

The evils of tight lacing are so pronounced that it would seem almost unnecessary to remonstrate against them in this age of enlightenment, were they not so continually forced upon our view. Nothing could be more unbecoming to the women fair, fat and forty, who are usually the ones to adopt this custom; an inch less in waist is hardly gained at the price of an unbecoming flush, a labored breathing, and a serious injury to the health, besides the lack of grace that comes from binding and constricting any portion of the human form divine.

Gloves and Shoes.

To have many dresses is always a mistake even among the very wealthy. They are constantly going out of fashion and unless the owner is continually seen at balls, receptions and other gatherings, they are entirely unnecessary.

The glove of to-day is fitted comfortably. Nothing is more indicative of a lack of taste than to crowd the hand into a glove that is several sizes too small for it. The same might be said of the foot, and with more reason, since a painfully tight shoe not only injures the health, comfort and complexion of the wearer, but is ruinous to all grace of carriage.

There is nothing marks the true lady as much as the perfection of neatness and style in gloves and shoes. To be well gloved and to have one's feet neatly clad, no matter how plain the attire, is to be well dressed.

(Other hints on this subject will be found in the departments of "Art in Dress" and "Colors and Complexions.")

The umbrella, too, must be carefully chosen. If it is possible to have parasols and umbrellas for different occasions, then there is no difficulty of choice, but where one must answer for all occasions of the season, let it be a plain, dark or black silk. This will be suitable at all times, but if the fancy of the moment, as to pale and delicate colorings be consulted, the result is too often painfully incongruous. In buying gloves, shoes or umbrellas, it is worth while to invest in a good article. There is no economy in the poorer grades.

Artifices of the Toilet.

All artificial aids to beauty should be sparingly used, and have no place whatever upon the toilet table of the young girl. Powder and paint are so obvious to the eye, that their use, or rather abuse, by some otherwise sensible women, is a continual wonder. A dust of rice powder is sometimes excusable, but there can be no possible apology for the "made-up" faces one sees upon our streets. They deceive no one and have no excuse for being. The woman who stands in the pitiless glare of the footlights must needs add color to replace that stolen from her face by the strong white light of day, but others have no such excuse for "frescoing" the face. It is a sin alike against good taste and good breeding.

There are various simple preparations that can be used to clear the skin, and various massage treatments to smooth out the cruel little lines that time writes on all faces, and kindly unguents to fill out the hollow cheeks and temples, and thus keep the outlines of youth a little longer. And there is wholesome living and vigorous exercise, and daily and revivifying baths to call the flush of health to the cheek; and loving thoughts and kindly deeds to keep the eyes soft and bright, and thus to set the inroads of time at defiance for many years. And since a woman is no older than she looks, and since the prerogatives of youth are dear to the heart, it is her bounden duty to keep herself sweet and young.

There is one excusable addition to the personal charms and that is where nature has denied the grace of luxuriant locks. This lack can be so cunningly supplied by the hairdresser's art that detection is impossible, and as it ever has been, and ever will be, that a woman's hair is a glory unto her, there can be no reason against her hiding from view any lack of it when it is done in an artistic fashion.

When to Wear Jewels.

Mme. de Maintenon declared that good taste simply indicates good sense, but many women who boast of good sense seem not to have the slightest idea of the times and places for wearing precious stones.

It is conceded by all authorities that articles of adornment consisting of or containing jewels or precious stones should never be worn in the street. Exception is made in favor of rings and watches. The woman who wishes to adopt correct form in dress will never wear any but the simplest little pin to fasten her gown at the throat during the morning hours and on the street.

For ceremonious visits, a pretty and ornamental pin of gold is proper, or of gold and enamel, but even then it should have a useful purpose; it should fasten some part of the toilet. The enameled and gold wreaths of myrtle or of forget-me-nots are extremely pretty for these simple pins. So are the true love-nots or a flower of enamel upon gold, but without the all-prevailing diamond dewdrop or center.

For dinner, a woman may wear the richest gems, it being understood that the function is a ceremonious one, and that she shall wear a low gown. Should she dine in a more democratic way and the men of the family do not wear evening dress, she naturally will wear a high gown or one possibly open a little at the throat. She may wear a pin with a single gem under these circumstances.

For balls, operas or entertainments of corresponding splendor, a woman, when she is not herself the hostess, may wear any number of well-chosen jewels. It is quite correct to be sumptuous in this particular, but well to remember that jewels, like flowers, harmonize or do not harmonize, and that emeralds and turquoises, for example, may not be worn in conjunction, because, as the French say, "they swear at each other."

It is not good form to wear ornaments made in the form of beasts or reptiles. The sacred emblem of the cross set in shining jewels and worn at ball or rout, shows a most pitiable ignorance of the eternal fitness of things.

Well bred young girls are limited as to jewels—a string of pearls for the slender neck, a ring with the natal stone or an armament of turquoises and pearls, a little gold love manacle about the wrist, that is all, and quite enough until after marriage. A bride may wear for the marriage ceremony either diamonds or pearls—not in profusion—but never gold ornaments.

Use of Scents and Flowers.

The use of various scents is more sinned against than any other toilet accessory. Only the faintest suggestion of perfume should be allowed to hang about the garments of a well-bred woman or girl. To wear any redolence on the person in the shape of sachet bags is unpardonable. To many people strong perfumes are extremely unpleasant, and those who have regard for the feelings of others would forbear their use for this reason alone, even were it not a sin against the canons of good breeding as well.

When perfumes are used, it is a dainty custom to choose one favorite scent and to use that, and that only, so that in time the sweet, illusive odor becomes almost a part of the personality.

Flowers, fresh, dewy flowers seem the natural adornment of youth especially, and to forswear the pretty custom would appear an uncalled-for giving up of the sweet thought which dedicates the flowers of the field to their human prototypes. Yet there is reason in the custom that has, in great measure, withdrawn them from the heated ball-room and the artificially illuminated dinner table.

Corsage bouquets, in dancing, become an early ruin. Carried in the hand at a ball, they are speedily tossed aside on the nearest point of refuge and left there to ignominiously fade. When flowers are worn at an evening entertainment, choose those that will best stand the light and heat.

The Face Veil.

In spite of the protestations of oculists, women continue to regard veils as an essential part of their toilets; first, because they are becoming; and, second, because they keep their hair in order. The plain tulles and nets, which come in all colors, single and double widths, are always pleasant to wear and less trying to the eyes than the coarser meshes. The veil of Brussels net wrought in sprigged designs is a failure. It is becoming to nobody, and is essentially inartistic.

Women with dark hair and eyes and a brilliant color look well in veils with the dots larger and nearer together. If the skin is clear, white veils are very becoming, though apt to give an impression of a made-up complexion. The woman with fair hair and blue eyes, and without color, generally looks best in a large meshed black veil, with the dots—if dots are worn—far apart. A navy blue veil makes the skin look clear and fair, and a gray veil should never be worn by the pale or sallow woman.

When to Wear Gloves.

The question of when to wear gloves is a much disputed point in the etiquette of dress. They are worn to dinner parties, but custom prescribes that they shall be removed in sitting down at the table. After using the finger-bowl, the gloves should be resumed before leaving the table, or else immediately after returning to the drawing-room. To wear gloves while assisting to pour tea for an "at home," is out of place, but it is very usual to wear them while receiving in the afternoon, though their omission at such a time is pardonable. The visitors, of course, wear both gloves and bonnets.

At a "stand-up" evening supper it is not usual to remove the gloves since there is really no time or place to do it, where each one is expected to leave as soon as possible to make room for the next. Remove the hand only of the right glove and tuck it back under the wrist.

Dancing parties always call for gloves, preferably light in tint. To wear gloves while playing cards is also an unnecessary affectation of elegance. Walking, driving, shopping and all outdoor events, such as lawn parties, etc., call for gloves. Tint and quality of these are to be regulated by the occasion or the costume.

When to Wear Low-cut Gowns.

This question has but one answer, "Never by daylight." In this respect the rule that governs the wearing of a man's dress suit—"from dusk to dawn," is applicable. Even on those occasions when the jealous daylight is shut out and candlelight reigns, dress suits and full decollete gowns are not permissible. A concession can be made by cutting the corsage a little low in the throat, and by elbow sleeves or almost no sleeves.

For every social function held from midday to a late dinner hour, young girls, especially, should wear their gowns cut high with long sleeves, except on some gala occasion, when the rule may be somewhat relaxed as above.

Even at balls, evening parties, late dinners, the young girl's evening dress, if decollete, should be very modest in cut. Where a dinner and dance follow a large afternoon reception and the men who are invited are apt to arrive at dinner in full evening dress, a girl's dress may be somewhat elaborated, but not to the extreme of ball costume.

Ball Dress.

For the ball-room the most elaborate dress is to be worn; decollete corsage, flowers and jewels are all appropriate. Those who dance should wear pale colors and light, floating fabrics, leaving the heavy silks and velvets for those who do not indulge in this amusement.

A low-cut corsage is not expected of elderly women unless they wish it. Chaperons can wear an elegant dinner dress if they desire; velvets or brocades, cut square in the neck, with a profusion of fine lace and rich ornaments. In short, she should be as different as possible from her charge.

If an elderly woman of full figure wears a low-necked dress, a lace scarf or something of that sort should be thrown over her shoulders.

Gowns cut dancing length or with train, are appropriate for the ball-room, but where much dancing is to be indulged in, trains are very much in the way.

Opera Dress.

For the opera the most elegant dressing is desirable. Ladies may wear evening gowns, and men dress suits. If they occupy boxes this is almost an obligation. Light colors render the house more attractive—are, in fact, a part of the whole spectacle. Jewels and flowers are there, and those who wear visiting or street costume are in the minority.

If a man wear a dress suit it is expected that the woman will show him sufficient respect to wear an evening gown. The man's costume is donned out of respect for the occasion and the woman, and she betrays utter ignorance or remissness of duty when she does not return the compliment in kind.

High hats are an abomination at opera or theater. Where anything is worn upon the head, it should be in the shape of a tiny bonnet, a dainty confection of tulle, flowers and ribbon.

This is especially necessary where a public conveyance must be made use of to reach the place. At an opera matinee the bonnet must be worn in connection with an elegant visiting or reception costume.

Middle-aged women wear the same costume at the opera that they would at a dinner party.

Theater Costume.

To dress for the theater is a much simpler matter than for the opera. Display is not required here. Elegant visiting or promenade costume is appropriate. Dressy little bonnets or small hats, gloves, either matching the gown or light in tint, complete the theater toilet. If a large hat is worn to the theater, common courtesy demands its removal that those in the rear may see the stage.

Dress for concerts admits of a little more display than for the theater. A silk gown with a little lace and jewelry, and white or light kid gloves.

Dinner Dress.

A lady's dinner dress may be elegant as her fancy dictates. But if she is hostess she should never try to eclipse her guests. Trained gowns are eminently suitable, and may be worn by maids or matrons alike. Full length trains are not necessary, and even demi-trains need not be worn by very young women. But the soft sweep of a train lends an added grace to a woman's gown, and this is one of the few places where it can be appropriately worn. The corsage may be cut square, or heart-shaped, or opened at the throat in any pretty way, but never so low as for a ball dress. Sleeves are usually half length, and bracelets are given an opportunity for display. Long gloves must be worn. As to color, all shades, from the safe selection of a black silk or velvet, down to the palest tints, are in order, the only proviso being that color and material suit the style of the wearer. An elderly lady inclined to stoutness, and with a florid cast of countenance, is at her worst in light silks or satin. They heighten her defects, while darker shades subdue her coloring and serve to decrease her apparent size and superfluous breadth.

For a young girl, a simple dress of wool goods in white, or pale becoming tints, is all that is necessary. Open it slightly at the throat, soften it with a little lace, show the pretty arms in a demi-sleeve, and it is far more suited to her youth than an over-elaborate gown.

If the dinner is held by daylight and the men wear morning dress the ladies must confine themselves to high-cut gowns turned in slightly at the front and fastened with a simple pin of gold enamel, with, perhaps, a single gem at its heart.

Traveling Notes.

A dress for traveling should be plain and serviceable; a tint should be chosen that does not show soil or dust. A duster, an ulster or over-garment of some kind made of pongee silk, linen or whatever material is in vogue, should be worn to protect the costume from smoke and dust.



The hat should be plain and a veil worn to shield the eyes from cinders when traveling by railway. A pair of slightly smoked spectacles are very good for this purpose. Carry an extra wrap and a hand-satchel to hold the needed toilet articles. Let everything else go in the trunk. A woman burdened with "big bundle, little bundle, bandbox and umbrella," is a burden to herself and a terror to others. Let the satchel contain a flask of some invigorating toilet water—Florida, lavender or whatever is most refreshing, with a soft sponge to bathe the face, hands and wrists, and thereby many a headache can be warded off. If traveling in a sleeping coach, a larger valise should be carried and ought to contain a pretty loose gown of dark silk or wool to serve as a slumber robe, since clad in this one may safely venture from berth to dressing-room without exciting observation.

The rule for traveling dress is that there should be nothing about a lady to attract attention, but this is relaxed in case of ladies traveling a short distance for a brief visit, who are privileged to wear the dress that suits their purpose.

Bridal Dress.

The conventional bridal dress is pure white, whether the material be satin, silk or muslin. It may be made trained or walking length. If a veil is worn the gown is cut en train. White satin slippers must be worn and white gloves. Rip the fourth finger of the left-hand glove ready for the ring; the maid of honor will turn this back at the proper moment. Natural flowers are carried and a wreath is worn with a veil. The veil should sweep to the edge of the train and may be simply a cloud of sheerest tulle or filmy lace worth a king's ransom. It may be worn over the face or not, as fancy dictates. Sometimes a white leather or pearl bound prayer-book is carried instead of the bouquet. This custom has the advantage of having the prayer-book as a memento of the occasion, while the flowers wither. A young girl, known to the writer, carried with her to the altar the same prayer-book that her mother before her had carried on her wedding day.

The wedding dress, no matter what its material, must be cut high in the neck and with long sleeves. This in deference to the fact that a marriage is not simply a gala occasion, but the turning point for weal or woe in the bride's life, and a solemn sacrament of the church, and not to be celebrated in the garb of frivolity.

Where flowers are worn, orange blossoms are particularly appropriate, though no German maiden would think of donning the bridal veil without its attendant myrtle wreath. Any white flowers, however, are appropriate.

Where jewels are worn the choice is absolutely confined to pearls and diamonds (not in too great profusion). Instead of flowers, the veil is sometimes fastened with a star or sunburst of diamonds.

Widows, no matter how youthful, are not privileged to wear the white bridal robe, the veil, nor the orange blossoms. However, the most exquisitely delicate tints may be chosen for their adornment.

If the marriage is private and the bride leaves immediately on her wedding trip she can be married in her traveling suit. At other private weddings, where no trip is taken, the bride usually wears a pretty reception or visiting costume of silk or wool, choosing some color that will be appropriate for after-wear.

The bride's mother, whether the wedding be at home or in church, wears an elegant reception gown. Even if she be in deep mourning she lays aside its sombre shades for this one hour. Invited guests should also avoid mourning garb.

Bridemaid's Dress.

The bridemaids' dresses are often all of white, but frequently colors are chosen, sometimes all alike; again, two by two of different hues. The material of these gowns must be much less expensive than that of the bride's. Their bouquets or baskets of flowers may be either white or colored. They sometimes wear lovely picture hats with broad brims and drooping plumes.

What Wedding Guests Wear.

If the wedding reception is held in the evening, full evening dress is worn; reception gowns being suitable for the elder ladies. (See "Ball Dress.") Where children are present, the girls are dressed in sheer muslin or lace over silk slips, and adorned with fluttering ribbons. The boys in fanciful costumes, such as pages' suits, etc. If it is a morning reception, rich visiting or promenade costumes should be worn, small dress bonnets and white gloves.

Ordinary Evening Dress.

This applies to small parties at home or with friends, to receiving calls at home or in making an evening call. It should be appropriate to the season. Pretty wool goods, exquisitely made, in winter; organdies, grenadines and mulls for summer; laces, a modest bit of jewelry or a simple flower, and one is sufficiently well-gowned.

If the gathering is a little more formal, reception dresses may be worn by the matrons, while the young ladies garb themselves as for receiving at an afternoon tea.

If gloves are worn at all on such an occasion they must be light colored. They are really unnecessary, unless the taste of that especial "set" is very strongly in their favor. If in doubt, it is well to go furnished with a pair for use in case one finds all the guests gloved, and has not the moral courage to remain the exception.

Dress for Church.

Well-bred people attend church in simple costumes, free from display. These may be of rich materials, but they are quiet in color and make. Jewelry, other than a simple pin, should not be used; earrings, of course, if one is in the habit of wearing them, but not diamonds. The church is not the place to flaunt elegant attire in the face of less fortunate worshipers in the "I-am-richer-than-thou" style that marks the parvenu.

Receiving Calls.

A lady with regular days for receiving calls wears a reception dress as before described. Casual callers she receives in her morning or afternoon house dress. Her morning dress, if she superintends her household affairs, should be plain and neat, and be so protected by cap and apron that by doffing these, she will be presentable in a moment.

Where there are no household cares, a daintier morning dress may be adopted, but let it be suitable to the occasion, not some old, half-worn finery revamped for the occasion. If visiting, a still richer gown may be worn, and for a late breakfast at a watering place one may be quite luxurious.

Calling or Visiting Costume.

For morning calls dress quietly in promenade costume. Wear light-colored gloves unless in deep mourning. If driving, carriage dress may be worn. For day receptions the dress may be more elaborate and the bonnet more "dressy."

By not carefully distinguishing between the gowns for different occasions and over-dressing at all times, women lose all the advantages of contrast in style. If lace and silk are worn indiscriminately, what is there left for the full dress function?

Walking Dress.

This should be plain—tailor-made is the best—walking length, and of good material. "Fussy" styles should not be chosen for street wear, and the hat or bonnet should be rather plain and harmonize with the gown.

Carriage Dress.

There is much more latitude for display permitted by the carriage dress. Rich materials, elegant wraps, costly furs, are all allowable here.

Coaching parties, too, have grown to be occasions for most gorgeous costuming. Every hue of the rainbow is to be seen as the lofty tally-ho rolls past, until, so great has become the license of color and richness of material, that the "four hundred" are calling a halt, and soberer tints are beginning to mark this amusement.

Do not wear too many fluttering ribbons, especially if occupying that coveted position—the box seat. It does not add to the skill and accuracy of the driver at a critical moment to have a fluttering ribbon cut like a whip-lash across his eyes.

Dress for Lent.

This should be the sort of gown most appropriate and becoming to the attitude of repentance. The gowns, of course, are simple, quiet affairs. Symphonies in gray, poems in black and white, must, says one writer, "reflect in their construction as well as color the soberness of the event which they will grace. A train is always admissible for the Lenten robe—that is, if it is for house wear. Otherwise the skirt must be short—quite short enough, indeed, to give one's churchwomen a glimpse of a dainty gray or black walking boot."

Any of the heliotrope, mauve or pansy shades, also, are appropriate expressions of the sorrow of the fashionable woman, thus giving a color scheme capable of the most exquisite effects. White cashmere is well suited for the house; and very little draperies, but long, straight lines, give the sought-after effect, and thus the dainty chrysalis rests during the forty days that precede the unfolding of the gorgeous wings of the Easter butterfly.

Dress for Riding.

The riding-habit should be made of broadcloth or some other suitable cloth. The skirt should be weighted by sewing shot in the lower edge of the left-hand breadths. Equestrian tights should be worn. The habit is sometimes worn over another dress-skirt, when, in case of dismounting or accident, the habit-skirt can be slipped off and the rider still left properly attired.

Very long skirts are not worn. The habit should fit perfectly and button to the throat. Linen collar, a pretty tie and linen cuffs are worn, and a leather glove with gauntlet. The hat should be plain, and of the prevailing fashion.

Lawn Parties.

The dress for these occasions has been already described; sufficient here to say it should be light and graceful, and the bonnet or hat ornamental and effective.

Picnics and Excursions.

Light-weight wool goods, or heavy cotton or linen material that will wash and not tear easily, is most suitable for these occasions. Linen or cotton duck is very serviceable.

Croquet, Archery, Skating, Etc.

All of these semi-athletic games call for bright, pretty costumes, short enough to give the freedom of movement necessary to excel in the game. For summer out-of-door games, pliable gloves should be worn, and a hat to protect the eyes from the sun. For skating, rich, warm materials, fur trimmings, fur caps, and warm, furred gauntlets should be worn.

Bathing Dress.

Bathing calls for a costume of some material that will not cling to the form when wet. Flannel is appropriate, and a heavy quantity of mohair also makes a successful dress, as it resists water and has no clinging qualities. An oil-silk cap should be worn over the hair. The cut of the dress should be modest; the costume loose and full, and it should be made with a skirt. The neck should be cut quite high.

Yachting Dress.

This is a pretty, nautically devised and ornamented suit, made of warm materials and those that will stand sea water.

Dress for Gentlemen.

The subject of dress, while not so complex for a man as for a woman, must still receive a certain amount of care at his hands, for no gentleman can possess complete disregard of reigning styles without thereby sacrificing a certain amount of dignity in the estimation of his associates.

As far as the cardinal points of the toilet extend, a man is bound by the same laws of exquisite neatness that are incumbent upon a woman. The same care of teeth, finger-nails, hands and hair is necessary. Don't neglect the small hairs that sometimes project from the nostrils and the apertures of the ears. Use a small pair of scissors.

A gentleman will have spotless collars, cuffs and handkerchiefs, irreproachable gloves, nicely blackened shoes and thoroughly brushed clothes. Hair oil must never be used; it is ill-bred.

Clothes of plain colors are always in good taste, and so is pure white linen. The fancy dotted and striped collars, cuffs and bosoms, so often worn, are not as good taste.

Jewelry should be used very sparingly. Utility should be apparent in the articles worn. Watch chain, sleeve buttons and studs (one or three, as liked) are necessary. Where one stud is used, the stone, though not conspicuous for size, should be a very fine one. A scarf pin is sometimes worn, and one ring is allowable, but not too large or showy. Don't use quantities of perfumery, it is very bad taste.

Keep a dressing-gown for use in the dressing-room or the sick-room. It is not a proper garment for the table or the sitting-room.

Wear the hat properly and squarely upon the head. Wear a coat at all proper times—in the sitting-room, drawing-room, and at table.

Lastly, a gentleman avoids all conspicuous styles of dress, and confines himself to quiet colors and well-fitting, well-cared-for garments.

Evening Dress for Gentlemen.

The evening dress for gentlemen varies very little from year to year, and the time of wearing it varies not at all. From "dusk to dawn," in other words, a gentleman wears a dress suit during the same hours that a lady wears an evening dress.

Gentlemen's evening dress consists of black trousers, a low-cut black or white vest, dress or "swallow-tail" coat, and white necktie. The linen must be immaculate. A young man wears a standing collar; an elderly man, if he choose, may wear his favorite style, with due deference to the reigning style. One or three studs adorn the bosom.

Properly speaking, white or very light kid gloves are a part of evening dress, but to say whether or not they shall be worn always at a formal dinner is hardly safe. If worn, remove them at the table; but at a ball they are indispensable. On all doubtful occasions it is well to be provided with a pair, to use if wished.

Evening dress is to be worn at balls, large dinners, parties and the opera. It is never worn at church, save in case of an evening wedding. It is never worn anywhere on Sunday. In a small town a dress suit on any occasion is apt to seem an affectation. Never wear a dress suit anywhere before six o'clock in the evening.

"A gentleman never looks more thoroughly a gentleman than in an evening dress," says one writer on etiquette, and it is well for those to whom the occasion is liable to come to learn to wear one gracefully and easily.

In France a dress suit is worn upon nearly all festive occasions. In England the same customs prevail for its use as in our own country.

Morning Dress for Gentlemen.

Black cutaway, or Prince Albert coat (frock coat), black vest, white in summer, light-colored trousers, silk or some other style of stiff hat, and a black necktie. A light coat is never worn with black trousers. This morning dress is worn at church, morning receptions, informal parties, garden parties, when making calls, and at places of amusement.

Wedding Dress for Gentlemen.

At morning weddings, that is, all weddings before six o'clock, the gentlemen, bridegroom, best man, and all, wear morning dress with light-colored ties. If gloves are worn, light-colored ones must be selected. If there is a formal reception held in the evening, evening dress and white or very pale gloves may then be worn. At an evening wedding, evening dress is expected.

Gloves for Gentlemen.

Gentlemen wear gloves when walking, riding, or driving, at church and all places of amusement, when making calls, and at receptions, balls and evening parties. White or very pale tints for balls and weddings; delicate tints for evening parties; any shade preferred for the other occasions.

General Hints.

A silk hat should only be worn on appropriate occasions. Worn with a rough business suit, or on a picnic or mountain ramble, it is in the worst possible taste. It should appear only with frock coats, dress coats and a fine quality of cloth.

Felt or straw hats should be worn with short coats or business suits.

The mourning weed, conventionally speaking, is worn only on a silk hat; but there is no good reason why those who wish to wear mourning for lost friends should always be in dress of ceremony so to do.

Diamonds should not be worn during business hours by men who are obliged to stand behind counters or engage in any toil.

Business suits should never be worn to an evening party in the city, though in small country gatherings they might be permissible.

Even various styles of outing suits are allowable in some of the informal gatherings at summer resorts.

"Nice customs courtesy to great kings," or to occasions.

Evening Suit for Boys.

This is black cloth with the rough surface that is seen in the material used for grown-up, evening clothes. His trousers are the proper width and show a slight but not too pronounced crease. His waistcoat is cut low, and over it he wears an Eton jacket of black cloth that is accentuated by the deep white linen collar which turns over it, and which is attached, like his cuffs, to his immaculate white shirt.

He scorns all jewelry but a little watch and the white enamel buttons that are in his shirt. His silk hat has a lower and a somewhat broader crown than that made for an older gentleman.

A suit like this is worn by a boy from the time he is twelve until he is eighteen, and then he is supposed to assume the regulation evening dress worn by men.



Letter Writing.



"Letters are the memory of friendship," and are to be reckoned among the chief links in the social chain that binds parent and child, lover and sweetheart, friend and friend, in harmonious accord.

A letter may, from a business point of view, make or mar the fortunes of its sender, while none the less surely, from a social standard, will our epistles approve or condemn our claim for consideration. Every position in life, and every occasion which may arise therein, demand more or less exercise of our epistolary powers, and while but few can hope for the grace, the wit, the repartee that sparkle in the missives of a de Stael, a Recamier, a Walpole, a Macaulay, every one can and should learn to write a clear, concise, intelligent, appropriate letter.

A Rare Accomplishment.

To do this properly is a social accomplishment, and one of the greatest boons that education confers. A graceful note, a kindly, sparkling letter, are each the exponent of a true lady or gentleman, though it must be confessed, since our country furnishes no so-called "leisure class," the art of letter-writing has, in great measure, fallen into feminine hands, the cares of business and professional life ofttimes preventing the sterner half of creation from mere friendly exercise of the pen. It is among women, therefore, that we will find in the present, as we have found in the past, the best and most fluent of correspondents.

A certain dread of letter-writing, however, seems to haunt a large class of people. This dread, arising either from imperfect education, a lack of practice or a fear of "nothing to say," can be overcome in great measure by careful study of the few main requisites of the art, as embraced in style, orthography, forms to be adopted and stationery to be used for certain occasions.

The Style,

of course, is a subtle something inherent in each individual, not to be entirely done away with in any case, but to be improved by a careful study of good models, such, for example, as the letters of the above mentioned authors. To read the best prose writers also cannot fail to work an improvement. For instance, the writer once, after an enthusiastic study of Taine, was rewarded by the assurance from a literary correspondent that her letters were thoroughly "Tainesque" in style.

By judicious reading and carefully taking thought, an abrupt style may be softened and more graceful, flowing sentences substituted for its short, sharp phrases; while a redundant style, by the same care, may be pruned of its exuberance.

The chief charm of a letter consists in it being written naturally and as one would talk. "We should write as we speak, and that's a true familiar letter which expresseth a man's mind as if he were discoursing with the party to whom he writes," says Howell, and, ancient as the words are, no better advice can be given to-day.

Write easily, and never simply for effect; this gives a constrained, stilted style that will soon cool the correspondence. Let your thoughts flow as they would were you conversing with your friend, but do not gossip; give friendly intelligence only when certain of its truth. This will not seem too much when it is remembered how written words sometimes rise up in judgment against their authors when the spoken words would long since have been forgotten. A lapse of time will brush the bloom from our sentences and nothing can bring back again the tender grace that transfigured the over-sweetness of some little written sentiment, or redeem it from the realm of the bombastic in our eyes to-day. Then "let your communications be, not exactly 'yea and nay,' but do let them be such that you would not fear to hear them read aloud before you, for more than this 'cometh of evil.'"



Grammar and Orthography.

These should receive most careful attention. "A great author is one," according to Taine, "who, having passions, knows also his dictionary and grammar." And a good letter-writer, as well, must "know his dictionary and grammar" to render his missives presentable.

Grammatical errors are almost unpardonable, and a misspelled word is an actual crime in these days of dictionaries. Punctuation and capitalization, too, must be looked after, and the whole letter give evidence of thought and care on the writer's part.

Handwriting, Paper and Ink

are all of importance, and etiquette has prescribed certain formulas for these adjuncts of a good letter, that, however the vagaries of fashion may invade the outer borders of the realm epistolary, are always correct and in good style.

The paper in best taste is thick, white or creamy-tinted, unruled and of such a size as to fold once for fitting square-shaped envelopes, creamy-white like the paper. Never use envelopes so thin in quality as to permit the writing to be seen through from the outside. The square envelope is not a necessity; the slightly oblong is also used, the paper being folded twice to fit this size.

This paper would be suitable and in perfect style in any portion of the civilized world, and on any occasion, and no one with any pretensions to good breeding should be found unsupplied. This is an item in which we cannot afford to economize, for one judges a lady or gentleman, unconsciously, by the contents of his or her writing desk, as exemplified by the letters sent from their hands.

Monograms are not entirely "out," but they are only used by those to whom their own especial design, through long use, has come to seem almost a part of themselves. All fleeting fancies in stationery should be passed by on the other side, or, at most, left to the wayward tastes of "sweet sixteen," or to some few whose very eccentricities are part of their fame. Sarah Bernhardt, for instance, uses blue paper framed in a pale gray line on the top of the page, and the flap of the envelope is a tragic mark, above which her initials are traversed by a scroll bearing her motto, "Quand meme." She is as exact, however, in the formulas of her letters as any dowager of the old school. The Royal Highnesses of England use the paper and square envelopes before described; initials, monograms and crests are left to foreigners and outsiders, and the Orleans family, of France, are severely plain in their choice of stationery.



Given the correct paper and envelopes and plain, jet-black ink (no other tint should ever be used), the penmanship must next be considered. It is very well for Madame Bernhardt to write an elegant, graceful hand that is absolutely impossible to decipher, and for General Bourbaki to indite his epistles in a microscopically minute script, but less important people will do well to render their chirography as perfect and legible as possible, and not to flourish.

Avoid always too near an approach to the clerkly, commercial hand. A talented foreigner once remarked to the writer upon his astonishment at the predominance of this hand in America. "I do not like it," he said; "the clerk sends me in my rates, the landlord my bill, and the young lady her reply to my invitation, all in that same commercial hand. There is no individuality, no character, in such writing." And there was too much reason in his remonstrance. We are not quite "a nation of shopkeepers," and there is no reason why this business handwriting should so permeate all classes of society.

The lines should be straight, and as ruled paper is not permissible in formal notes, invitations or punctilious correspondence, savoring too nearly of the school-room and the counting-house, some little practice may be necessary to keep the lines even. Should this prove impossible, let a sheet of paper with heavily ruled black lines that will show through the writing paper, be kept in the desk and slipped beneath the page as a guide. It may also be inserted in the envelope to keep the superscription or address perfectly straight.

The lines should be rather far apart, and the fashionable hand just now is not the pointed English style, but somewhat verging on the large, round hand of the last century; the ladies, as a rule, indulging in a rather masculine style.



Thin foreign note paper may be used for letters abroad, unless the most formal. This is usually ruled. So is the commercial note used for business letters.

These forms answer for ladies and gentlemen alike. There is no particular objection to gentlemen using in their informal friendly letters, business note with printed letter head, but for ceremonious occasions they must be bound by the foregoing forms.

Very faintly perfumed paper is the prerogative of the ladies. Gentlemen are denied this privilege and a lady avails herself of it with discretion, selecting a favorite odor and adhering closely to it, so that correspondents could tell her missives with closed eyes, by their very fragrance.

Where black-edged paper and envelopes are used by persons in mourning, the width of the black border varies according to the nearness of the deceased relative or the length of time since the loss, though some never use more than the narrowest line of black, while others still, with the most perfect propriety, discard it altogether. Its use is a matter of taste simply, and must cease so soon as the mourning garb is dropped. Never be guilty, however, of writing a letter of congratulation on black-edged paper, even if in mourning; use plain white for this purpose. At the same time, it is never necessary to write a letter of condolence on black-bordered paper, unless the writer himself is in mourning.



The careful writing of a note or letter is a mark of respect to the recipient, and blots, erasures and mended words should never be permitted to disfigure it. Erasing cannot be done without marring the entire page and a mended or rewritten word is an offense to the eye. To copy the letter afresh is the only real remedy, and those who value their own standing will not grudge the pains spent in the composition of a letter that shall be a credit to the writer and a pleasure to the receiver.

This comes under the general recommendation of doing everything you do as it ought to be done. There should be no slipshod way of writing a letter by which you are to be judged.

Figures and abbreviations are often used. Few numerals are allowable, except the dates, the street number and the hour of the day. Very large sums of money are also stated in figures unless they begin a sentence, when all numbers must be written out fully. Figures are also preferable in uneven sums of money too long to be written with one, or at most two words; per cent., as well, is rulable in figures. Degrees should be either written "75 deg.," or "seventy-five degrees." Fractions, given alone, should be in words, and all other numerals occurring in a letter must follow the same rule, except quotations from stock and market reports. For extra precaution, sometimes sums of money are written, followed by figures representing the same, in parenthesis.

Common Abbreviations.

Abbreviations proper to social and formal letter-writing are few in number. Honorary titles, such as Dr., Prof., Hon., Rev., Messrs., Esq., Capt., etc., are usually abbreviated as above, though very good authorities advocate, and with much reason, the use of the full word "Reverend," as also the titles "Honorable" and "Professor." The scholastic titles are also abbreviated by the proper initials, as A.M., M.D., LL.D., following the name. The names of months, of states, the words "County" and "Post Office," when used on the superscription are also abbreviated.

The use of A.M., M., P.M., to mark the divisions of the day, technical abbreviations, and the usual e.g., i.e., viz., etc., are too familiar to the users to need mention. Further than the above, brevity is not always the soul of wit.

The letter itself, as a whole, is now to be considered, and to facilitate its writing there should be some one corner in every home devoted to this purpose. The incentive to letter-writing is always damped, the happy thought we would send our friend takes flight, if we must find the pens upstairs, the paper down, the ink bottle in the pantry, empty or not, as the case may be, and our patience wherever it may be after the search is ended.



Letters would be more frequently written, more punctually answered, and half the unreasonable dread of writing done away with, were this matter attended to properly. Let the writing desk stand in some well-lighted corner of sitting, dining, or "mother's" room, and let it be stored with all articles necessary to the exigencies of correspondence. Should the desk prove beyond the depth of the family purse, then let its substitute be found in a firm, good-sized table or stand, with a drawer where necessary supplies may be kept. Two or more sizes of note paper, unruled, with envelopes to match, for the elders of the household; writing tablets and commercial note, together with plain envelopes, for the school-children and everyday uses; a good dictionary, a tray with pen rack and inkstand thereon, and a goodly supply of pens, will complete a corner that will do more toward the family education in good breeding and culture than any other expenditure that can be made, and will render letter-writing the pleasure it should be, instead of the dread it too often is.

If one possesses a permanent address, street, number and city may, with great propriety, be engraved on the paper at the top of the sheet. If this is not done the address should always be written clearly on all letters. It is too much to expect one's friends to remember the private addresses of all their correspondents, and time is too precious to be spent searching out some missing letter in quest of street or number, in default of which more than one letter has gone unanswered.

The date of a letter, month, day, year and city is first in place. This should be written on one line, beginning, according to length, more or less near the center of the sheet and ending at the right-hand margin. In business letters, unless the printed letter head fixes the place, this line should not be more than one-quarter down the page; while in social or formal letters it should be one-third the distance down. If it should be desirable to give the county also, the date may be allowed to occupy two or more lines, as follows:

MENDOTA, LA SALLE CO., ILL., May 29, 189-.

In the same manner a city number and address may be given:

309 POST STREET, OTTAWA, ILL., January 30, 189-.

In writing from hotels, the following form should be adopted:

THE ARLINGTON, BINGHAMTON, N.Y., October 3, 189-.

Some, in polite letter-writing, prefer to give the address at the conclusion rather than the beginning of the letter. Under these circumstances the prescribed form would be:

Truly your friend, MARY N. PRESCOTT.

FRANKLIN GROVE, Lee Co., Ill., January 14, 189-.

There are several ways of writing the figures that compose the date of a letter. Many business men and others use this form, 1-2-189-, or, 1/2/9-, for January 2, 189-. Others still would write as follows: Jan. 2nd, 1896. Taste and habit will decide the matter for each. To give the name instead of the number of the month is, perhaps, more elegant.

The address, supposing it to be a business letter would come next in order, beginning at the left-hand margin, and our letter would stand thus:

TIPTON, IOWA, April 1, 189-.

MR. WILLIAM H. HILL, 307 Wall Street, New York.

The salutation is a matter wherein there is great latitude of usage. In conformity with custom, some title is to be used in addressing correspondents, and this title differs greatly in accordance with the degree of acquaintance, or friendship, with the party addressed. It should always begin at the left of the page. In the business letter just above, the form might be as follows:

TIPTON, IOWA, April 1, 189-.

MR. WILLIAM H. HILL, 307 Wall Street, New York.

DEAR SIR: (or, SIR:)

Or, if there should be a firm name, the address would be as follows:

Messrs. WILLIAMS & HILL, 307 Wall Street, New York.

DEAR SIRS: (or, SIRS:) (or, GENTLEMEN:)

Again, if wished, the salutation might be omitted and the address made to serve as title. Another form is this:

MR. WILLIAM H. HILL, 307 Wall Street, New York. MR. HILL:

The following form, though causing an unpleasant repetition of the name, is often adopted in business letters to unmarried ladies, probably to escape the problem that the choice of Miss or Madam offers to so many:

305 BEACON STREET, BOSTON, MASS., February 10, 189-.

MISS MARY WRIGHT, Cherry Valley, Ill. MISS WRIGHT:

Or, omitting the name, the simple address may be used. However, there need not be the slightest difficulty in addressing an unmarried lady, even should she be in her teens, as "Madam," or "Dear Madam," it being a general term as applicable to women without regard to age or condition, as "Sir" is to their brethren. This will be easily seen when it is recollected that it is a derivation from ma dame, my lady, and since our language is deficient in any equivalent term to the pretty French Mademoiselle, or the German, Fraeulein, and, as "Dear Miss" is obsolete, we must be content to utilize "Madam" on all necessary occasions. There is another form much used where the address is omitted:

305 MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO, July 10, 189-.

MISS HALSTEAD. DEAR MADAM:

Or, if on friendly footing, simply: DEAR MISS HALSTEAD:

If two young ladies are to be addressed, the term "Misses" should be used, as:

HAVANA, ILL., February 20, 189-.

MISSES TAYLOR & WATSON, Stenographers, 159 Church Street, Rockford, Ill. MESDAMES:

The "Mesdames" may be omitted and the address used alone, but its addition indicates more polish. The translation is "My Ladies." Some substitute for it, simply "Ladies," which is quite proper.

The prefix "Dear" may be omitted wherever desirable, but never write "My dear Miss Halstead," "My dear Madam," or "My dear Sir," unless intimately acquainted.

In writing a social letter the address is omitted or added at close of the letter. A gentleman in private or professional life would be addressed as:

FREDERIC GUY, Esq. DEAR SIR: (or, SIR:)

Or,

HON. FREDERIC GUY. DEAR SIR: (or, SIR:)

Respectfully yours, JOHN GRACELAND.

The use of titles will be explained farther on, but here it may be said that two titles are very seldom given to the same individual at once. For instance, never write Mr. Fred. Guy, Esq., nor Hon. Mr. Fred. Guy. There are some exceptions to this rule, as where the Rev. Mr. Churchill and the Hon. Mr. Brice are addressed under circumstances where their Christian name is unknown, and where a married lady makes use of her husband's title, as: Mrs. Capt. Jones; Mrs. Judge Snyder, and where the Rev. Prof. Dr. Kemp shows by his titles the weight of his learning. Never deny an individual the titles that are rightfully his. They show that he has fought and conquered men, or books, to win them, and they are the well-earned meed of his endeavor. But never, if you have titles, be guilty of bestowing them on yourself; leave that for others.

A gentleman writing to a married lady would address her in friendly correspondence as, "Dear Mrs. French," or, "My dear Mrs. French." To an unmarried lady, "Dear Miss French," or "My dear Miss French." A lady addresses a gentleman in the same fashion, as "Dear Mr. Courtney," or "My dear Mr. Courtney," or "Dear Dr. Courtney."

The Proper Salutation.

Nearer degrees of intimacy, of course, formulate their own laws in this regard, but even here, be it said, that discretion may be exercised to advantage. It will also be observed that if the word "dear," or any like term, begins the salutation it is capitalized; otherwise, not. Thus: "My dear Friend;" not "My Dear Friend." Authorities on etiquette differ somewhat on this score, different works in the author's possession taking exactly opposite sides, the weight of evidence, however, falling on the form given here.

The complimentary conclusion, "Yours truly," "Very truly yours," "Very respectfully," etc., should begin about the middle of the page on the next line below the body of the letter. The first word only should be capitalized, and the expression followed by a comma. The signature should come on the line below and end at the right-hand margin of the page. The address also is sometimes, especially in social notes given at the conclusion, where it should begin, one or two lines below the signature, at the left-hand margin of the page, occupying two or more lines, according to its length, as:

DEAR MISS LOTHROP:

In reply to your kind note, I would say, etc.

Cordially yours,

MARION KENT.

2 Arcade Court, Chicago, Ill., October 5, 189-.

Another very formal style would be:

21 DELAWARE PLACE, BUFFALO, N.Y., June 1, 189-.

DEAR MISS LOTHROP: In reply to your kind note, etc.

Truly yours,

GEORGE HARLAND.

To MISS JULIA LOTHROP, 110 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.

The conclusion of a letter gives the writer fully as much latitude of style as the salutation. Some graceful little phrase should follow the subject-matter of the letter and lead up to the conclusion, thus:

I am, with love to the family, and remembrances to all my friends,

Yours cordially,

MARY ROE.

Salutation and conclusion should always correspond in formality or friendliness with one another, thus: MR. JOHN BRIGHT. SIR: would appropriately conclude with: I am, sir, Respectfully yours, FRANK B. FOLSOM.

A friendly letter beginning: DEAR BRIGHT: or, MY DEAR BRIGHT: would terminate thus: Cordially yours, FRANK B. FOLSOM.

Other forms for closing business letters are: I am, respectfully, JAMES ROSS. Or, Respectfully, JAMES ROSS.

These forms do away with the personal pronoun "Yours," which, although custom has in reality rendered it a pure formality, still retains a certain meaning in the minds of some, as the man, who, in a long correspondence with his wife-that-was-to-be, never signed a letter otherwise than "Truly yours." "What more could I be," he queried, "than hers truly, body and soul?" and with this feeling could their married life have been other than it was, beautiful to look upon?